What a day!! The teachers had their first introduction to Kauma school. We all gathered EARLY for our 6am breakfast and then headed off for the 2 mile walk to the school. This first walk is always fun. The volunteers get to meet all the people in the surrounding villages and they get to cross “the bridge”. To our surprise the bridge had been rebuilt and was better than ever. Each board going side by side and each board looking exactly like the next. No creeks, no holes and nobody felt unsafe! Hard to BELIEVE 😉
The volunteers were overwhelmed upon entering the school and being faced with 4000 students. Finding out that 23 teachers handles those 4000 students is something our teachers just couldn’t imagine. We met with the principal who is also named Aaron (who also refuses to BELIEVE my name is also Erin and continues to call me Ellen). Then off for a tour of the school. We visited each class room with Aaron and in each one he lined up our teachers inI the front of of the room and asked the 100 or so students “who do you want for your teacher?” In almost every class the students pointed at Kat! This is because they recognized her from last year. It goes to show that these kids never forget a volunteer and love seeing people return to see them.
A very productive morning for everyone. Lost of observing and playing with students. I think the teachers now have an idea of what they are in for tomorrow as they begin to mentor the teachers they have chosen to work with.
Now for the good stuff….our bus and driver met me along the walk the back to Kumbali to take me to the airport to hopefully collect the 18 bags we were missing. While the volunteers continued back for lunch we were headed out with positive thoughts in our minds about getting everyone’s suitcases. Our drivers name is Aaron (yes I am currently the only woman in Malawi with a mans name). Aaron also refuses to believe my name is also Erin and only laughs and continues to call me Ellen. We arrived about 35 min. later at the airport just in time to greet the flight that our bags “should” be on. We parked and I jumped out waiting for Aaron. I had assumed he would be helping me retrieve the 18 bags. Instead he handed me another claim receipt for 4 other bags that had been lost by other customers staying at the lodge. Now I was in charge of finding 22 suitcases all on my own (one should never assume anything.) off I went smile on face hopeful that the outcome would be positive. There is only one baggage belt at the Lilongwe airport and I only knew what my 2 cases looked like. This meant that I would have to read the 8 digit code on the baggage tag in order to recognize the other bags. As the bags began to circle I was quick to start yanking bags that had the correct cities on them (IAD-ADD-LLW) that’s Washington, Dulles, Addis Ababa, and Lilongwe, Malawi. Most of my picks were correct, but a few times I was pulling bags off (50 pounds or more) and the having to toss them back on the belt. I began to pile luggage next to me. People kept walking over looking through my bounty of bags and I was quick to say “NO those are all mine!” With many funny looks people walked on I’m sure wondering why in the heck I had so many bags! Finally all 18 bags had been pulled and I was only looking for the 4 additional bags that were for other guests. 2 of them came around and were easy to spot because by now the baggage carousel was almost empty. After looking at every bag left it was clear I was still short 2 bags…if you remember my mission was 22 bags and I had only 20. I began to collect baggage trolleys and stack as many bags as I could on each. In the end I had 5 trolleys stacked up high and was ready to fetch Aaron to help me get them all to the bus. I called his cell and he pulled the bus around to the front. Meanwhile I was told another flight was to land in 30 min and the 2 missing bags might be on that flight. Aaron and I pushed all the trolleys to the curb and I left him to load them while I went back to wait on the other flight. I called my team and gave them the good new that the bags had arrived!! While waiting for the next flight I enjoyed a pineapple Fanta and sat with some children who had come to the airport to watch the planes land. This was great and only ended up costing me 4 orange Fantas because the boys I sat with looked thirsty 😉 I couldn’t help myself.
The flight arrived and I quickly found the 2 missing bags. Success!!!!! I wheeled the bags to the parking lot and off we went back to the village to deliver all that good news. As we drove I had visions of clean clothes and a shower dancing through my head. It was only around 3 so I would have time to finally take a shower and get all dressed in new clothes before dinner! Yay!!!
Back at the village we disbursed the bags to cheering volunteers, one after another everyone walked happily to their hut with their precious belongings….Uh-Oh…..Gretchen was missing a bag!!! I knew I had counted and recounted all 22 bags! How was this possible!?!?! The driver searched the bus, but it was clear the bag wasn’t there. We concluded that it must have been left behind when Aaron and I were loading all the trolleys out to the curb. The only choice was to go back right away! (Shower delayed….)
Gretchen had to come with us because we thought we would need her ID since we no longer had any of the lost baggage information. Claim tickets and lost baggage forms had all been turned in. We took the long drove back to that airport this time in a smaller car. Taking a smaller car would allow us to get there more quickly. It took some time to find a car to take, but boring you with that story would only get us off course.
Arriving back at that airport we found the baggage office closed….I was not leaving without that bag! I took Gretchen in with me and left Aaron in the car telling him that I would come get him only if I couldn’t manage to convince them on my own. I did manage to beg and apologize my way past security guards, police officers, and baggage managers until finally we had bag in hand. Only after I was told that by giving me the bag I may be costing the baggage man his job….onward and lots of Chichewa later I had all the important people laughing and smiling and they (after searching the entire bag) handed it over. Off we went and we didn’t look back.
Arriving back in the village everyone was happy and had all their belongings. I however REALLY wanted a shower, but now it was dark. Our showers are out door so taking one in the dark really isn’t as enchanting as in the sunlight.
I was determined though. Flashlight, head lamp, clean clothes, shampoo, towel, and shoes in hand I went the shower to “figure it out”. It wasn’t until I was undressed and water was running that I realized I was going to be every bats dream…dark night, bright light….I was sure there would be a swarm of them racing into the shower with me. I got down to business and got myself clean, dried, clothed and out of there before any bat was seen (I did hear a few though).
Reached dinner just in time to eat with the group and enjoy a language lesson. The group is now happily practicing Chichewa language and I am getting this blog typed! Hope you all enjoyed today’s adventure …brought to you by Malawi’s only female Erin 😉 hugs and love to all. We are all having a great time and looking forward to the teachers teaching tomorrow!
I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors in today’s blog…I think I earned a pss today 😉