2019 Group 1 Blog: Week 5

Week 5 was incredibly busy but great fun; it went by in a flash. At the beginning of the week we were still in Livingstone enjoying the break from placement and seeing the amazing sites. On Monday morning we went to the markets to get some souvenirs where there were so many things to chose from, some expert bartering skills were required.

Late morning it was time to head to Livingstone Island to see the Devil’s Pool, which was an amazing once in a lifetime experience, getting to see Victoria Falls from a unique view point. Devil’s Pool is a natural rock swimming pool situated on the ledge of the Victoria Falls offering dramatic views to the falls below. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget! Following Devil’s Pool came a delicious lunch with stunning views of the falls and rainbows below. Then in the afternoon we went to view the Victoria Falls at the National Park in time to see an amazing sunset, bringing an end to an amazing day.

Tuesday brought about our final morning in Livingstone where we went on a bike ride around the surrounding rural villages. This was a great opportunity for an insight into the local communities and to take a step back from the major tourist attractions of Livingstone. The local people were so friendly and all the children came running out to greet us as we came cycling past. On the bike tour we visited a couple of villages, a quarry that many of the women worked at and a local market at the end. On the bike ride we also encountered some wild elephants, which resulted in us having to take an alternative route back, it’s never a dull moment in Zambia. After the bike tour it was unfortunately time to say goodbye to Livingstone and to get back on the bus for the 8-hour drive back to Lusaka. It was fair to say that the bus ride home was extremely long and unpleasant.

Wednesday and Thursday saw everyone getting back to placement and getting back into routine after the most amazing break in Livingstone. Placements on Wednesday and Thursday were very busy for everyone as we all made preparations for the upcoming Wallace Tournament on Saturday. All the children at the various placement sites were all very excited for the upcoming tournament and couldn’t wait to play in their chosen sports.

Friday was both the second basketball workshop in the morning and the second netball workshop in the afternoon. Both workshops were very successful and all the peer leaders left feeling that they had added to their coaching knowledge. Friday night was extremely busy as well with the last minute preparations for the Wallace Tournament in the morning making sure we had everything in place.

Saturday brought about the Wallace Tournament, a well-anticipated event by all the children and peer leaders. The event was highly successful and ran according to our timetable throughout the day. All the children thoroughly enjoyed the day competing in their sports. Mutendere came out on top winning netball, Chipata won football and Kabwata won basketball. It was a very successful day enjoyed by all and was a fantastic way to spend our last Saturday in Zambia.

Sunday was British night where we had to prepare various dishes to serve to our Zambian peer leaders as a thankyou to them for an amazing 6 weeks. We made spaghetti Bolognese, vegetable curry and a variety of sandwiches. We also had a variety of desserts which included home baked Victoria sponge, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, empire biscuits, drop scones, jelly and apple crumble. The Zambians all really enjoyed the food and overall it was a great evening and a fantastic way to end week 5.

Rebecca Main, Stirling