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Hi Family and Friends. I'm still here in Zambia, still trying to figure out the best way to go about my service. Nothing new or exciting is going on so far. Zambia will have elections on October 30th, so we will be unable to do anything until the votes are counted. Speaking of elections, I'm nervous about the U.S.A.'s upcoming elections. I haven't received my absentee ballot, so I mailed in an official write-in ballot just in case. I want my vote to be counted!!!!!

It's been difficult for me to find a big project to do, maybe because I'm just not that inventive. I work directly with the DEBS (District Education Board Secretariat) office, but he's such a busy man that he rarely has time to give me things to do. So, most of the time I hang out at my community school and work with the children in my village. The community school in my village only goes up to grade 4 right now, and they only have 2 "classrooms" which are actually 2 separate mud huts with grass roofs. The children sit on bricks and write on their laps in lieu of desks. Grades 1 and 3 go in the morning from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, then grades 2 and 4 go from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and they get a 30 minute break. Sometimes I wonder how good of an education can they be receiving, but it's better than nothing. They have limited resources in the community.

With all that I have said above, I really hate that many children and their parents don't utilize the resources that are available in the United States, especially in the Chicago Public School system. Having attended and worked in the public school system I realize that it's not a perfect system, but if you use the system properly most children can and will succeed. We have put a lot of money into education. I would love for us to stop dumbing down children and bombarding their brains with video games, music videos, and television. It's really ruining a generation!!! Just my opinion.

Okay, so I kind of went astray on this post but oh well....It's MY BLOG! I Love you all.

Kim

Kim