Hello Friends & Family,

Most of you are well aware that I have been serving in the Peace Corps as a Rural Education Development (RED) Volunteer for the past year in Zambia. I have heard through family at home that many of you have been looking for ways to contribute in some way to what I am doing over here. Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your on-going support, assistance, interest and of course care-packages thus far.

I am working and living in a rural community. I stay in a village called Luyeye and work with the surrounding schools in my catchment area. The purpose of RED project is three fold: to promote the importance of education in the community, support educators with workshops, training and co-teaching, and to introduce sustainable development at zonal and community level (such as Income Generating Activities (IGA’s,) Clubs, and skill transfer.)

Since moving to the area in April 2009 I’ve been going, going, going. I am teaching at the Zonal Center School daily, organizing trainings and workshops for teachers (in areas such as Special Ed, Fine motors and Basic First Aid), working with support groups for those in the community living HIV/AIDS Positive, and have started a Tri-School Aids Awareness Club with children from grades 5 through 12!

A big part of my job here is to introduce my counterparts to the organizations and resources (within and from outside their communities) that can help them with projects and proposals. That is where you all come in! I am working on some projects in which all of you can play a large role:


::LCC Club World AIDS Day Event::
Luyeye, Chiba, and Chepela Schools’ combined HIV/AIDS Club began in 2009. A local Community School teacher and I attended a week-long HIV/AIDS training together and as result formed this club with 3 the surrounding schools. The club has over 60 members as well as teacher participants from each of the schools. Since then the club has been involved in numerous activities bringing awareness to the community. The children have made posters, sang songs and read poems on the local radio as well as creating skits and other presentations for their peers. Our club would like to hold a World AIDS Day event this year the first week of December. Looking at the cost of the Day’s activities, and provisions our group has begun some fund-raising activities in pursuit of the cause. We need to raise roughly $300 USD to make the event possible. The club has been working on a vegetable garden over the past 2 months and will begin selling the produce to the neighboring community at the end of this month. The children have also been busy making greeting cards to sell. These home-made greeting cards will be sold at $5 dollars a pack (6 cards per pack) all proceeds going to the LCC clubs participation in World AIDS Day.


::Chileshe House Project::
My past year living in Zambia would not have been possible for me without a home base. The Chileshe Family of Luyeye village has taken me under their wing as one of their own. I cannot express to you how much their support, companionship, and overall assistance has helped me from day to day. They are my shoulder to lean on, the ones who feed me dinner every night, and really have become my family. After all they have done for me and with having so little to do it, there is really little I can do to repay them for all their kindness. I’m appealing to all of you to help the Chileshe family finish the building of a safe and sturdy house. They have begun building a structure that will be big enough to house all 10 of them and will replace the two smaller mud huts that they all share at present. Looking at the number of them, and the condition of the huts, they really need to finish building the new house before next rainy season. My cousin Jim is spear heading the construction, so there are no labor costs only materials. Looking at the supplies left to purchase they need to earn roughly $350 USD to finish the house. In an effort to move forward in the building my Aunt, who knits and crotches for a living has been making some beautiful hats! Each hand-made hat is for sale at just $10!

The hats and greeting cards (pictured below) can be purchased directly from my mom Linda Lambeck. She can be reached by email or facebook: linda3057@yahoo.com. All checks should be made out to me: Ellyn Lambeck and will be deposited directly into my Zambian account. I can be reached with further questions at ellynlambeck@gmail.com.

I will continue to update you on the progress of my projects, and let you know when our goals have been reached (as I know they will!!)

:::Every Little Bit Helps!:::
Twatotella Sana Mukwai!! (We Thank You Very Much!!)

Yours,

Ellyn/ PCV Zambia
RED Program
Chileshe Chepela Zone