So this past weekend has been a party! There are a whole bunch of youth visiting from various parts of southern Africa for a jr. youth animator training (Ruhi book 5). They are from places like Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia and Malawi. On Friday night, it was the declaration of the Bab celebration and there was an incredible turnout! We sang, and everyone got up and danced and it was just so much fun! It's such an amazing atmosphere when a whole group is singing loudly, harmonizing, dancing, clapping, stomping, doing various dance steps, with drumming.... they are definitely highlights of my year of service by far... and it's the best mood lifter I know!
On Saturday morning, we had the very first IPG (Intensive Programme of Growth - teaching the Baha'i Faith) launch for our cluster!! So exciting! The National Spiritual Assembly was there, along with 12 different chiefs (or headmen) from the neighboring villages nearby. These headmen got a huge kick out of Neda and I, and they took a lot of pictures of us. There were about 25 jr. youth from the village, Ngala that did some skits/traditional dancing, and the youth that were visiting from S. Africa all got up, and burst into song, with the rest of us joining in a second later... singing, clapping, dancing, drumming, ... it's such a spiritual high! There was a brief introduction to the Baha'i Faith by Mr. Chungu Malitonga, who is a regional councellor, followed by many other peformances by the jr. youth from Ngala; more poems, songs, and dancing. Also, our childrens class performed 5 songs! 'O Lord My God', 'Love for Baha'u'llah', 'Ye are Even', 'King of Kings' and 'He is God'! They are a great group of performers! After the launching of the IPG, we all went outside to take group pictures with the village chiefs, and then had a delicious Zambian dish for lunch! A lump of Nsima, chicken/sauce, and boiled cabbage. After long goodbyes, and more pictures, we headed back to the secondary school.
On Sunday was devotions at the institute, we again, got up, danced and sang. I will really miss these youth who are up for a brief visit, then heading back to their countries on Thursday.
Today was Africa Freedom Day, where we celebrated the liberation of Africa from colonization...and the various countries. The girls performed some traditional Zambian dancing, some songs, poems and some skits that showed Britain's control over various countries including Zambia & the liberation that followed... apartheid in South Africa...etc...
Nora left Zambia last Tuesday to go back home to Germany. I'll admit, it's been pretty hard adjusting to Banani life without her, and I miss her terribly. We were so close! So much laughing, having fun, joy, happiness, going through difficulties, crying at some points, ranting to each other about latest problems that have happened in the dorms, having our days off together, sleepovers, rooming together in April, seeing that first snake, traveling to different countries & interesting places, exploring the unknown, encountering the monkeys, laughing over goofy pictures, and LOADS of inside jokes.... what's more sisterly than that? Nora joon, you are truly missed!
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2 comments:
Roya my Fettberg!! I just read ur entry n I really miss all those things like mad.. We had soo much fun the past few month n I'll never forget that tym... Ur a real sister :)
U know, all my sisters r here now but ur missing.. soo come soon ;) I miss u sooooo much.. I have no one 2 do aerobics with or weird moves in the pool.. mhh... hope ur doing fine sissie! Ur roomie is missing u!!
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