Monday, August 10, 2009

Selby's Pics

I've made a little album of my own nature/wildlife photos from the trip. For now it's full of ants, spiders and minibeasts. You can find it here:

IX09 Wildlife

And here's my final shot of the trip, of Jonny at Lusaka Airport:

Lusaka Airport

- David Selby

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Home Again

Hi All

For those of who have being looking at the blog who did not have young people involved in IX09.

After the Bus turned up at the Hot Springs 6 hrs late, we started on our return to the UK at midday Friday, because of the late start we did not arrive at Eureka campsite until 11.30pm Friday night after spending 11hrs in the Bus. Driving in the dark in Zambia is not what I would say is fun. A few of the leaders did not get to bed until 3.00am, after sorting out the last of the problems that were still outstanding before the group were able to go to the airport Saturday morning.

After the flight and the bus trip north , most were home by 5.00pm, after what was a very long trip.

IX09 has come to a end, but what a trip it has being. two years in the planing, training weekends, friendships made, classrooms build, young people able to stay at they local school in Zambia, young leaders for both Scouting and GB developed,

were next ! what next ! have we meet objectives - I think so.

All the members of IX09 will now move on, some into gap years, others to collage and university , the thought of returning to Zambia at some stage in the minds of many, taking part in other GB and Scouting events the goal for all.

That's what IX09 was all about. until the next time

Dave

Friday, August 7, 2009

HEY ITS ME...IM ALIVE!!! :)

Hey guys!

Hope you had a good drive from camp, i heard you left late :( i bet it is some much more exciting on the roads in the dark!

I'm sorry I can't meet you at Eureka to travel home with you I'm absolutly gutted that im in South Africa! :'( I am ok though, i have been thourily prodded and stabbed here in Joberg and have some great new bruises to show you guys! ;) Hopefully I will be allowed home soon!

You will have to take lots of photos so i don't miss too much!

Katie I am sorry I cant sit next to you on the flight home, but i am sure someone will be nice and not tell you the reality of flying in a glorified tin can, although max and nobby have some interesting views on that! :P

Laura don't forget to be nice on the way home no matter how little sleep you get! Bad times that I can't come home with you! :(

Steph, Max and Barney I will see you when I get back, which hopefully will be soon (fingers crossed) (although i could get used to the chocolate brownies they keep feeding me :D)

Thank you Doreen and Dave you are both awesome, i miss being able to look at dave when they stab me with needles but i do think of you when they do so it makes me laugh :D , and i think i finally understand your logic behind you sending me here, dont get me wrong i still wish you hadn't but atleast now I understand! Maybe if you have a long enough stop over you could come visit me! (I think i am driving Sue crazy :S)

However to be honest all the leaders have been great, i am sorry for being such a pain :(

I will see everyone else when we have our IX09 reunion! (Hint hint leaders)

Missing you all already! Hope to see you soon!

Love Lotti xxxx

P.S. On a brighter note i have another stamp in my passport! YEY! :D And i have a postcard from another country on my list!

P.P.S. Steph please can you get me a postcard from Zambia and Kenya! Pretty please with a cherry on top :)

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Last post from Zambia





This will be the last post from Zambia as we leave the Hot springs at 6.00am tomorrow morning to start the return trip to the UK and will not have any access to the internet after tonight.

The last two days have be very hot, at one point yesterday it was 36 degree's to hot for most members to work in this hot sun, but with the help of the local builders, who have being working with us the job is done. The roof is on the small classroom, which is were we hoped to be before we left Kapisha school.







The young people of IX09 will be leaving more than we said we would do 18 months ago at the start of this project. We have a building 27m long, its has two classrooms, both up to roof level and the truss's in place, the smaller of the two also has a roof on it today.

By the end of August everything will be finished. The 8 and 9 years will be therefore using our building when the new school year starts in September. With out IX09 all of them would have needed to travel 22km to school.

This morning we handed the new classrooms over to the school, the whole event lasted over 3hrs, at least most of this time we were in the shade, so the sun was not to much of a problem today.

We have being able to drop the camp this afternoon, as Mark has given us the use of lodges to in sleeping tonight. So the tents are packed away, the last dinner finished. The 11hr bus journey to look forward to.

Goodbye from Zambia

Dave

Tuesday, August 4, 2009





Again we have had a very hot day, by 1400 it was over 30 degrees. Some of the group were finding it hard going because of the heat.

The wood poles for the roof had not arrived by the time we left the site today, but we have had local people out all day cutting the poles, so hopefully they will be on site when we get on site tomorrow morning. We were able to start plastering of the walls in the small classroom,the whole group were taking turns mixing mortar and plastering.

Its 9.30pm and the roofing sheets have just arrived, that means tomorrow we should be able to fix some of the roof tomorrow which will be the last day we will be working School.

Thursday we will be handing the classrooms over to the School.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Monday



The second group have returned from Buffalo camp having had a great time.

At the School,with the help of the Mikpa scout, we have being able to get the rest of the roof truss's in place today,20 in total. We still need to paint these before we can start putting the the roof sheets onto the truss's. We still need about 200m of wood poles to enable us to attach the roof sheets which some of the group may need to help cut tomorrow.
Greetings to you all in Zambia.....

We have been so overwhelmed by all the photos of your building work. The classrooms look amazing. To see the roof going on today is a real achievement!!!! Buffalo Camp must have been a real treat. The sunsets and pictures of the wildlife are picture postcard.. We are certainly missing you, Sunday lunch today was ... (mince and mealies). Hope that you are all well. Keep up the fantastic work. All our love Gran (Mum) and Lois xxxxoooooxxxx

Sunday, August 2, 2009

A number of the young people attended church with the Mipka scouts this morning. We all were on site by 11.45. Process was a little slow today as we ran out of a number of items, (B & Q is about 150 km away) we needed to install more of the roof truss's, We were able to locate the truss's we installed yesterday on the right centre lines, so will be now hopefully be able to fix the roof sheets to the small classroom when they are delivered on Tuesday.

The second group will be returning from Buffalo Camp tomorrow night, we will be having a big push to get at least the small class room finished before start our return trip to the UK on Friday.

I have also uploaded a few more photos of the first groups visit to Buffalo Camp.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

1st Augs




Today we were joined by a group of local scouts from mipka, who are staying over the weekend. With they help we have be able to make good progress on the school. By the time we returned to camp tonight we had 6 of the roof truss's installed.

After dinner we had a camp fire with the whole group taking part, which was great fun, not a bit like a UK camp fire.

Tomorrow will be trying to finish building the rest of the truss's we need as we now have a good supply of poles on on site, as well as installing more truss's. I think most of the group are hoping it is not as hot as most found the work hard today