Final school assembly - Malawi style

Yesterday was the final day for the CRED team at Bwelero school, a rural primary school about 4 miles away from Nkhata Bay that we have been helping at all week

As it turned out, our final day coincided with the final day of the academic year for the children so we were able to take part in their final assembly  And what an interesting cultural insight it was. 

For a start were all the speeches - from teachers, head teacher, chair of the school board, chair of the PTA, chief village elder, local health authority rep and local community development officer amongst others. 

It seemed a bit excessive until you hear what they were talking about and then you realise how integral the school is as a channel of communication to the local community. 

As several parents were also there, all speeches were heard by them also which meant that when the health guy spoke about the immunisation clinic for under-5's the message was going further than just the students

And when the community development guy spoke about a funding proposal that has been accepted by World Vision to pay for bikes so that teachers can set up 'reading camps' in the villages to ensure that children still get access to learning even when the rains mean they can't get to school, there were lots of excited whispers from the children, presumably those who have to walk miles each day to get to school. 

It was the same guy who went on to warn the older girls about the men from South Africa who write letters to teenage girls in Malawian villages 'wooing' them and enticing them to leave rural life and run away. To run to a life of alleged excitement, glamour and marriage. But of course it doesn't end like that, and the community spokesman yesterday was telling the girls how it does end - in trafficking and servitude - and was telling them not in the confines of the classroom but in front of parents who might have been taken in by the letters of marriage and have persuaded their daughters to go. 

These final assemblies are so much more than just a rounding up of the academic year. They are a chance to get some key community messages out to a population who are in part illiterate, don't have access to TV and radio, and don't read the info leaflets available. Obviously the church is another avenue for getting the messages out, but it's good to see that all opportunities are being used to reach everyone

After the public messages bit of the assembly, the focus switched to the students and letting them know the outcome of their end of year results and therefore who would be going up to the next class in September and who would have to repeat the year

The protocol seemed to be that they did a year group at a time, reading out number on roll, number who took exams (which was always less than number on roll - evidence that not all students could afford the exam?) and number who passed. They then went on to read out the names of those who passed the exams and those children stood up, with expressions ranging from relief to pride to embarrassment to delight. 

So far so good, but then you look at the expressions of those who didn't pass and you see despair, upset, and you wonder at the other emotions going on inside. How many times have they failed that exam and had to resit that year? What will it be like being one year older in the class whilst other younger ones come through? What will the parents say when they hear that the amount of years before the child finishes school is now at least one year more as a class has to be repeated? Will the parents let them stay on to finish school or will they decide that it is pointless and instead make the decision that the child has to go out and work?

So many thoughts flying round in their young minds along with the shame of being one who doesn't get the honour of standing up as a successful student. It was hard to watch and something our team members noticed and mused over later in their own ways

I felt also for the class teachers. Having only 48% of your class pass an exam can't feel good and yet when that class is 140 students in size is it any surprise? How can 1 teacher get round all those students to give them all the input they need? There's no teaching assistants to help with remedial groups, no interactive whiteboards or resources to liven up the teaching, not even electricity to enable students to do homework. It's an uphill battle to say the least

So it has been great to come this week and support those teachers and pupils. To bring resources that the teachers can use when we've gone; to give some new ideas on teaching methods (everyone seemed to love the grid method of multiplication, and the use of number lines for introducing negative numbers!); to give opportunity for the less academic children to also succeed and shine, through arts and sports; and to give the teachers the chance to observe their children in education but whilst not having to be the teacher. For these reasons alone it's been great to come

Add in the many and varied benefits that the team members have gained through all this, and the new perspectives and insights they have gained about all sorts of aspects of life. 

Lots of positives to the trip to say the least

That final assembly was thought provoking for us all in many ways, whether students on the team, teachers on the team or just as observing bystanders. Education is a right for all, but it's fascinating, and challenging, to see how that varied that universal right can be. 

Veronica - an 'ordinary' Malawian grandmother

Veronica would say she is just an ordinary person doing what has to be done for the sake of her family. I'd say she is an extraordinary grandmother holding her family together in very tough circumstances. 

Yes, there are loads of others doing similar selfless acts here in Malawi and across the world, but Veronica is the one I've just met and who is most on my mind at this time

Veronica is 42 years old although she looks like she is in her late 60s or 70s. Life has really taken its toll on her and it shows in the wrinkled skin, gnarled hands and tired look in her eyes

A widower of several years, Veronica has five children aged 16 through to 26

She lives with the two youngest, and also cares for five grandchildren from her older children. Having said that when we visited Veronica she had at least ten children under the age of 8 years hanging around her, so I suspect she actually cares for more than just her five. 

Her youngest child, a lad age 16 years is at primary school in standard 3. The fact that he is so far behind where he should be is evidence either that it took several years before the family could afford to enrol him at school, or that they can't afford for him to take the required exam to progress to the next year, or that he is academically struggling and so has to repeat the year many times

Whatever the reason, he is a 16yr old in the same class as 9 yr olds, and that can't be easy. 

I don't know much about the next child up, but I do know that the oldest child is a son who lives in Tanzania, and the other two are girls. 

Both of them have been married, had children (the grandchildren Veronica now cares for), are divorced or widowed from their first husband and have married again

In Malawi the norm, particularly in the rural areas, is that when a woman marries again the new husband does not take on the care of any previous children. As a result Veronica has been given the long term charge of all her grandchildren and those children will grow up not really knowing their natural mothers. So hard for all three generations and clear evidence of how little voice the females have in this society. 

Veronica doesn't have a reliable form of income. Three days a week she is up at 4am to collect charcoal and be at market before other vendors to try and get the best sales. So to say that her income is meagre at best and very unstable is certainly no overstatement. 

Food comes from the garden, and occasionally she will sell a chicken if money is needed for school fees or some other bigger cost. The house was built by her son before he went to Tanzania but is now in some state of disrepair to say the least. Termites have attacked the roof and the mud walls need a lot of patching up. 

Veronica is certainly up against it but despite everything she remains positive and cheerful. She trusts in God to provide for her and the children, and hopes that she will be able to stay in touch with her children

She really is an extraordinary lady, quietly living in an extraordinary way - selfless, caring, there for everyone, endlessly giving. 

An inspiration to meet and one to pray for as she continues to raise up the youth of today

Enjoying life without a laptop (for a bit!)

At team debrief on Sunday evening one of the girls commented on how much friendlier and less anxious everyone seems in Malawi. She reflected that in UK lots of people  are always seeming to get angry or stressed about their phones or laptops breaking or not performing properly. Ouch! That is exactly what I was like the past week or so as my laptop kept letting me down and life seemed to be caving in as a result. Poor Tim and the girls - what they had to put up with. I feel so bad looking back

But now, having inadvertently left my laptop at Heathrow (it's now been found and is being returned home) I find myself in the unusual situation of being in Africa without a laptop. And it's really quite nice!

Rather than spending my spare hours trying to keep on top of other bits and pieces, writing reports, sorting photos and posting blogs, I have had to offload those tasks to others, or delay them until another time. And as a result I have time to chat, to be, and to just enjoy the moment a lot more than has perhaps happened on some previous trips. 

Rather than being focused on accessing Internet so I can download emails and stay on top of every bit of communication I am enjoying the time spent ambling down the hill with team members, enjoying the view and living life in a simpler and gentler way. 

Yes there will be things I have to do when home to catch up, but I can definitely recommend forgetting the laptop every now and then. 

The initial moment of realising that I didn't have my laptop and not knowing where I had lost it was pretty heart stopping and anxious, but thanks to a wonderful combination of prayer and practical support from family and friends resulting in a laptop found, I am now in a lovely place of relative techno-freedom

Of course it's not total techno absence or I wouldn't be posting this, but God has definitely turned an apparently negative situation into s beautiful positive, as He so often does

May I remember this lesson for a long time and proactively 'forget the laptop' a bit more often going forwards. 

On arrival in Malawi

A short blog written on my phone during a 6 hour Malawi bus journey

I'm with a cred team and we arrived in Malawi yesterday. By the time we left the airport to journey to our accommodation I had discovered that I no longer had my laptop - lost or stolen somewhere between security at Heathrow and transit stop in Addis Ababa - and only 12 of the team had all their luggage. So 18 of us were without some or all of our luggage

Frustrating - yes. But what also came out of it was an incredible sense of community and comraderie as those who had shared with those who didn't, and folks local and global got involved in practical and prayerful ways of support. 

The girls didn't make a fuss about not having their kit. We hope it will turn up but if not at least we are still here, everyone is well, and we can still do what we came to do which is make a positive difference in the lives of others

The whole experience has been a good reminder that it's not what we have that counts, but who we are and what we do. Relationships matter so much more than material possessions and the team is demonstrating that very well

It would be nice to be rewarded with the return of our bags, but in the meantime we've got 500+ Malawian children waiting for a very special week, so there is work to do!

Blessings

H

Ps by the time of posting I have heard that my laptop has been found and the bags have all arrived in Malawi. Clean clothes tomorrow:-). God is good 

Setting the pieces in place from way back - the ultimate logistics planner!

Don't you love it when you go along to an event, and it just seems to be filled with lots of little individual occurrences that show how God has been quietly preparing the way for ages, often even before the event came on our radar?

Well Wednesday last week was one of those days for me. I was so encouraged by the series of events and I hope that through sharing it you are similarly encouraged in the knowledge that God is also preparing things for you.

The event in question was a Service of Remembrance at the open-air Woodland Memorial Gardens. I had been invited to lay a wreath as representing the local community, and Tim was accompanying me as my consort (a role that until now he has declined to take up).

So we drive up to the carpark, I pop my chain of office on, and we walk towards the reception area. As we are going I'm very aware that everyone knows who I am, thanks to the chain around my neck, but Tim doesn't really know anyone, and his role in this instance is seen as 'the mayors other half'. 

Imagine my delight when we get towards the reception and find that the Army Padre who will be leading the service is Paul Green, a chaplain serving in the army and a member of Thornbury Baptist, our church! At that point there wasn't much time for chatting together, but it was great to have that immediate connection, one based on Tim and I as church members rather than me as mayor.

After the service we got a chance to chat and catch up with Paul properly, and at that point I found out that ordinarily the chaplain who leads this service is a different Padre, one whom I don't know at all. It was only 2 weeks prior to the service that Paul got drafted in, as the original Padre realised he would be in Iraq visiting his troops. For me, that was a sign that God is taking care of all the details, including ensuring there is someone at the service who Tim can relate to in his own capacity.

There were 3 other little examples of God paving the way -
The first was the presence of Erica, the Chair of South Glos council who I happened to have met at 2 different occasions in the past 2 months, but prior to that had never met. As a result she knew me and vice versa, and so rather than me having no clue about what was happening when, I was able to tag along with Erica and be guided by her.

The second was the timing of this event with another one. The previous Friday I had attended a celebration of the Queens 90th birthday at one of the local primary schools. As a result I had met all the staff, and also the students had seen me in my robes, but also seen me happy to get stuck in and take part in the activities. When Tim and I arrived at the service of remembrance, a staff member and 3 pupils from this particular school were also there, but looking slightly unsure as to what the order of events was. I was so glad that I'd been at their school the previous week, as it made for a quick and relaxed hello, and allowed me to help them sort out where to be when, without my chain of office being a barrier or making me seem unapproachable.

Similarly the other primary school represented was the school that I am a governor at, so again they all know me, and I was able to calm nerves by being a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting.

It was a lovely service, a special day, and a wonderful reminder that God is always at work, quietly, behind the scenes, paving the way. Our role in it all - to be open and alert to His guiding, responding to the opportunities He provides, and willing to walk the way He is paving. 

I'm doing my best on that front - failing miserably at times I admit, but doing my best! 
Thanking God for His forgiving nature and His grace and patience.Setting the pieces in place from way back - the ultimate logistics planner!

Don't you love it when you go along to an event, and it just seems to be filled with lots of little individual occurrences that show how God has been quietly preparing the way for ages, often even before the event came on our radar?

Well Wednesday last week was one of those days for me. I was so encouraged by the series of events and I hope that through sharing it you are similarly encouraged in the knowledge that God is also preparing things for you.

The event in question was a Service of Remembrance at the open-air Woodland Memorial Gardens. I had been invited to lay a wreath as representing the local community, and Tim was accompanying me as my consort (a role that until now he has declined to take up).

So we drive up to the carpark, I pop my chain of office on, and we walk towards the reception area. As we are going I'm very aware that everyone knows who I am, thanks to the chain around my neck, but Tim doesn't really know anyone, and his role in this instance is seen as 'the mayors other half'. 

Imagine my delight when we get towards the reception and find that the Army Padre who will be leading the service is Paul Green, a chaplain serving in the army and a member of Thornbury Baptist, our church! At that point there wasn't much time for chatting together, but it was great to have that immediate connection, one based on Tim and I as church members rather than me as mayor.

After the service we got a chance to chat and catch up with Paul properly, and at that point I found out that ordinarily the chaplain who leads this service is a different Padre, one whom I don't know at all. It was only 2 weeks prior to the service that Paul got drafted in, as the original Padre realised he would be in Iraq visiting his troops. For me, that was a sign that God is taking care of all the details, including ensuring there is someone at the service who Tim can relate to in his own capacity.

There were 3 other little examples of God paving the way -
The first was the presence of Erica, the Chair of South Glos council who I happened to have met at 2 different occasions in the past 2 months, but prior to that had never met. As a result she knew me and vice versa, and so rather than me having no clue about what was happening when, I was able to tag along with Erica and be guided by her.

The second was the timing of this event with another one. The previous Friday I had attended a celebration of the Queens 90th birthday at one of the local primary schools. As a result I had met all the staff, and also the students had seen me in my robes, but also seen me happy to get stuck in and take part in the activities. When Tim and I arrived at the service of remembrance, a staff member and 3 pupils from this particular school were also there, but looking slightly unsure as to what the order of events was. I was so glad that I'd been at their school the previous week, as it made for a quick and relaxed hello, and allowed me to help them sort out where to be when, without my chain of office being a barrier or making me seem unapproachable.

Similarly the other primary school represented was the school that I am a governor at, so again they all know me, and I was able to calm nerves by being a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting.

It was a lovely service, a special day, and a wonderful reminder that God is always at work, quietly, behind the scenes, paving the way. Our role in it all - to be open and alert to His guiding, responding to the opportunities He provides, and willing to walk the way He is paving. 

I'm doing my best on that front - failing miserably at times I admit, but doing my best! 
Thanking God for His forgiving nature and His grace and patience.

6 weeks into post!

Town council works in 6 week cycles, and today is the end of the first of those cycles since I've been Chair of Council and Mayor of Thornbury. So it seems like a good day to have a little reflect on what it's been like so far, and to give thanks and praise to God for some beautiful opportunities to serve Him in this role.

It certainly hasn't been a quiet start to the role! In the past 6 weeks I've met with head teachers of all the schools in Thornbury area - primary, secondary and special needs schools. I've also met with the local police, the town centre partnership committee and the chair of chamber of commerce. I've had the privilege of doing a ribbon cutting ceremony, been to a concert for Christian Aid, been to a belly-dancing and Arabian dancing fundraiser evening for JIGSAW, handed out certificates at some collaborative projects between school and local industries, been to a business forum and linked up charity and business reps who can support each other, spoken at a Rotary dinner, attended a 90th birthday party for the Queen at a primary school, stood in a stream to raise awareness for Christian Aid, been dressed up in a recycled outfit for a Trashion Show, played table tennis with some of the young people at the local youth group and supported an event for Brain Tumour Support.

Exhausted? Yes, it is a bit tiring to think it all through, but what has been the key for me in it all are the reminders at each of the events of how special it is for folks to be able to say that the Mayor turned up. I hadn't really stopped to think about this aspect before. I guess because I always know the mayor as just one of my fellow councillors, the perception of that role from outside had passed me by.

At the youth club the other evening, one of the lads stopped his 'tough' act to ask questions about the process of becoming mayor, whilst another wanted a selfie with the mayor so he could show his mum! Little things in some ways, but for these lads, the fact that the mayor was interested in their youth club clearly meant a lot.

The opportunities to network and link people together has been really wonderful. Being Mayor opens doors, and as a result I've been able to link JIGSAW up with a number of different people and projects and possible pots of money / sponsorship, that was just not happening before. God is opening doors, and using the mayoral role for so much good, and it's an honour to be part of the process.

There is still plenty to come - tomorrow I launch the Mayors Youth Awards as a vehicle to raise awareness of the many wonderful young people we have in the town doing good works. Next week we have a new town clerk starting so there will be work needed there to help her settle into her role. I'd like to initiate some sort of Asset-Based Community Development conversations to help people find positive angles to living in Thorbbury rather than getting dragged into the mire of unwanted housing developments.

And I have lots of appointments in the diary already of upcoming requests for the mayor's presence. Lots more opportunities to say a 'few words', to raise people up, to promote fabulous projects, and to link people together. Lots more opportunities to try and demonstrate God's love in practical ways, and to be ready to chat about how my faith fits in with life when the conversation turns that way (which it has done on a number of occasions already). 

But that's what I signed up for, and I have to say this is one of the best things I ever agreed to do in Thornbury. Do I wish I'd done it earlier? No, because then JIGSAW wouldn't have been ready for all the development and growth that is coming its way now through being the mayors charity. And in previous years I was working full time, so couldn't have fitted in as much mayor-ing as now. And in previous years the girls were at home and I'd have had to be a bit more restrained so as not to make their lives a misery by having their mum as the mayor. 

No, this is the right year. God always gets the timing right, and I can see in so many ways how this is the case for me at this moment.

So, thank you Lord for this wonderful opportunity to serve You in this way; praise You for all the different people, projects and places I am able to go to; and I pray that in all things I will be seen as a mayor who serves - the people, the community, and the one true God.

First week as mayor – reflections, and giving God the glory

Last Sunday, two days before I was ‘inaugurated’ (is that the correct term?) as Mayor of Thornbury, I had the opportunity to share at Thornbury Baptist church and at Woodlands Central church (Bristol) about my forthcoming role, and my prayer requests for the year ahead.

My prayer requests were simple – for wisdom in how to lead council, and therefore the town, through the forthcoming changes that a plethora of large developments are forcing upon us; and that people would see me as a servant mayor, and would see the God I serve through my actions and words.

One week on, and I just want to share a few examples of how those prayers are already being answered in wonderful ways.

Just to set the scene for the Tuesday evening and the first couple of examples:

The mayor-making event took place at the start of the Town Council AGM in council chambers, and was a public event. It was packed to the gills with friends from church and the community, and I was very aware of all the quiet prayers that were being said for me during it both from those present, and also others who were not able to be there in person.

After the AGM was over, I invited everyone, including councilors and council staff, back to the Baptist church where we had laid on coffee and cake. Many of the friends who had witnessed the mayor-making hadn’t stayed for the whole meeting and thus were already at the church when all the councilors arrived.

So, the councilors all arrive at the church, and see this lovely group of people already there and one of the councilors says quietly to me: ‘is this a regular church group we have gate-crashed?’

Me: ‘no’;

He: ‘well why are they here?’

Me: ‘well, they are my friends from church and around, and are just here to celebrate me being made mayor’

He: ‘wow, how lovely it must be to have so many special friends’

Me: ‘it is, church is a very special place’

Wonderful!

Two of the other councilors who came across for the coffee and cake are known for the fact that they NEVER attend any events that are in churches, as they are so anti-church. However, both came to the Baptist church on Tuesday night, and both at some point said to me what a lovely feeling there was in the place.

God making His presence gently but beautifully felt from the start.

During this week I’ve had many reasons to go into the council offices and chat with the staff about things, and build up relationship with them. During one of the conversations, one of them commented how much they like my style of leading – how open, inclusive and relaxed it is, and yet gets things done. I’m not saying that to big me up, but instead to praise God who has been moulding me over the years to reach this point, and sanding down the sharp edges that many of you know used to be there. May the working relationships that are being formed provide openings and opportunities for faith-sharing conversations at various points in time.

Yesterday, I had my first ribbon-cutting event, and it provided another example of God’s hand in everything. The event was the opening of the new clubhouse at the local tennis club, and I was there along with our local MP.

As we were being shown round, it was mentioned that the clubhouse and courts are now fully accessible for those with disabilities, and that the tennis club would like to develop that side of things more, but doesn’t know where to start.

Well thank you God for joining up the dots! The charity that I am supporting this year is JIGSAW, a local organisation that supports children with additional needs, and their families. A group of them were at the event yesterday, as one of the young people was helping me cut the ribbon. In a previous conversation with them they had been saying about how they are looking for some summer holiday opportunities for the Jigsaw children. So when the tennis guys mentioned about their desire to help those with disabilities access tennis – well all I had to do was introduce Tennis Club to JIGSAW, and let the conversation and planning flow. Don’t you love it when God brings the right people together at the right time for the benefit of all?

So, that’s a few bits of my first week. I have also been involved with another charity event, and through that had opportunity to grow awareness of more good works going on in the town, and I have had various conversations in which God and the church family have come up in very positive ways.

Don’t worry, you aren’t going to get a week by week account of my mayoral life, although if any of you want to know my diary to pray for specific events then I’m happy to share that on a one-by-one basis, and I’m also on twitter (@mayorthornbury), and on facebook (Mayor of Thornbury)

But for now this is enough and I’ll end with a couple of photos that I particularly like from this first week. May God be glorified in it all.