Tongabezi Trust School, Private Bag 31, Livingstone, Zambia
Term 2
April - July 2004
Volume 8.2

E-Mail: vanessa@tongabezi.com                 www.tongabezitrustschool.com

Tujatane Tales

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS IN POETRY!

Every year there is a National competition called the NATAAZ competition, the National Arts and Theatres of Zambia, where schools from all over Zambia compete in drama, poetry, dance and choir.  They first compete on a local level and the winners then compete on a provincial level and the winners of that then compete on a National level.  Tujatane, with the help of James Chabuka (a primary school teacher who has a great talent and passion for the arts), entered a cultural dance group and a poetry group.  James set about training just two weeks before the local competition began, and he had total confidence that we would win! With James' enthusiasm, our dance group and poetry group both performed in Livingstone and won in both categories.  The provincial competition took place in Monze 250 km away.  Many of our children had not been outside of Livingstone, and so when the bus arrived to take them to Monze, there was overwhelming excitement - something very special to witness.  The poetry group came back Provincial winners, singing all the way home.  The National competition was held in Solwezi, some 1200km away  This became a five day trip, and our six poetry competitors set off with three teachers.  Our children put all their energy and James' belief to be the best into the performance, and they did us proud.  They won!  Please read our poem at the end of this newsletter. Can you believe, our little school on the banks of the Zambezi river are the Zambian National champions in poetry. Great work team. 

More on this story on pages 2 and 5!

TRIP TO SOLWEZI

On my holiday we went to Solwezi for a competition. We won in Poetry we come number one. Our journey was just fine.  It was at night when we reached Kitwe.  We slept in Kitwe. Others slept in a bus.  Us we slept in a hotel this hotel named YMCA.  When it was morning we bathed our bodies but those who slept in the bus didn't bathe.  We went to a restaurant to eat breakfast.  When we were still eating breakfast the bus come to pick us.  Then we continued the journey to Solwezi.  By Pride Nawa, Poetry Champion.  Grade 4

We were very happy about travelling because we were going to see places of Zambia. We first saw and passed Zimba, Kalomo, Choma, Monze, Pemba.  We went a long way then crossed the Kafue bridge, Lusaka the capital of Zambia, Copperbelt, and on to Solwezi.  By Mundia Samba.

New Sports Ground and New Kit

When Tujatane was opened in 1996 a small playground was made for the children, with swings and climbing frames.  As the children grew, we decided that they needed a football/netball/volleyball pitch. The ground was selected and parents began to clear the bushes and stones.  We had underestimated the number of huge rocks and after days of labour by parents we eventually managed to get a grader in to flatten the ground. The grader struggled with the rocks and so it became a joint effort between parents and grader.  During this clearing, we had an exciting parcel arrive from Peter Jordan of Crystal Palace Football Club in the UK.

FOOTBALL CLOTHES. BALLS, PUMPS ..... A DREAM COME TRUE FOR OUR KIDS

As you can see from the photos, our children look as smart and as proud as can be.  Boxes of carefully packed football kit arrived and were unpacked on our new ground an modelled by the children.  In Zambia most children love soccer more than any other game.  The children had great fun playing in their new kit and there were lots of cheers and shouts.  Thank you Peter Jordan for giving our children something they would normally only dream of. 

Sports Day at Tujatane
It was a really exciting day.  We were in teams - Kafue and Zambezi River and all the people were very happy.  After many different races we did high jump.  In senior girls I was the first one ha-ha-ha.  In senior boys it was Stenwell and in junior it was Chigaga and Brian.  Then we had lunch then announcement and Kafue was the first one and I was in Kafue.  by Ruth Ngandu, Grade 6.

Goals Posts in Memory of Eric Smith
Goal posts for our new football pitch have been donated by Margaret Smith in memory of her husband Eric Smith, who was keen on sports.  He was a brave man who fought in the last war and was taken prisoner in Malaysia where he met his future wife, Margaret.  Mrs Smith writes that she would like to share some money with Tujatane "as a memorial to a man who was good, brave and likable and who would have liked this to be done".  Than you Mr and Mrs Eric Smith for this special gift.  The children are thrilled.

Food Programme

Since we have opened Tujatane to the local community we have found that some of our children, who come from families with no income, are struggling to eat even one meal a day.  We have therefore introduced a lunch time programme for the needy children.  So far, the teachers have chosen 30 children for this programme, and they have nsima (the local maize meal) with either cabbage, beans, eggs or meat for lunch at school. We are hoping to include more children as more funding becomes available.  The teachers have reported increased concentration levels and a higher academic achievement from the school since the food programme was implemented.  The children are enjoying their food and for many it is the only main meal of the day. We have also begun to give all our children HEPS in the morning break (a high energy protein supplement which cooks into a tasty porridge).  Each child gets a small cup, and they love it.  The cost per child per month for the lunch programme is US$5 and any donations to fund this programme will be gratefully received. 

Please note: Barclays Bank charges us $US25 to process each cheque we receive.  To avoid this and ensure that your entire donation benefits the children, please send any donations by bank transfer to the school account or direct to the UK school charity.  If you wish to make a contribution, please contact vanessa@tongabezi.com for details.  Many thanks for your help.

UK Charity Status "The Charitable Trust for The Tongabezi Trust School"
Registration number 1096710.

Newsletters will be put on our school website under updates. 
Click here for details on making a donation through the UK charity.

Comments/feedback welcomed.

Page 4

THE NEUTRAL GROUND
By James Chabuka

This poem has been written and composed to highlight the social crosscutting issues affecting our society today.  These issues are faced locally and internationally.  Some of these are corruption, HIV/AIDS, wars, terrorism, child defilement and others.  The title suits the message in the actual poem.  I therefore expect that the message in this poem will help to change the attitude of some people in our society who don't want to help in the elimination of the problems we face.

I dedicate this work to my pupils Christine Khaki, Naomi Sheleni, Phinias Mweetwa, Pride Nawa, Misheck Sinjela and Mundia Samba as upcoming artists. 

LET US HELP EACH OTHER IN BUILDING A BETTER TOMORROW.

Click here to read our poem and to hear a short excerpt.

CLICK HERE to go back to main newsletter page

The Tongabezi Trust School
Private Bag 31, Livingstone, Zambia
email: vanessa@tongabezi.com

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