Lessons From Kalikiliki Compound

My name is Edna Lungu .I am a KF Gap year student .Being a gap year student is very exciting and I have really enjoyed it so far.

This Gap year programme has given me an opportunity to engage myself in another productive and helpful activity. I am involved in a community service teaching project in Kalikiliki (Kalikiliki Literacy Project) with some of my fellow Gap year student, namely Mude Mweene and Bwalya Kasanda. A friend by the name of Kumbukani Musukwa, a former Hill Crest student joined us, too.

The teaching of young children aged between five to fourteen is exciting and interesting especially the fact that it is my first time teaching such a large group of children of all ages .This activity  is teaching me a lot of things.  I am now able to assess myself whether I can deal well with children or not. I have learnt to be more patient in life because the children  I am teaching all have different levels of understanding. However , it is difficult at times to really understand how to handle children who do not speak nor write English, may be due to my lack of training as a teacher.  Nonetheless I am loving  every bits of my teaching experience.  Recently, we carried out interviews on the families of the children in Kalikiliki compound to assess their needs and vulnerability.  The mothers interviewed all expressed a wish to empower themselves economically and in education so that they can help their children succeed in life.

Apart from the teaching, I am also trying hard working hand in hand with Mrs. Florence Nkowane, KF Executive Director and Jill Ross, The Princeton in Africa Fellow to get and fill in scholarship applications. So far, I have completed my application to the Master-Card Program at McGill University as well as The African Leadership Academy program.  And from what Mrs. Nkowane told me, I might be applying for the Indian bursaries as well.

My experience as a Gap year student has been fun and fruitful. At least the teaching project is keeping me busy rather than just sit at home doing nothing more constructive than helping others especially with their education, because education is very important in life and key to success.  I also feel I am giving back to the community what I got from Kucetekela Foundation the last five years and this is very rewarding.