Skip to main content

So Do You Know Where Peanuts Grow?


This morning I had the privilege of taking two Assemblies about Zambia,at Sandy Lane Primary School, Bracknell, where I work part time.Over the last year, the children, parents, staff and whole school community have been building links with Kankoso Basic School in Serenje, Zambia. We've written letters and sent photos, pictures and writing about our school. We've sent them some disposable cameras so we can see what their school life looks like too. One of the extraordinary things that our school did was to raise £800 for Kankoso school. I'm so proud of the school community here, for rising to the challenge so creatively and quickly.
On my recent trip I had the opportunity to see how the money's been spent in developing the school garden. The garden is being developed so that the pupils can be given a meal at school, before their long walk back home to the villages. The school has purchased lots of gardening tools, seeds and fertilizers. They've made good progress with this - they have already grown some peanuts and sweet potato and they are expecting to harvest 70 (50kg) bags of maize. We saw cabbage, onion and tomato seedlings growing in the nursery which, by now,will be planted out into the garden. The harvested crops will be fed to the children; and also sold to the local High School so that the Basic school can purchase some school supplies. The exciting thing is that the garden will be sustainable; as they then sow the seed they've harvested. It's another example of strengthening the Serenje community.
As well as telling the children a few Bemba words (although probably in a terrible accent!) I told them about our next opportunity to get involved - the coats and shoes that we'll be collecting and sending out later this month. Serenje is surprisingly cold in the winter (now) and so the children don't go to school, as it's so hard to walk the long, rural walk to school. I'm looking forward to some turning out and rummaging in cupboards to find shoes and coats my children have outgrown. It's great to provide such a "peachy" opportunity for the whole of the Bracknell community to be involved in connecting with Serenje. Last year's coat will have such an impact in Serenje - enabling a child to continue their education, which is so fundamental to their future prospects being positive.
By the way, DO you know where peanuts come from? I guess the clue's in the name (they're called Groundnuts in Zambia) and a few children knew in the assembly today, but before this last visit, I certainly didn't!Well, they don't grow on trees, despite being also known as monkey nuts - no, they grow under ground, hanging off the roots of low, dark green plants.

Popular posts from this blog

Comparing

"... Nobody has a perfect life - everyone else's life looks great ..but everybody has challenges. We're constantly judging our insides against everyone else's outsides " Ruthie Henshall on Woman's Hour last week So true!

Guest Blog: Esther in Indonesia

I'm delighted to welcome Esther Ross-Watson to my Blog today! She is a dearly loved member of our Kerith family. She and her late husband Michael served as missionaries for many years. Esther bravely made the decision to travel again, and she has recently returned from Indonesia. Here's her story:  Whilst Michael was on his last days on earth in August 2017 he received a request from the Island of Madura, Indonesia asking us to return to the town of Pamekasen, Madura, Indonesia where we had begun our Missions work in July 1973 exactly one year after we were married. They were keen to have us see what God had been doing in the years since we’d moved on and we excitedly said ‘Yes’ we will come!   Obviously that had to go on hold for a while because I didn’t feel I could, or even wanted to go alone! Anyway around March/April time 2018, I begun to feel a gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit urging me to think some more about it! It was like a feeling of wanting to know

3 Little Bottles

Thought I'd mix it up today and do something lighthearted here. I popped into town this morning (as an aside, anyone else still incredulous that "new Bracknell / The Lexicon is so great and that it's really here to stay?!)  Anyhow, I popped into town for a quick wander and bought 3 "essentials" I'd run out of, so I thought I'd share them with you - and of course I'd love to hear about your 3 recent essential purchases. 1 Contact lense solution I've worn glasses since Secondary school, and contact lenses since I left Uni. Gas permeables - great for me - slightly perilous in swimming pools / the sea / other people's sinks (£80 to replace). They work for me - and so a couple of bottles of solution each month keep me going.I ran out a couple of days ago, so it was £4.70 well spent for clean lenses and clear eyesight. 2. "Buffet" by The Ordinary This was a new one for me, a present I received last Christmas. I LOVE it and can