Gwango hosted the first of several planned 2018 STEM Teacher Professional Development Workshops. The first Workshop of the year, held in January included 8 teachers. We selected (from different schools) two teachers for each STEM subject; namely Biology, Chemistry, Math and Physics. The 8 are known as GSI STEM Experts.
I wish mom could have lived to see this day. This change is very personal.
This month, the Gwango team got really excited about a second visit from the “Free to Smile†volunteers. The team came to Hwange for a short break after spending a week at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo where they performed free cleft lip surgeries for 28 Zimbabwean patients.
How happy I was during an unscheduled visit to Dampa Secondary School today! I found that the school had not wasted any time in constructing a building for flushing toilets.
Interestingly, among some Christians, there is a belief that a flamboyant tree was near the place where Jesus was crucified. The blood of Jesus was shed over the flowers of the tree and this is how the flowers got such a scarlet red colour.
The women of our community go into the forest to cut grass at the National Parks, Forestry areas and on private concessions. The agreement they make is that they’ll work (provide labour), in exchange for half of the bundles of grass that they cut.
In expectation of her litter, we have built Misty a rabbit hutch. We’ve placed some straw in the nesting box. We are not absolutely certain when to expect the litter since the mating took place on different days and were not properly documented – but we’re ready. Misty is settled in and seems happy with her new home.
Our staff uses far too much cooking oil! This has been a topic of many conversations. We have tried to emphasize to them that too much oil is rather unhealthy - artery clogging, etc. etc.
Danny and I are privileged to be hosting the U.S. Embassy Consul, Mrs. Amy Diaz, and the Australian Embassy Consul, Mrs. Cathy Jenkins.
If you've been to Gwango, you know that we are all about earth friendly "outside-the-box" ideas - which is why we are excited to invite you to help us challenge the kids in our area to innovate!
On this day my Danny spent the evening negotiating lobola for a young man who works for us here at Gwango.
May has been a busy month for us at Gwango. Our team in the bush has grown to almost 30 builders, a plumber, a carpenter and several new lodge staff, mostly hired from communities surrounding Gwango.
Large crowds turned up at Dampa Secondary School to interview for jobs at Gwango. We expected to spend four hours interviewing candidates, but instead stayed until well into the evening hours until everyone had met with our hiring committee.