Our main reason for journeying to Siankaba was to visit the village nursery, which is supported by the charity I worked with. At the moment the nursery is run from a temporary structure, but the guys at The U Foundation and Islands of Siankaba lodge are working towards building a permenant school for the children.

The lodge staff introduced us to Malindi, the brave teacher who educates the sixty 2-6 year olds who attend his classes every morning. It’s clear that Malindi loves his job and the children, he’s very enthusiastic and looking forward to the new school which will have many more facilities than he has now. Through The U Foundation, schools in Leicestershire have donated furniture, books and games which have been shipped from the UK and are sitting in containers waiting to fulfil their destiny. Malindi can’t wait to put them to use. It shouldn’t be too long now, the chief of the village has agreed the location of the school and work has begun to clear the site.

It was Sunday when we visited but Malindi had called the children into school, in their uniforms, to greet us. As we walked into the ‘room’, fifty-five little faces peered at us, some smiling, some shy. They quickly overcame their shyness as they were instructed by their teacher to greet us, then stand for a performance of ‘head-shoulders-knees-and-toes’. Malindi explained that he teaches them English through songs and asked us if we could teach them something new. I wracked my head for nursery songs that they might understand but all I could come up with was ‘hokey-cokey’. At least it would teach them left leg, right arm etc. Well, you can imagine trying to get 55 children in a circle to hold hands! It took some explaining but we got there in the end and I think they enjoyed the new song, especially the running into the middle.

After the songs we gave them the stationery and balls/football that we’d bought in Lusaka and some cake and juice donated by the lodge. It was a lovely experience and we wish Malindi and the children well - I hope the building of their new school progresses smoothly and Malindi gets the office he deserves. He’s currently preparing lessons from a tiny room. Good luck with all those children!

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