Coming to Zambia as an IDEALS student is a daunting experience. Getting used to life and work placements in Zambia entails a lot of adapting, which is part of what makes it so rewarding for the participating students. Hayley Barr was a student on the IDEALS project in 2009. This year she is back as team leader, staying in Zambia for four months during the whole project. She is more than happy to be back.
“In my opinion it’s the best country in the world” says Hayley. “The people are so amazing – you just feel so welcome.”
Life in Zambia certainly takes some time to get used to. At first, the students were all taken aback. Hayley recognises this reaction from when she first arrived in Zambia.
“It is a little bit of a shock – the harsh life that we are protected from at home. Here you are very exposed to it and I think that’s quite hard to get used to” says Hayley.
Things we take for granted, like following a schedule, is far from guaranteed in Zambia. Planning can be a bit of a challenge for the IDEALS students. You never know if you are going to get five or fifty children for a session, and you never know if you will have access to the space or equipment that you plan on using. For Hayley, this is part of what makes it a useful experience. When back in Britain, you have a new perspective on things.
“It makes you more flexible and adaptable. You realise that it’s not a matter of life or death that everything goes as planned” says Hayley.
Time management is another issue where few Zambians would agree with Britons. When it is disrespectful to be late for a meeting in Britain, in Zambia you simply turn up when you turn up. People even walk slower than we are used to, perhaps because they are not always rushing to be on time.
“It’s a very relaxed way to live” says Hayley.
Working as an outsider can be difficult in many ways. The students all find their peer leaders very inspiring. With the amount of work they put into the project, it is common to ask yourself what you can provide in such a short time. Hayley describes how it’s easily seen as a bad thing that students get so much attention from the children, simply because they are different from their regular teachers.
“I think that’s a good thing because it creates an interest around the activities. We provide that for them while we’re here, and they can carry on with the work better after we leave” says Hayley.
Coming back as a team leader, Hayley has the opportunity to observe the project from outside. She appreciates the organisation a lot more this year, while she also sees the impact the students have in the community. She believes the students can affect and inspire the peer leaders in many ways.
“The project promotes education for the peer leaders because they see us students and want to be like us” says Hayley.
With three weeks to go for the first group of students, Hayley thinks they will start reflecting on their roles in the project over the next couple of weeks. She describes how going back to the UK was a bit of a culture shock after living such a different life for six weeks. The team leaders have prepared a reflection session to help the students deal with their impressions before leaving Zambia. Seeing so much poverty and deprivation, it is easy to question how much of an impact one project can have. But Hayley firmly believes that this one is changing lives.
“For some of the kids who come here, it is the only thing that makes them want to get up in the morning” says Hayley. “To be able to do that for someone is just amazing.”
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