Here is the third and final instalment of Andrew’s blog.

We hope you have enjoyed reading it!

Day 7

Another glorious sunny, if cool, morning.

Decided to join in the morning service at Ndola Baptists – fantastic choir and very welcoming.

Then spent the rest of the day with Colleen Yeun (Zambia Programme Director), writing a funding proposal for our project at Shipungu.

Katandula, a local education expert visited me in the afternoon to talk about further links with the Ministry of Education – we’re really excited about the future!

Day 8

I joined a couple of visitors from a UK funding foundation to visit George Secondary School, Twapia.

We have completed the project early in 2012 and the school opened in January. 225 students in bright orange and green uniforms were taking assembly outside. The classrooms look good but we still have one latrine to build.

Next stop was the new secondary school at Kawama. The team is still preparing materials for block production, but they’ll have to speed up a bit to finish by January. A contractor is now in place and the trainees are starting to be recruited.

In the afternoon we drove for two hours to review a potential future project near Kitwe. It would mean building an extension to the current oversubscribed health clinic. This is a possible project for 2013 but there is a lot more preparatory work to do. Back by 7.30pm.

Day 9.

Spent the morning in meetings with Colleen and Alice Kamunema, our manager in Ndola, before the five hour drive back to Lusaka.

Lots of extra wide loads on the road carrying equipment for the many mines on the Copperbelt. Evening supper with an old friend in Lusaka.

Day 10

Last day. Brief meeting with Dr Msiska from the Chongwe project who then introduced me to the Minister for Lusaka Province, “more clinics please” was the message.

Msiska then drove me around Kanyama compound in Lusaka where some 350,000 people crammed are into a few square kilometres. The people here are served by just one health clinic and conditions are poor. Something needs to be done.

Had a final planning and wrap up meetings with the team. Bags packed by 11pm for an early flight home to the UK.

A great visit – lots of project issues dealt with and good time spent team building. Back to fundraising in the UK!

All the best,

Andrew