John's Workshop

John took the camera to his work one day so we can show you some of the guys he's working with - and what they're making.

Organizing a new shipment of rosewood.

Our most skilled worker Sylvester

Emanuel straightening a piece of teak on the jointer

Banda preparing a board for gluing.

Simon and Harrison assembling a kitchen cabinet.

John Dindy installing hardware for a set of kitchen drawwers.

Sylvester, Banda, and John.

Sylvester installing pullout shelves.

Sylvester and Emanuel cleaning up. They sell the wood shavings to horse owners who use it to put in the bottoms of their horse stalls - recyling at work.

At a recent show (the Diplomatic Spouses Luncheon), John gets surrounded by a group of chefs admirinig their rosewood butcher block table.

The First Lady of Zambia stopped by the booth to admire the handiwork. Scott, John's partner and Peter are in the front.

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Everyday life!

It's almost getting too cold to get into the pool - but Sophie is enjoying one of the last few warm days. Winter here generally starts in June-ish, but the mornings and evenings are getting chilly (which means we have to throw on a jacket or sweatshirt!).

Peter and the brothers find ways to entertain themselves on a regular basis. It's amazing what a little creativity - and plants - can make! Here Peter is with Billy (11) and Mutale (14).

It's getting cold enough that our mutantly large poinsettias are in full bloom - beautiful.

Peter's Class Project -

Every Grade 5 class at the school participates in an Exhibition - I think of it as a thesis before they graduate from primary school! This year's topic was: Find The Balance: together we can find the balance between earth and man and make the world a better place today, tomorrow and forever.

The purpose of the Exhibition is to gain skills, knowledge and attitudes to prepare for this transdicisiplinary unit. Kids invite guest speakers to talk about local issues that connect to world issues; write their central idea; choose topics based on personal interest; gather research; summarize the research, make conclusions and prepare for their presentations; share their learnings with others; reflect and take action!

Peter worked with two other classmates - Jurgen and Nick - on recycling and efforts that are being done in Lusaka to use recycled materials.

One day, as part of their research, they went to Mercy Ministries - the school and ministry of our friends the Phiris where they are making glass beads out of recycled glass bottles.

The bottles are collected, cleaned and sorted.

Widows from the community clean the bottles.

Bottles are sorted by color and broken into small pieces (to make it easier to melt).

People in the community were trained by a Ghanian glass maker.

He built this kiln for them to use.

The re-hot kiln baking the beads

The glass pieces are put into the molds.


After the beads are fired - they have to smooth out the rough spots - which they do by rubbing the beads with mud on a flat stone...the finished product is in front.

Jurgen, Nick and Peter made their own beads.


Finished beads.

DURING THE EXHIBITION

The evening of the exhibition display, the grade 5 kids had an amazing performance before people walked around to see the exhibits. There was singing and dancing and speeches. We all walked away amazed and impressed with what 10 and 11 year olds can do.

Peter (standing on the box) - had a dancing part! Imagine our surprise when we saw him dancing! He was great!

Peter showing his materials for some parents.

Some of the displays on the stage...most kids worked in groups of 2-3 and both the displays and their knowledge of their subject was impressive. Some of the other topics kids picked:

- Animal Conservation

- Deforestation

- Poaching and Illegal Fishing

- Water Shortage and Water Pollution

- Energy

- Import and Export vs. Local Business

- Illegal Charcoaling

Water Lily

Took a fun trip to a lake/resevoir about 3 hours north of Lusaka with the Wilkinsons and Mike V. While we were on the lake, we "picked" a water lily... and I had each person pose, in their own unique way, with that lily, then created a collage. VERY FUN!!

Spring Break Road Trip to Lake Malawi

The roads were good for driving - the scenery was fantastic and we didn't have any car problems (like last year's trip to Namibia and Botswana)!!

Along the roadside, we saw lots of used clothing for sale.

We took another road trip for the kids' spring break and headed east to Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa (behind Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika). The drive from Lusaka to Lilongwe, Malawi (the capital) took 8 hours. Malawi is about a sixth the size of Zambia, with the same population (approx.12 million).

The lake is so big it looks like the ocean! And, there were even small waves that crashed on the shore. We enjoyed hanging out on the beach, walking and picking up beautiful round stones that were smooth and cool to the touch.

Every day the cattle took their walk along the water. Thankfully, they didn't poop in the water right in front of us...of course, that doesn't mean they didn't do it elsewhere along the lake!

We saw the most amazing sight - this bright orange-red moon rising over the horizon.

These boys came out each evening as the sun was setting with their makeshift fishing net. The fish they caught were tiny, but at least they were successful.

Carrying their net, walking down the beach in their little undies!! Notice the younger brother is the one who has to carry their clothes and the bucket for the fish!!

Visiting Skezipe, our World Vision sponsored child

The day before we left, we realized that one of our sponsored children lives in Malawi, in the northern part of the country, which is where we were headed. A quick visit to the World Vision Malawi office got us permission to visit her three days later.




John, serving as the official Kautz family spokesperson. I was warned by the WV staff that the man is the one who is supposed to speak!

Curious girls. Peter was complaining how everyone at the event was staring at him. I told him they were just curious. But at a grocery store, one of the cashiers asked me if Peter was a boy or a girl, so I told him that the village may have been staring at him wondering the same thing.

Walking to Skezipe's house - along with 50 other villagers, mostly kids

I had been to the World Vision Area Development Program (ADP) five years ago with a donor group - and had met Skezipe for the first time. For our trip, the staff had arranged for a community gathering and so I anxiously scanned the crowd wondering if I would be able to recognize her - and if she would recognize me.


I saw her, looked at her and smiled...she looked at me, then broke out into a huge grin! It was such a great feeling to know that she recognized me!! She had gotten bigger, but her face was the same and thankfully, each year World Vision sends out an annual progress report with a photo!


In Skezipe's home - we were served a HUGE lunch and presented gifts of wooden hand tools and food from the garden. The home was very small for six people (2 adults and 4 children). The father got a small room to himself and the mother slept in a room with all the children. I'm thinking the father got more rest than the mother!! :-)

With Skezipe's mother and father. Her father is a farmer and the mother stays home and takes care of the children and the house.

The kids said that visiting with Skezipe was one of the highlights of our trip. It's a rare opportunity for donors to be able to see their sponsored children, but a joy to know that they are REAL and are thriving, through the work of World Vision.

Sophie sleeping as we drive...


Ha ha ha...she was just faking it!

Monica Hangoma - one of our caregivers

Here is the speech Monica gave at our National Caregivers Appreciation Day. She used to get ill whenever she she thought about caring for someone with HIV/AIDS...and then she became a caregiver and her whole perspective changed. Above, she is shown with two of her clients she visits on a regular basis.


Ladies and gentlemen

On this caregivers day, I Monica Hangoma from RAPIDS I would like to say it is my pleasure and honor to be accorded this rare opportunity to talk on behalf of my fellow caregivers across Zambia.

I would like to thank RAPIDS for their training given to us, we achieved more knowledge. To USAID for funding the program; because of their support we are here praising today and also to the government of Zambia for their partnership at community and local level.

In 2000, my elder sister was sick for a long period. Family members believed that she was bewitched. They took her to many different traditional healers. That is when the sickness was worse.

My aunt came and took her for VCT (voluntary counseling and testing) where she was tested and found HIV positive. She started taking drugs and was cared for and monitored by a stranger -- a caregiver. However, because she started the drugs late, the medication did not respond well and as a result, she died in 2001.

I was touched by the help of the so-called caregiver. I thought, if this woman can take care of someone who is not even her relative, why can’t I do likewise? That same year, I became a caregiver.

Before I didn't want to mix with sick people, I used to feel nausea and vomiting. I was also afraid of getting sick.

My role is to provide care and support to people in the community who are suffering from HIV/AIDS and related diseases. I teach them how to prevent themselves from getting the disease. I encourage them to go for VCT, provide spiritual support, material support, physical support, cleaning, taking them to the health centers and seeing that they are taking their medicine at the right time.

And I have known how to love every human being sick or poor, and keep their secrets. Now, I am a friend to sick people. Without love you can’t be a caregiver, with love every thing is possible. For my clients, they are loved and cared for hence their lives are prolonged.

Therefore I would like to thank all those who are supporting the work of a caregiver; may the good Lord bless you all.

Thank you.

One of our caregivers speaks about his experience

Jackson with some of his clients

Jackson Zondwe is a caregiver with our program and was selected to speak on behalf of the 20,000 caregivers around Zambia. His life has been transformed as a result of being a caregiver. Following is his speech that he gave to our national caregiver appreciation day:

My name is Zondwe Jackson from the RAPIDS consortium. I am greatly humbled today to be given this rare occasion of presenting g this speech on behalf of all the dedicated caregivers across this great country Zambia.

I started working as a caregiver in 2004. Since then, I have been trained in many skills as a caregiver, among them is to stand in the gap for my clients. I am always there for my clients who have no one to encourage them in life because of their status and for those clients who cannot get to the clinic for their appointments. I am also there to counsel those who are not adhering to treatment and care and help households discuss behavior change and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

As a caregiver, I counsel my clients in all situations and they in turn make informed decisions in their lives. Supporting my clients has helped me personally. This work has made a big difference in my life.

Before I started caregiving, I was a drunkard and used to abuse alcohol in the real sense and as a result I engaged in risky behavior. But, one day, after a routine visit to one of my clients, he told me he was drunk the day before and this made him forget to take his drugs. I encouraged him to stop drinking alcohol and then, my client stopped drinking beer and became adherent to his treatment. But one day, without expecting him, he found me drinking a pack of shake shake beer. To be honest with you people, I was so much ashamed before him.

I learnt my lesson. Now what I tell my clients is that what I also do. I lead a happy life -- even my marriage is now happy. I have a happy family again because of a changed life through being a caregiver.

Being a caregiver is not only caring for others but it has also taught me to care for myself and my family. Now I am faithful to my wife and share this prevention message with others: ONLY THROUGH PREVENTION CAN WE STOP HIV/AIDS.

Many lives of my clients have been changed through this work of being a caregiver. There are people in the community who totally refused to do an HIV test but after having counseling sessions with them, they have agreed to the test and are in HIV care and treatment. Now, they are back being employed, providing for their families and heading happy families that were nearly torn apart during their illness. These are the people who are in the forefront advocating against stigma and discrimination and preaching prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS.

I would like to thank RAPIDS, USAID and the Zambian government for recognizing our efforts and our role as caregivers in fighting HIV/AIDS.

I will end by saying ONLY THROUGH PREVENTION CAN WE STOP HIV/AIDS.

Thank you.