We
are all affected by AIDS pandemicJourney to the Hills of Chisoboyo - Heart of Cheelo Centre
By Mazuba Mwiinga
Cycling for more than three hours is to some, unbearable thing to take
up; especially when you are going through the hills and low Velds of
the landscape. But this is exactly what my friend Maxwell Chifuwe (Taonga
Monitor) and I did on February 16 this year.
The pushbike wheels headed for the east, in a place called Cheelo.
This is one of the earliest centers for Taonga to be established in
Chikuni Parish. The longest trip I had last gone on a pushbike was
maybe four years ago. And it was not more than one hour.
We started off a few minutes after 8 am, smiling and laughing as usual
as if a pack of jackasses enjoying dinner of fresh meat. As a young
man of second thoughts, Maxwell thought of carrying some sugar crystals
and scones. I relented feeling so full and energetic that we needed
nothing apart from making sure our pushbikes were fit for the expedition.
But he insisted saying a journey without a “just in case” life
giver, is like carrying a gun without bullets to a hunting spree.
That done, the wheels reeled as our mouths full of stories to share,
chuckled and chanted. Down the hills we went, up we climbed, down we
sifted, up we struggled, until I felt as if the next thing my friend
will hear is a cranking sound of a falling person. I was running out
of breath. “Push on Mwizvwo we still have some one hour to go”,
Max said out.
My second thought was, ‘should I tell him that let this programme
end here?’ But another thought said, only the strong remain afloat.
But I was embarrassed to tell him that we stop for a bite of scones.
After all I was not for the idea in the first place. Thinking, we cycled
on; this time no one was talking. Only the sound of cricking push bikes
and heavy breathes from our mouths was heard. As the momentum gained,
I could feel the urge of energy refreshing my biceps until we climbed
the last hill and arrived at Cheelo Taonga Centre on top of a hill
over looking a legendry Forest called Chisoboyo.
The hill is historical in the sense that, in the past no one was allowed
to hunt in it before the chief announced the time for doing so. This
forest had vicious wild animals like Lions and Leopards. The edible
ones as well were plenty. It was actually known as the annual butchery
for the people of the area, since the hunting spree was done once in
a year.
A solar wind up radio was playing in a church building made of bricks
with a grass-thatched roof. A mentor with four learners sat on benches.
The time was 11: 15 am. But lessons start at 12:15 pm. Thirty minutes
later; from nowhere the whole place was full of learners. Old and young
ones. Yes as old as 44yrs and as young as 8 years. They came to attend
Taonga lessons at Cheelo Centre.
Talking to one of the Mentors revealed that there are 175 learners
altogether. But just five grades. Besides the Church building, a foundation
for a 1 x 2 classroom block to include an office is already laid for
the learners. Started in 2000, the Centre has achieved a greater stance
in fighting illiteracy levels in the area. This place is in the middle
of somewhere. Formal schools are very far from it, so much that the
children are unable to walk such distances. Surprisingly, the learners
have positively taken this advantage. Their spoken English language,
one of the determinants for progress in Zambian schools, is very good
compared to formal schools pupils. Their Arithmetic knowledge is also
very commendable.
When time to go back came, the first thing that came into my mind was
the ups and downs of the hills we had to face again. With my recorder
round my waist, we came down the steep slope of the first point of
our journey back from the east. Fortunately my colleagues who feared
for my breath were surprised so see me back very composed but extremely
pile on my face.
