A Day in My Life
For many of us, the space in our brain that holds the “elementary school memories” is packed with many fun, colorful memories. Depending on how much you enjoyed sitting still, those memories might be mostly of recess. Or - if you were the scholarly type - those memories may be of patiently solving a math problem or creating an elaborate diorama. Either way, chances are good that you have a pretty clear understanding of what a day in the life of an elementary school student looks like in America.
But, what does a day in the life of a VCF student look like? How different does their day look from mine? What does their morning routine look like? Do they get recess? How long does their school day go? We decided to get all these answers and more so that you can experience a day in their life. And, who better to get the answers from than a current student, right? We couldn’t agree more!
Meet the brave and beautiful 6th grade Kuanda Square student, Sarah Mumba, who joyfully shared her school day experience with us.
Hello!
My name is Sarah Mumba. I stay in Kaunda Square Stage One, Lusaka, Zambia, Africa. I am in grade 6 at the Lutheran Community School.
When I wake up in the morning, I start my day by taking a bath, brush my teeth, wear my uniform and go to school.
When I reach the school, I sweep the classroom, then wait for the teacher to start the class. We start learning at 7 am. We learn three subjects before going for break. Break time is 20 - 30 minutes. During break time, we have the feeding program. After break time, we learn four subjects. Then we quit the school day at 12 pm. After that we get our lunch on Fridays when there's nshima and chicken and vegetables or a fruit.
My favorite Bible verse is in the book of Galatians 5: 13: “By love serve one another.”
Thank you,
Sarah
Wow! Thank you, Sarah!
As you read this, we encourage you to consider sharing it with a child in your life. It’s so exciting for children around the world to realize how much they may have in common with someone who lives millions of miles away from them. For those of you who are really adventurous, we challenge you really dive into Sarah’s life by having a Friday lunch just like she describes, complete with the Zambia staple food, nshima.
Nshima contains only two ingredients: corn meal and water. These ingredients are mixed together in such a way that they form a thick, play dough like consistency. They are typically served as Sarah described, with your favorite stew. Here’s the recipe, thoughtfully created by Zambian food, travel and lifestyle blogger, “Zambian Kitchen.” Nshima is served by scooping palm-sized portion into your hand and shaping it into a ball with a slight depression in the middle, similar to if you had pressed the back of a large serving spoon into it. You can then eat it along with the accompanying dishes, using it to scoop up the other foods so that you can eat them together.
How to Cook Nshima the Zambia Way
Ingredients:
Mealie meal or Corn meal
Water
Instructions:
Heat some water in a pot or kettle until it boils
Make a paste by adding one cup of mealie meal or corn meal and 2 cups of water
Fill two thirds of hot water in a pot and the paste
Stir and reduce heat to medium
Cover the pot only halfway and let it cook for 15-20 minutes
After it cooks, start adding mealie meal bit by bit, stirring vigorously (known in local language as “kutyakula” or “ukunaya”) and continuously adding the mealie meal until it thickens a bit. (Do not make it too thick)
Cover the pot for about 3 minutes
Stir vigorously again and let it stand for a few minutes
The nshima is ready to serve
Serve with any of your favorite stews like beef and dry fish and vegetables. Happy Eating!
Cooking tip:
When the nshima starts to cook after mixing the paste with water, sometimes it tends to overflow. Make sure you only cover it half way and place the cooking stick in a way that it is between the lid and the pot. It can also boil vigorously so make sure to keep your face away from the pot for safety reasons.
Christian Nonprofit Student Organization in Africa
Sarah is just one of over 600 children who attend the two VCF-sponsored schools. The Vulnerable Children Foundation is committed to giving these beautiful children a free faith-based education, an extended family to encourage them, and now a food program so they can get the nutrition they need.
This mission couldn’t exist without the generosity of individuals like you. We are always joyfully welcoming support and partnership from you so that Sarah and many others can learn, grow and be served just as Jesus did in his time here on earth. VCF is volunteer based – your donation goes directly to the kids. Visit the Your Gift page to learn more about exactly how your donation will help!
(And be sure to email us pictures if you try making the nshima - we want to hear all about it!)