By Promise Mambwe, Grade nine.
I was an eye witness, when the roof blew off the administration block at St Mary’s School in Kawambwa. I was in the next class reading with my friends, when it started raining so very hard and the others ran away. Since I was the one to sweep the class, I told my friends that I would remain so that I can sweep after the rains. When the roof blew off there was huge noise which terrified me. A terrible unknown noise is especially frightening for persons with visual impairment. We cannot see the source and it strikes terror in our hearts. I was so afraid, so I ran but was rescued by our care taker who went to check on us, to see to it that no pupil ran through the rains alone. He picked me and put me on his back and ran at the fastest speed he could.
Many of us were affected greatly by the terror we experienced. After a week the administration called on several different people to talk to us, to ease our stress and anxiety. Out of the many talks, the one I appreciated most was the talk from the Forestry Department where they explained our duty to protect our environment. During our closing mass, our parish priest made a mention of 2023 theme “CARE AND PROTECT MOTHER EARTH OUR COMMON HOME”. He told us that the launching will be in 2023. I reported early and asked the liturgical committee to include me. This past Sunday, St Mary’s Parish launched the diocesan theme and I was excited to be part of this great celebration.
The damage at our school/home was a natural calamity brought about by the changing weather patterns of Global Warming. The only way we can make a difference is by preserving nature. We can help by planting trees, teaching others about proper waste management and respecting the plants which grow in our community. My small contributions can be multiplied millions of times if the citizens of the world are educated about climate change.
I have come to understand and appreciate that, when God created everything, in the book of Genesis, God gave man a responsibility to take care of all that was created. Man is the creature so precious in the eyes of God. I understand the words of Genesis to mean that we must be guardians of our world.
We as children of God should help to nurture our own body and mind and we should also be protectors of our environment. By planting trees, we can show how we treasure the environment we live in. For me it is a way to actually make a difference in our local community and show respect for all that God has created. As a responsible citizen of our planet, I will make a great effort take care of others wholeheartedly and appreciate the good in others. Thank you to Chalice and Inverness County Cares for your tremendous support.
Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a local charitable organization, founded in 2012 and based in Inverness County, NS, Canada. ICC works in partnership with Chalice.ca, a Canadian charity, based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Chalice provides guidance and assistance to help us provide a better life for the children at the Kawambwa schools. The Kawambwa Project involves supporting two schools for albino and visually impaired students, in Northern Zambia. Inverness County Cares always welcomes new members. Individuals who wish to donate, can use the donate button on our website https://invernesscountycares.com When using E-transfer, please include your mailing address for CRA tax receipts and a thank you message. E-transfer address: [email protected] or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, 5414 Route 19, Judique, NS, Canada, B0E1P0. Taxation receipts provided for USA and Canada.
