Inverness County Cares

Partners in Development

March 2020, ICC Report

Three Inverness County Cares (ICC) members and the Chalice (chalice.ca) African team began their journey to two of the Chalice/ICC sponsored schools in Zambia. They departed Wednesday January 15th , 2020 at 5:00 AM and reached the first school on the following Saturday. To reach their initial destination in Lusaka the capital of Zambia they took a total of five flights. On reaching Lusaka they met with the regional African Chalice audit team, then took a small twenty- seater Mahogany Airlines two-hour flight to Mansa and from there took ground transportation for 3.5 hours to Kawambwa. To reach the second school they had to maneuver past herds of goats and crowds of people as they detoured by impassable roads to reach their destination 6.5 hours later. Note: ICC members who visited Zambia, personally covered all their own travel and personal expenses.

John, Charlotte and Betty Jane were warmly welcomed by the students and staff at the Kawambwa site. The 17 staff are a remarkable group of teachers, two are albino, two are totally blind, two are sighted and the rest of the teachers are visually impaired. 

The students range from 4 years old to Grade 9. They are housed in dormitories where they are loved and protected by house parents in each building. The dorms are very basic with few of the amenities expected in our world.  Simple hygiene supplies we take for granted such as water, tooth brushes, toilet paper, soap, footwear and suitable clothing are luxuries.

The primary priority for all students is care and concern for each other, mobility in their environment and a knowledge of Braille.

Although John, Betty Jane and Charlotte noted a sense of a security and happiness in the schools they came to understand that the children and adults are all vulnerable in the wider community and face ongoing challenges. They spoke personally to a teacher who recounted his constant fear of abduction and the lack of safety in in his own home, (outside the school compound) especially at night.

Sr. Agnes, Head of the St Mary’s Special School for the Visually Impaired, Kawambwa, was delighted to receive the instruments purchased with the over $2000 donated by Inverness County friends. The school bought 4 guitars, 2 violins, 1 keyboard, 10 recorders, 1 drum and 2 sets of spoons, plus cases, strings, a tuner and adapters. Children of all ages and about 12 teachers all had the opportunity to learn the basics and 2 music teachers are confident in carrying on the program. Betty Jane compiled large print books (because of visual impairment) and huge, colourful posters to support the music program. Thanks to so many who contributed and who supported us with prayers and good wishes.

ICC welcomes new members to our monthly meeting where members exchange ideas, become informed on current developments and continue to work toward fundraising goals for the year.

Individuals who wish to donate can use the donate button on our website  http://invernesscountycares.com  or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, Box 99, Judique, NS, B0E1P0. Tax receipts provided.

For more information contact

John Gillies 902 787 3441

John MacInnis 902 787 2475

Colleen MacDonald MacLeod 902 787 2251.

 

13 grade 10 boys have begun studies in a large sighted secondary school far from Kawambwa. ICC members visited and gave them gifts from Canada.
The four little girls (Grade 1&2) were playing and wanted to have their picture together. 
Betty Jane with Staff and students of Kawambwa school as they receive new musical instruments provided by Inverness County friends.

February: Zambia Visit

January 16th, 2020, Inverness County Cares (ICC) members Betty Jane Cameron (Mabou), John McInnis (Judique) and Charlotte Rankin (Judique) began their journey to the Kawambwa Project Schools in Zambia. (ICC members all are traveling totally at their own personal expense.) They are traveling with MaryAnne McKinnon’s Chalice team  www.chalice.ca who are conducting their bi-yearly site financial audits and operational reviews of project locations in Africa. Our two schools in Zambia are populated mainly by albino children and children with vision issues.

Betty Jane: This experience is amazing. The people are delightful, the countryside is lush and vibrant, the food great. We have done a little work at St Mary’s School but we are mostly learning from them and becoming familiar with the process of braille printing and reading. We are learning of their interests and skills in music and the needs of the albino children. The children are eager budding musicians and busy with teaching guitars, the keyboard and flutes. The challenges of teaching albino and blind students has been brought home to us through authentic experiences. We can see how fortunate the schools are to have teachers who understand the challenges of the students.

Travel is challenging for all of us, as journeys to any destination are long and demanding. We are beset with delays and at one time experienced a broken transmission in our van just as we reached the hotel. We are a resilient team and having a great time. Home visits in the villages were awesome, and we met with a community development circle group who were learning and discussing new farming possibilities. Where ever we go we hear lots of singing.

John MacInnis: We really enjoyed being with MaryAnne McKinnon of Chalice and the Chalice team They open doors for us that would not be possible if we were independent tourists.

We are very grateful to MaryAnne for the privilege of being on such a trip! We are enjoying the Kawambwa and Mporokoso sites and Betty Jane had her first full day teaching music and is loving it. Charlotte is working with a grade six teacher. I’m painting one of the dorm rooms and on the fourth coat of paint with just the windows left. I have made a list of needed repairs at the school and we have purchased a lot of light bulbs that will be installed in the classrooms before we leave if time permits. 

 It is amazing to see so many visually impaired children; we marvel at how they support each other and their navigational skills around the school. Everyone is so nice to us and the kids are so smart. Enjoying ourselves.

Charlotte Rankin: I’ve visited most of the classes and although their curriculum is much different than our Nova Scotia program, there are many marvelous things going on.
Most of the teachers have either low vision or none at all. It’s very interesting to see them operating in the classroom, greeting the children as they come in and calling on the children by name. The children will write their answers in braille, then the teacher will read it and correct it. Since many of the text books are not available in braille, I was asked yesterday to read a grade 4 math lesson for a teacher as she took notes in braille which she will later use! There are very few discipline problems, since they are very happy to be here!

Individuals who wish to donate can use the donate button on our website http://invernesscountycares.com  or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, Box 99, Judique, NS, B0E1P0. Tax receipts provided. For more information contact ICC members John Gillies 902 787 3441, John MacInnis 902 787 2475 or Colleen MacDonald MacLeod 902 787 2251.

Below is a link to an interview with CBC’s Peter Mansbridge and Canadian Peter Ash of Under the Same Sun, a Canadian organization which helps albinos in Tanzania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NibB68sIZGY

 

Charlotte Rankin, Inverness County Cares member, working with student.
John MacInnis chatting with 99 year old lady
Students school for visually impaired

January 2020

Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a local charitable organization, founded in 2012 and based in Inverness County, NS, with a mandate to assist children who are in desperate need.  Their current project involves supporting two schools for albino and visually impaired students in Northern Zambia.

These children face many life challenges. They are constantly in fear for their lives because their bodies and body parts can be sold to witchdoctors for very large amounts of money. Because of the hopeless poverty in this country many people are desperate enough to resort to murder to earn money in the marketing of albino body parts. In addition to these dangers they are often shunned by their families and the entire village because of witchcraft superstitions which lead people to believe that albinos are ghosts or enchanted. Paternity is often questioned especially in a community of colour, since they appear to be of a different race.

Albinism brings health problems that make life very difficult. Because of the lack of melanin, their eyes are very sensitive to light, they have poor depth perception, lazy eye (strabismus) and often are legally or completely blind. People with albinism have skin that is very sensitive to the sun. Sunburn is the most serious complication because it can increase the risk of developing skin cancer. A 2011 article published in the journal Dermatologic Clinics states: “Within Tanzania, less than 2% of albino children were expected to reach 40 years of age.” In order to protect persons with albinism from the sun’s UV rays sunglasses, protective clothing, hats and sunscreen are required. Some individuals may also need prescription eyeglasses to correct vision problems. Sunscreen is too expensive for many in sub Saharan Africa, forcing persons with albinism to stay in the shade or risk developing skin cancer. Albinism is a very misunderstood condition. There is a great need for education to de-stigmatize the condition, mitigate sun damage and correct public misconceptions.

With this appalling combination of circumstances most persons with albinism avoid leaving their homes during the day and fear being abducted if they venture out at night. Taking into account all of these challenges, persons with albinism are forced to live a very isolated life. 

Individuals who wish to donate can use the donate button on our website http://invernesscountycares.com  or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, Box 99, Judique, NS, B0E1P0. Tax receipts provided. For more information contact ICC members John Gillies 902 787 3441, John MacInnis 902 787 2475 or Colleen MacDonald MacLeod 902 787 2251.

December

Inverness County Cares (ICC), founded in 2012, is a charitable organization, based in Inverness County, NS. Our mission is to provide for the needs of children in desperate need. Our current project is to assist two schools in Zambia where children with albinism (albino) are provided with food, shelter and an education.

In 2015 Inverness County Cares recognized there was a need for a global partner to provide assistance with accounting, taxation receipts, auditing and onsite supervision of projects. A decision was made to work cooperatively with Chalice Canada, a Nova Scotia charity based in Bedford, NS. Chalice is a Catholic international aid organization focused on child, family, and community development. Children and elders are selected for their sponsorship program based on need and family circumstances, regardless of race, age, ability, gender, or religion.
Chalice has 57 sponsor sites, spanning across 15 developing countries. In October 2019 Chalice was chosen by McLean’s Magazine as the top Canadian International charity for 2019.

This year ICC is currently working toward a fundraising goal of $30,000, to provide the schools with:

  • School programming resources: large print books, optical aids, audio-books, laptops, school supplies, etc.
  • Medical needs: payment for medical examinations, medications, sunscreen, sun hats and sun glasses, long sleeve cotton clothes etc.
  • General support for the needs of the schools. 

 

During this Christmas season consider giving someone on your list, a gift which will bring joy to the lives of albino children and embody the true meaning of Christmas. Individuals who wish to donate can use the donate button on our website http://invernesscountycares.com

or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, Box 99, Judique, NS, B0E1P0. Tax receipts provided.

For more information contact ICC members John Gillies 902 787 3441, John MacInnis 902 787 2475 or Colleen MacDonald MacLeod 902 787 2251

 

This YouTube video gives a very realistic view of the challenges faced by persons with albinism in sub-Saharan Africa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiriyOxuKg0 

“Attacks on people with albinism are particularly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa due to superstitious myths surrounding their nature. Albinos in these regions are often shunned by their communities, and viewed as non-human spirits or ghosts. Some believe that minerals within albino body parts bring wealth and luck. Many albinos, including infants and children, are killed or dismembered for these parts.” -(insideover.com)

 

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