The best school trip ever!!!!

Today we took 32 children from a one of our schools on a trip to Victoria falls and it was awesome!!! The kids don't get to go on trips and most of them had never been to the falls before even though they only live about 20 mins away.
The money for the trip was donated by a book bus volunteer and it truly was money well spent as I have never seen children so excited about going in the water before.
Swimming at the top of the falls...

At the falls...



School this week

School this week was great we went to a community school set up by a guy who just saw a need in his area and went ahead and did it. The teachers again are all volunteers and work really hard even teaching lessons during the holidays.

The children were amazing and the numbers grew each I think we ended up with about 180 kids on Friday. Each day we looked at different stories and made crafts based on each book. They all loved it particularly when the glitter and sequins came out.
Here are a few of my favourite snaps from the week.

A classroom

Crown Making

Dancing Zebras

Children running after our bus 



Next week we move onto our last week of holiday club at Lubasi Orphange, which is an amazing place so I can't wait. We are also taking 30 children from this weeks school to Victoria Falls on a school trip, which will be great as most of them will have never seen the falls before.   xxx



My home in Zambia

Not much going on after school today so I thought I would show you around my home in Zambia, will be here for another 5 weeks.
We stay about 15 mins walk from the centre of Livingstone at a campsite called Grubby's Grotto.

My Tent

The pool, looks nice but is FREEZING!

Our Kitchen

xxxx







Victoria Falls

So yesterday I decided after 2 weeks of being here I should go and see the falls in the daylight and it was just as amazing as I had expected. The spray and the amount of water falling was just awesome to see. Although they were also some crazy people pretty close to the edge!!

Today I am jut hanging out by the pool at the Grotto and making some Gruffalos masks ready for my lessons tommorrow.
Miss you all lots xx

In the Village, Shima and ELEPHANTS

So this week we have started our holiday club in a new school in the middle of a village. The children had never seen the book bus before and where very apprehensive at first but after 2 hours of making snakes, butterflies and singing songs they were fighting to hold our hands as we had a tour of their village. It was amazing to see how up to 10 people live in a house about the size of my living room. They also only had one waterpump for 5 villages, yet the people seem so content with life.

Later that evening we also went to a traditional restaurant to try some of the Zambian staple food Shima, we used our hands to roll in into balls and you add chicken or vegetables to it for flavour. It tasted good but had a consistency a bit like playdough!

Today on the way home from school we also got to see a whole heard of elephants crossing the road, it was awesome!!

Orphange and Lunar Rainbow

Hey everyone,

So the first week of my trip has flown by and feel so at home here already!  Had a great end to the week, we finished our holiday club at our first school which I found out from the headteacher that he had starter under a tree a few years ago and that all the teachers that worked there are volunteers! As a leaving present we gave each child a handful of glitter which they immediately rubbed all over their faces. I have never seen a group of children so excited by glitter before.

On Friday afternoon we also visited an orphanage where the kids were amazing, we just hung out read books and played games. I went back there for a fund raising lunch on Saturday and to have traditional Zambian food which was great, but very different!

Also on Friday evening we went to Victoria falls to see the Lunar Rainbow which happens the night before and after a full moon when the light from the moon creates a rainbow in the waterfalls spray, it was awesome!

Claire xx

I am in Zambia

Hello Everyone

So I arrived in Zambia on Sunday and it is now Wednesday afternoon. Have had a great time so far, I have settled in so well and loving my trips out on the bus. 
I am staying at a campsite called Grubby's grotto in Livingstone, its pretty basic and sleeping in tent is taking so adjusting to. Particularly due to the 3am trains and howling dogs, but thats Africa!

Have been out for the past days to a village school about half an hour outside of Livingstone where the children work for up to an hour to be there. Its holiday time in Zambia at the moment too so we are running a book bus holiday club which involves telling stories and lots of craft activities. The kids are amazing and its great to see there confidence growing even after just 3 days.

Also took part in a drumming workshop last night which was awesome!
Pictures and a Zambian mobile number will hopefully follow soon.

Claire xxx