News, Photos, Videos

News, Photos and Videos

Our Journey ... so far

Current News and Events

April 2019- Appleseed Staff Trains with Val and The Reading Box!

The Reading Box is a Zambian Non Profit dedicated to teaching teacher skills so that they can more effectively teach reading. This 8 session course is invaluable. Our Community Center staff as well as Racheal's Preschool staff has learned skills that they are passing on to children each day. We're excited to continue to practice the methods we've learned and look forward to a refresher course in 6 months.

September 2018 - The Library

Thank You Game Rangers International!!

Thank you Game Rangers International and Rebekah Wilson for this amazing donation of books. We are excited to update and reorganize the library! (35 Boxes!!!!) -Friday, Sept. 21, 2018

August 2018 - Appleseed Athletes program

Beginning Tuesday, all 7 Appleseed teams (70 kids- ages 14 and under) will participate in the annual August Football Tournament. It is a week long event. The boys will be camping out at the local school!! Fees have been paid, but Appleseed Sports Academy is SEEKING DONATIONS FOR FOOD FOR THE WEEK. The boys will eat breakfast and dinner at their camp, the girls will join them for lunch. Seeking approximately 1000 Kwacha or $100 for food, charcoal and water for the week. We would also like to pay the wonderful coaches something as they are volunteers.

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT!

So much of what RHO Appleseed can bring to the community is reliant on good people with giving hearts. We have been very fortunate over the past 6 years to have had amazing volunteers! A common reflection amongst volunteers is the sense of family they feel at Appleseed. Thank you all for being part of the Appleseed family.

Shoes and Socks!

Thank you to volunteers Jane and Veronique! It was awesome to see Appleseed Kids receiving shoes and socks. The most vulnerable children were first to try on the shoes. Everyone was so excited and grateful!
~ Our deepest thanks!

Thank you Sigrid!! Please visit us again!

On behalf of RHO Appleseed staff, I must say that it has been a wonderful time working with Sigrid! She has been very helpful and kind to all, We will miss her ever smiling face .
Thank you so much, Sigrid!
~RHO Appleseed Management.

Big News: The United States Congress visits RHO Appleseed

After much practice the Appleseed Dancers finally got the opportunity to perform! Thank you to Jopheal our amazing teacher, and to John and Paul for their hard work and dedication to Appleseed.

Thank You and Congratulations Gail and Wery!!

After visiting Appleseed just over a year ago, this beautiful couple have been generous contributors to the center. This year, they asked their guests to forgo wedding gifts and contribute to Appleseed if they wished to give a gift. The Appleseed community would like to thank Wery, Gail and their wonderful friends for your love and generosity!

FREE VISION SERVICES OFFERED BY VISION AID OVERSEAS!

In April close to 200 Bauleni community members were served by Vision Aid Overseas, Zambia. This is an NGO supporting low-cost or free services to some of the most in needy people in Zambia. With their local team and 4 volunteer optometrist from the UK, as well as the help of our invaluable Appleseed staff, they conducted about 190 vision screenings. Some led to children saying, " My eyes are PERFECT!" while others found themselves picking out frames for their new glasses, and others left with prescriptions for medication.

We hope to continue a relationship with Vision Aid Overseas, Zambia and bring their services to many more people of Zambia!

SUPPORT SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR DESERVING STUDENTS BY SUPPORTING
RHO APPLESEED COMMUNITY CENTERS' SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

We are excited to announce that all of the Appleseed kids who took the 7th grade exam passed with scores good enough to qualify them for the 8th grade! This is quite an accomplishment in a place where there are so many road blocks to success.

Once a child has the proof of a passing score, the race for a place in a secondary school begins. Parents or guardians have to go into the schools to receive an acceptance letter and then they have to go to the bank to deposit the fees into the school’s account. We have until January 5th to pay the fees for the student to begin the new academic year.
We have managed to get acceptance letters for all of our kids. They are very excited at the prospect of going to Numba Yanga Secondary!

This is a defining year in young Zambians’ lives, especially girls. It is a time where quitting school is a reality for children. Often they do not pass the exam, so their parents choose to stop sending them. Or, they do pass, and the families cannot afford to pay for the secondary education so they are forced to quit.

Four of the six Appleseed 8th graders are girls!
The reality for these children is that without sponsorship they will have to quit or put off school.

The annual fees are as follows:
Tuition 1,100
Uniform 550
School Shoes 150
Set of school books 400
2200 Kwacha
The current exchange rate is 10:1
So. it cost $220 for the year.
Thank you for your support!

Dancing with Jay!!

Sunday afternoons dancing with Jay is a highlight of the week! We are so very fortunate to have this amazing dancer and even more amazing man donate his time and expertise to the members of RHO Appleseed C.C.
Thank you Jay!!

APPLESEED COMMUNITY CENTER OPENING DAY!
Saturday, March 7, 2015

March began the true kick off of Appleseed as a community center. In addition to tuitions, we have opened the lending library and media center. We owe a huge thank you to our new friend Wayne, who is a librarian from the UK. Wayne volunteers on Saturdays. He and Paul have put much work into the organization of the library and the checkout system.

Also on Saturdays, Olivia, a 12th grader, runs a girls group called Shine Girls. She has organized art activities and brought in guest speakers for the girls. This is a great addition to the exciting line up of programs and activities happening Appleseed Community Center.

Our beautiful Eva is having a hard, hard time.... Part of her home collapsed during the storm yesterday. While she was trying to get out, after having blocks fall on her, the house next door came down on her. There was no one there to help.... she had to push the fallen cinder blocks off of her. Considering what she went through, she is doing okay. her hand is swollen, she has a bump on her head, and her back and shoulders are very sore. Many people have died in this crisis. I am thankful that Eva is okay.

She showed up for work at Appleseed this morning, a mess, in pain, tired. She is so so strong and has been through so much in her life. I have never seen Eva cry, until today. She is now at my house after a warm bath, clean clothes and breakfast, she seems to be doing okay. We will go assess the damage at the house now.

Eva lives with her sister and brother in law. She is the only one in the family who works... they rent their little shack. I'm not sure of the damage yet, but I am sure that landlords are not going to be able to fix their properties in a timely manner and the rains continue to fall. I anticipate that it will take at least a few hundred dollars to get the place livable again.

We will post pictures of the damage shortly.

New Computers! Thank you IT Africa!

Both kids and adults are enjoying the new computers provided by I.T. Africa!! Members are learning basic computer skills and having fun too! The next big step is to bring internet to the center. Please help us to purchase a wireless router. For just $170 (Kwacha 1200) so that we can begin offering internet access to our members. You can help by clicking the Donate button above!
FUNDED!! THANK YOU
MICHELLE AND MARC!

We are so grateful to Dan Harrison and Manu Tavares for putting this video together for us. They are amazing people who have been bicycling from London to Cape Town, helping worthy projects along the way.

The Beginning....

This slide show is a reminder of how we got started. Saturday afternoons... the broken out building with dirt floors, songs, stories, snacks and fun. These were very happy days for us all. Now we look back and are amazed with how far we have come as we continue to look to the future.

Many of you helped with school fees for the first half of the year for our Appleseed Secondary students. They take end of term tests this week then have a month off before going back for the final term of 8th grade. They continue to work hard and are so appreciative for the opportunity for education. $150 per student completes fees for this academic year. Please help if you can!!

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Help us celebrate 3 successful years! Learn more about RHO Appleseed Library and Community Center!
Live Music! Raffle Prizes! Silent Auction!
Click the link to find out more!!

* Hello and Goodbye to Some Amazing volunteers

We we so sad to say goodbye to our most recent volunteers, Kitty Ottman and Kieran Daly. We are so grateful for all that you have done!

We have been so fortunate to have Chrissy, Deanna and Michelle at Appleseed! They have worked tirelessly and the results of their efforts are lasting. Deanna and Chrissy have gone back to their lives in the U.S., but Michelle has been able to extend her stay for 4 more weeks!

Students, staff and Ken and I gain so much when volunteers are here with us. Each person has a unique specialty and perspective to bring. We appreciate you more than you know!

Thank you to all of the RHO Appleseed volunteers present, past and future!

* New Library Taking Shape

* Appleseed Choir Sings at the Baobab Choir Festival!

* 2nd Annual Fundraising Concert at AISL, May 29th
Click the Donate button above to help support the music program

Click here for more concert clips!

Incredible Volunteers at Appleseed!

Over the past 2 months we have been fortunate to have 3 wonderful volunteers helping out at the school. Ally, Emma and April have become a regular part of each day. We have seen both social and academic growth in our students in the short time that they have been here. With Emma stepping in and filling the job of Math Teacher and Ally and April being committed to one on one tutoring, the school is running quite smoothly.

Amazing bonds have been made so it was very hard for the kids to say goodbye to April, who is headed off to California to begin the final two years of her college degree

Ally and Emma will be volunteering for another 3 weeks. We know that we will all be sad when they leave, but feel so lucky to have had them at Appleseed helping and developing relationships with our students.

Another Move... 3rd Time's a Charm!

We have moved (again!) While RHO Appleseed continues to focus on quality education and healthy, happy children, we have struggled to find our permanent home. The quest for land suitable for a school and without questionable sellers has been so frustrating that we have decided to seek a permanent rental. While nothing is guaranteed, we think we have found the right place. We have rented two flats (what we would call a duplex.) Each side has 3 rooms, a small office, a flush toilet and a shower (cold water only). One flat is used for the classrooms and the other contains the library, tutoring rooms and kitchen. Both the inside and out are a work in progress. Fencing and landscaping are underway and as soon as the fence is finished we will buy and install play structures.

PRESS RELEASE FROM GEEKS WITHOUT FRONTIERS

What if you Could Inspire a Child?
Reaching for the Stars!
Shooting a Class Photo to Space on a Rocket!

Geeks Without Frontiers, partnered with Space Services, Inc., then launched an Appleseed class photo to space aboard an Up Aerospace SL-7 rocket on June 21, 2013 out of Spaceport America in Las Cruces, New Mexico! GEEKS hopes that the children of the Appleseed School will be inspired to reach for the stars!

We are so grateful to Geeks Without Frontiers and Space Services, Inc. for this exciting and unique opportunity! This will launch a new wave of learning about space and the solar system for our students, many of whom have no concept of space or even of the world outside of their day to day life in the compound. THANK YOU!!

Christmas Choir Performance

Thank you Susan Williams, Katherine Parham and AISL students!

Last June 2 amazing women and 40 awesome 4th graders raised $1000 towards the purchase of land for RHO Appleseed to build our own sustainable school building! They arranged with the local movie theater to premier the movie EPIC.

A Fun And Successful Fundraising Event Featuring the Newly Formed Lusaka Children's Choir! (Part 1 of 4)

RHO Appleseed School Featured on the Zambian National Broadcasting Channel- ZNBC

RHO Appleseed Children's Choir

The oldest Appleseed students were invited to perform at the American School's music recital. It was a new experience for them and everyone was very nervous. They did great and look forward to performing again at an upcoming fundraising event!

Christmas and Clothes!

Our students were the lucky recipients of the American International School Clothes and Shoe Drive! The Grade 4 students delivered the clothes and helped with a Christmas Craft. The next day was the Appleseed Christmas Party! During the party, students got to 'shop' for new clothes, thanks to the Clothes Drive and so many people of Lusaka! Our Lunch Ladies, Beauty and Ruth, served a special Christmas meal of Chicken, Rice and Vegetables, we played games, listened to music and had cookies and juice. It was a Merry Christmas at RHO Appleseed!

Funding Efforts

Please watch the fundraising video that was put together by our friends Jim Anderson, Principal at American International School in Lusaka, and Michael Potter of Geeks Without Frontiers. It is the mission of Geeks to help close the digital divide by bringing technology to areas and people who do not have access. They have posted the fundraising video on indiegogo.com. All donations made through indiegogo are tax deductible and 100% goes to Appleseed.

School Uniforms!

Our students are so excited to be getting school uniforms!! We have not done this as of yet because so many of our families can not afford them and we do not want to set up a culture of 'haves and have nots.' However, school uniforms are valued in this culture. They give the student and family a sense of belonging and community. Both students and their families want them very badly! So, we have had some samples made. We will be purchasing for all sponsored children whose sponsors contribute regularly. We still have many children who need monthly sponsorship. If you can spare $25 per month to help pay a child's school fees please, please sign up to do so!! If you would like to help buy a uniform for a non-sponsored child, it only costs $10. Please help by going to the Donate button. Just write in the message line the purpose of your donation. For example, "Monthly child sponsorship," or "Purchase a uniform." Thank you for your help!

Appleseed Grade 1 Visit AISL Grade 4H

Some of our Appleseed Kids had an opportunity to come to the American School to watch an assembly and play with my fourth graders. It was a great day! I was so proud of my AISL kids! They took their little buddies under their wings and were so very kind! The Appleseed kids had been wanting to come the the American school for a very long time, as some of the older kids have already been. The experience did not disappoint! Lasting memories were made!!

THANK YOU Geeks Without Frontiers and Blackberry/RIM!!!

Mike Potter from Geeks Without Frontiers

This is the latest post on the Geeks Without Frontiers Facebook page:
"Great Thanksgiving Gift Just Arrived for Geeks Without Frontiers!!
Blackberry/Rim has just donated playbook tablets for a small community school in Zambia for an amazing educational pilot program for young local school kids."

What an amazing donation! We are so very grateful to Geeks Without Frontiers and Blackberry/RIM!! We will pick the Playbook Tablets up in California when we arrive home for the holidays and deliver them to the school in January. This wonderful learning tool will revolutionize the way our students learn and the way instruction is delivered.

Thank you Geeks without Frontiers and Blackberry/RIM.

Shopping in Soweto

Once a month we go to a local market where you buy in bulk. I guess you could call it a Costco, of sorts. We get there by 6:00am because if we don’t it gets very very crowded. This month we bought more than usual because we were buying food for the school as well as for some of our sponsored children. My friend and teaching partner at the American School of Lusaka, came along! She was so sweet! We decided to by a bunch of rubber sandals for our students ( about 100 pair) and Susan said she wanted to buy them! We very much appreciate her kindness!

The First Day with the Blackberry Tablets

We introduced the new Blackberry Playbooks to our oldest students today. What a wonderful time they had! They played games, learned grammar and reading apps, began to learn how to play chess and sudoku and had fun taking pictures and videos of each other. This type of learning tool is so intuitive, they picked it up right away! We are looking forward to teaching the rest of the classes how to use them, and incorporating 'Playbook Class' into their daily routine!! How exciting!! Thank you once again, Blackberry/RIM and Geeks Without Frontiers!!

Thank you so much to one of my Grade 4 parents at the American International School, Gusaf Engstrand, for setting this up! And a huge thank you to Sigtuna Sport Uteliv, in Sweden and everyone who is participating! Our students are going to be so excited to have soccer shoes. Currently, most of them play in bare feet!
The advertisement, VERY loosely translated says something like this,
"The campaign for football boots up to size 38 through the 30th of April! Donate your old pair and receive 15% off of a new pair. This is for a school in Lusaka, Zambia whose children have little access to education and a poor quality of life. It is run by two teachers from the American School in Lusaka, Zambia."

Update on Natasha and Family

When we returned from the United States, we found that Natasha and her children had moved from the Bauleni Compound. Our director, Mary, said that she saw Natasha on the news, asking for help. Mary found out, that since the news report, Natasha has been given a new place to live and her rent has been paid for a year. Unfortunately, it is not in the Bauleni Compound, so the kids are no longer at Appleseed. We are very happy that Natasha has a better place to live, we hope that the children are in school and wish them all the best.

Natasha Fikoloma and Family

We received a call from the Bauleni Police, they wanted to know if we could help a family in need. The children are always begging in the streets, because the family has nothing. We met them yesterday. The young mother, Natasha is kind and well-spoken. It is hard to witness the dire situation that she is in. We brought her some food and soap. We hope to find sponsors to help this beautiful family.

Natasha is a single mother. She has 5 children of her own and she has taken in her twin sister’s 3 children. Her sister died recently. She said that the children lived a good life in South Africa, until their father died about a year ago in an accident. The mother, Natasha's sister, died three months ago. The doctors told the family she died of a broken heart. When Natasha was pregnant with her youngest child, who is now 3 months old, her husband left her and the kids to "take another wife.” Natasha says that their only means of survival is “through begging and well-wishers.” She generally has her 10 year-old son beg in the streets to support the family.

Kindness Abounds!

The coolest thing happened today. We were in the checkout line at the clothes store with a group of five newly sponsored orphans and a young Zambian woman next to me asked if we ran an orphanage. I said, "No, we run a school and these are orphans who attend our school." She reached into her wallet and pulled out K100,000 (about $20) and gave it to me. A complete stranger! The spontaneous kindness of so many people has truly been one of the most encouraging and magical things that has happened since opening the school. We took her picture and asked if we could post it on our website. Thank you to Mimi and all of you for your spontaneous kindness and love.

While waiting for Vice President Scott to arrive the kids had a chance to play together. The best part about watching this was that it was difficult to tell who were the American International school students and who were the RHO Appleseed students from the compound. There were also students from a local private school. They were in their uniforms. But all of these children played and got along fabulously!

Appleseed Kids Get to Visit With Vice President Guy Scott!

Our 5th graders were invited to the American School to hear Guy Scott speak. He is a friend of one of the 5th grade teachers at AISL and he agreed to come speak to her students as a part of their government unit. Mr. Scott wanted some local children there as well. So, Appleseed students and another local school were invited! He is a very kind man. It was a thrill for us all! Thank you Mr. Vice President!!

Thank you Emma and Angela!

So many exciting things have been happening at school lately! The most exciting for all of the students, teachers and Ken and I is that Emma and Angela have been here volunteering for the past month! They are two incredible girls from UC Davis, a university in our home town in California. They have put in so much time and hard work. They are kind and loving and the students have grown so close to them. Angela leaves in 1 week and Emma, the following week. They have been an invaluable asset to RHO Appleseed School. It will be very hard to say goodbye....

New Friends!

The 2012-2013 group of Second graders from the American International School of Lusaka visited RHO Appleseed! It was fun day of reading and singing songs. They have invited RHO 1st graders to AISL for their assembly! We can't wait to see them again!

Before heading back to California, Emma Shandy presented Richard's picture to the RHO Appleseed students. This was a very special day for us. Richard was a good friend of Emma's and it meant so much to tell the students about him. They now know and understand the significance of the RHO in their school name.

Missing video from the fundraising presentation

Mary answers some fundamental questions.

The RHO Appleseed Dessert and Wine Fundraiser has, to date, raised over $4,600

Our first fundraising event went very well. A huge thank you to International House for the use of the beautiful facility and for co-sponsoring the event. Also, thanks to Jim Sloate at Wesley Ashley Wines for donating the wine. It was well attended and people seemed to enjoy the wonderful desserts and delicious wines.

Geoffrey from a very popular Zambian singing group The Zambian Vocal Collection come to Appleseed to teach our students. The RHO Appleseed Children's Choir and The Zambian Vocal Collection will perform at an upcoming fundraiser this December!

Thank You Altrusa!

These books were donated by Altrusa and Bookman, from San Diego, California!

RHO Appleseed School June 25, 2012

We at RHO Appleseed thank the wonderful Dreher-Wignaraja family and the community of Metuchen, and we gratefully and humbly accept this donation in Memory of Bob Moten.
Please click here or above to read the wonderful letter presented to RHO Appleseed School and to view pictures of this very special visit.

The Dreher-Wignaraja Family came to Zambia for a number of reasons, not the least of which was to present an incredible donation of books, school supplies and money on behalf of themselves and a number of other caring people from New Jersey, New York and Ohio. But their desire to honor Bob Moten, crossing guard at Campbell Elementary School in Metuchen, New Jersey, by making this donation in his memory is an especially noteworthy gesture.

Thank you Julio Cerqueira and Group Five Zambia!

Julio is a parent of one of my wonderful Grade 4 students at American International School. His company is Group Five Zambia. They are a local construction company and have generously offered to help with construction that we may need. The first order of business was to get the chalk boards and white boards off of the ground and mounted on the walls. The inside of the school is looking great! They hung the boards and put boarders around them. As an added surprise they even built a bridge to get over the big ditch in front of the school. Previously we had a very narrow wooden plank that we would all walk over to get to school. We love our new walkway!! We can not thank Julio and Group Five enough!

Thank You
Barun, Kanni, Maya and Nisha!

This week a very kind family visited RHO Appleseed School. We were so happy to welcome the Chandra family. They toured the classes, saw the lunch being made and Maya and Nisha read a story to the youngest children. Maya first visited Appleseed with the Global Issues group from AISL. We were very excited to accept their incredibly generous donation. Very soon we will have desks in each classroom and much more thanks to this wonderful family!

The Zambian Vocal Collection Visits RHO Appleseed!

This amazing vocal group visited the school to teach the children some songs and perform for them. The members of this all men's group have beautiful voices! Our students were active and enthralled during the workshop. The Zambian Vocal Collection travels the world bringing their music to others. Currently part of the group is touring in Finland, those who stayed home for this tour were kind enough to share their music with us. They have also agreed to come to the school weekly starting in August to create an RHO Appleseed Choir. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students! We will be seeking a donor to sponsor this fabulous project!

New Book Shelves for a Library!

Now that we have shelves we will dedicate the front room in the school to a library and game room. We are very excited to finally have nice book shelves for each classroom and two large ones for the library! Pictures will be posted soon!

Singing with Geoffrey!

This is Geoffrey from the Zambian Vocal Collection. They are a group of all male vocalists who are well known around Zambia and other parts of the world. Some of the group is in Finland on tour right now. Geoffrey and his group will begin teaching music to the RHO Appleseed students in August. We are currently seeking funding for this program. Geoffrey loves singing with the students and was kind enough to visit the school on Thursday.

Thank You AISL Grade 2!

The second graders at American International School of Lusaka, where we hold our full time jobs, are incredible! They had a bake sale to raise money for UNICEF's School-in-a-Box program and UNICEF donated a box to RHO Appleseed School! The AISL kids brought books and read to the Appleseed students. Another great day for our students thanks to the kindness of others!

AISL 5th Graders Visit Mary's House and RHO Appleseed School!
Watch and listen to Mary explain how it all got started.

AISL 5th Graders teach the RHO Students about Animal Rights.
Many RHO Appleseed kids, and many Zambians in general, are afraid of dogs. This was a wonderful experience for our Appleseed students!

Art With Andre!

Our new friend Andre has begun teaching art lessons at Appleseed. He will be there on Thursdays to bring exciting new lessons! They started with still life pencil drawings. Thank you Andre!

Project Knapsack Comes to RHO Appleseed

AISL 4th graders participated in Project Knapsack's Pen Pal project last year, as 3rd graders. They wrote letters throughout the year to students in the U.S. The culminating activity was to receive the Knapsacks and donate them to a needy school. Appleseed students are so happy to be the lucky recipients!

The American School Global Issues students brought handmade games to RHO Appleseed School. Many thanks to the "Collect and Create" group of students. Another great day at Appleseed!

TOYS! TOYS! TOYS!

Thanks to one of my grade 4 students at AISL the little kids of
Appleseed finally have some toys!! It is so fun to watch them playing
with toys! Something they have never had the opportunity to do!

Recess

We hope to have playground equipment soon and we will have a few soccer balls next week, but for now the children have fun playing with each other at recess.

Adult School

Adults have begun asking if they can learn too! There are 5 to 10 adults who come each evening for classes. They are eager learners and are so appreciative for the opportunity.

Buying in bulk at Soweto Market

Because we constantly seem to run out of food, we decided to try purchasing for the month. The best place, the locals say, is Soweto Market. It was in a place that we never could have found on our own! We had to rent boots because we were going to be sloshing through ankle deep mud. It was quite an experience! We did find it to be less expensive though. If the food lasts the month, we figure we will be spending about $400. per month for food. Whew... I hope we can keep up!

Nourishment First, Then Learning

The biggest expense is food, but we know that successful learning cannot happen if the children are starving. We are so happy that they can count on having a meal each day at school.

AISL Global Issues Group Visits RHO Appleseed

For the 2nd visit to Appleseed School the American International High School students played games, taught English and recorders! What a great day for all!

It's a Merry Christmas at Appleseed School!

School across Zambia is out for a month. Our students took their exams, received their report cards and then had reason to celebrate. We had our 1st annual Christmas Party on Friday, December 16th. The children sang Jingle Bells (that was the easiest Christmas song to teach them.) Then they decorated their paper Christmas Stocking. I had to explain what the stocking was all about as they have never had one before. The teachers then collected the stockings and filled them with treats! We ate our Christmas cookies, listened to a story and passed out the filled stockings. This little stocking is the only gift that most of them will receive. Their smiles said it all!!

RHO Appleseed School Performs for Holiday Hoopla Talent Show!!

Our students will have the opportunity to be seen all the way across the world in Esparto, California! This video will be shown as part of that community's Holiday Hoopla Talent Show. Appleseed students are so excited about the idea of being seen singing and dancing all the way in America! The Esparto community will show off it's talent and our video on Friday, December 9th at the Esparto High School Theater. If you have not made your plans for this Friday, take a drive to the beautiful Capay Valley. There are a lot of talented people there. This is the community that I worked in and became a part of over the last 14 years. Organizers of the event are hoping to donate some of the proceeds to our school. A piece of my heart will always remain with the students and families of Esparto.

School Supplies from a Special Family!

Amber Clark and her parents, Don and Julie are currently touring Africa. Amber is a very special young lady who Ken taught last year in Napa, California. When she found out that she was going to be in Zambia, she immediately set out on a mission to help supply RHO Appleseed School with very needed supplies. Over the past few months she and her parents have been very busy shopping and acquiring these supplies. We were absolutely amazed at the amount of wonderful things that they brought! We met them in Livingstone, Zambia, home of Victoria Falls. They were so kind; we spent a great evening together at The Cafe Zambezi! We hope the rest of your adventure in Botswana is amazing. It was so exciting to go through all of the wonderful supplies. We can't wait to get back to Lusaka to show the teachers their great new resources and get these into the hands of the students!! Thank you so much Amber!!!

These are just some of the incredible school supplies donated and brought to us by Amber, Don and Julie Clark! We were absolutely floored by there kindness and generosity. Thank you so much Clark Family!

A special Thanksgiving Treat!

My friend and fellow teacher at AISL and her children visited on this special day. Celia, Walter, Charlie and Florence Sandbloom were welcomed with delighted screams by the Appleseed little kids. Walter read a Thanksgiving story to the youngest children and passed out sweets that they brought for the children. Celia read another story to the older group. In addition, they brought bags of clothes that were distributed to the students at the end of the day! The Appleseed kids loved having the visitors, it made them feel very special. We send a huge thank you to the the Sandbloom family!!

Thanksgiving Day!!

Ken and I were so happy to have the day off at AISL so we could be at Appleseed while school was in session. I spent much of my time teaching the older kids how to play a math and a reading game. Then we read a book together and they practiced writing the words from the book on the new chalk board.

RHO Appleseed Beginnings......

In August, 2011 we began meeting with children from the Bauleni Housing Compound, in Lusaka Zambia. We saw children in the streets of Bauleni and asked our housekeeper, Mary, if they go to school. She told us that most of them do not. Many are single or double orphans and have no opportunities for education.

We began visiting Bauleni each Saturday in a space with a few walls, no ceiling and no floors. Each Saturday, we would sing songs, play games and teach some basic academic skills. The 1st Saturday there were 25 kids, the next 65 and the numbers continued to grow.

The children started asking if they could come to school everyday...... As Ken and I have full time teaching jobs at American International School of Lusaka, we knew we could not be there during the week. This is when Mary, Newlyn and Fanny stepped up to fill the need. They began carrying on school, each day with nothing more than some paper, tape and pencils. The children continued to show up for school each day!

Fast forward to November 2011.............

The new RHO Appleseed School Site

As the numbers of children continued to grow, we out grew the little space we had been using. We knew that we had to find a site for a real school. Mary set out to find one! She found this partially finished house. It needed a lot of work still, but the rent was manageable and we were willing to do some of the necessary improvements. The children took a field trip to see their new school in October, and on November 1st the lease was signed and the hard work began..............

American International School of Lusaka Students Visit Appleseed

A group of 13 high school students at the school that we work at have volunteered to help at Appleseed. Last Friday they came to play with the kids and Appleseed students performed traditional dances fore them.

RHO Appleseed Has A School Site!

It's official, this is the new building for Appleseed School. The least was signed today! Now down to the business finishing it and making it look like a school, inside and out. It is a work in progress, but school commences Monday morning! The kids are so excited!

Some local boys helping us check out the site.

Coming soon...... windows, plumbing, electricity, bulletin boards, but most importantly students!! They took a 'field trip' to the site today. About 100 kids walking down the streets of Bauleni to their new school site. They were so excited, Mary says they were screaming, dancing and singing!

This is a new slideshow. A group of students from the American school went to RHO Appleseed School and spent the morning with the students. It was a great day. It was Oriana's birthday, and she brought cupcakes for all (about 100). Wow! There is a video clip toward the end of everybody singing happy birthday to her. It was a great morning.

The grass fence around the school is nearly completed!! It will be a very nice addition. It ensures that the students are within the school grounds and adds some privacy to the area. We still have a long way to go, but RHO Appleseed in shaping up into a place to be proud of!

Time for Lunch!!

These children have very little to eat each day. There have been some instances where we have found that the families had absolutely no food in the home. So, we are committed to both educating and feeding them at least one meal a day. Today was the local specialty, Nshima with vegetables. Nshima is eaten with the hands, rolled into a ball and then used to scoop up the vegetable. It is very satisfying and filling. There are 3 wonderful ladies who volunteer their time each day to cook for and serve the children.

The oldest group of students happy to have their 'sweet' after class.

Enjoying "lunch" at school.

We do our best to provide something for the children to eat each day. The local staple is a corn based mixture called mealie meal. It can be cooked as porridge or at a stiffer consistency which is called nshima and eaten with the fingers. This is what the children are enjoying in this picture. I know it doesn't seem like much. But for some, it is their best and only meal of the day!

School begins at the new RHO Appleseed School Site!