About Zambia
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Zambia is located in South Central Africa.
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There are 72 tribes and each tribe has its own language. English is the official language of the country.
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Zambia is home to one of the Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls.
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Zambia's main source of energy is hydroelectric power. If the rains are minimal, there have rolling blackouts to reduce energy usage.
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The soil is very rich and they can grow a large variety of crops.
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Some of the staple foods are maize, sweet potatoes, cassava and chicken.
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Zambian students take a Grade 12 National Exam and their score determines if they can be accepted into a college. The exam is written in English and is very challenging as it covers Grade 10 through 12 material.
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Many people who go to college are sponsored by someone other then their family or they work as they earn their degree.
About me
The Beginning of Madalitso
Madalitso started at the end of my time teaching in Zambia. All the kids from the farm are sponsored from Pre-School through Grade 12. At the time I was there, the Farm had their first graduate, Peter. He wanted to go to a university to become a teacher. So my dad and I began the process of starting this non-profit to continue the education of the kids from the farm!
My name is Marissa, I grew up in Wisconsin and studied Physics Education. I have been a teacher in the Milwaukee area since graduating college. The school I am teaching at allowed me to take a leave of absence to teach in Zambia, something I had been dreaming about for years. This opportunity came about from a connection with my dad. He is part owner of a For-Profit Fair Trade Farm called Arulussa. The farm sells crop cuttings to other farmers so they can grow their own crops. The farm also produces essential oils and soaps.
I visited the farm and school a few time before I moved there. I taught science classes to Grade 9 and 10 for eight months. It was an amazing experience! I lived with the teachers and was immersed in the culture. I learned how to cook traditional Zambian food and learned one of the local tribal languages, Nyanja (pronounced: knee-an-ja).
If you want to know more about my time in Zambia, here is the link to my blog.
https://zamrioblog.wordpress.com/
