My alarm goes off about 6:15 – a good two hours earlier than I’m used to back home! Breakfast is usually a couple of slices of toast or some oatmeal washed down with ‘Ricoffy’ (coffee and chicory). Water needs to be boiled for 5 minutes here before its safe for drinking so we’ll normally try and boil a pan of water at this time as well which is then left to cool during the day.

The staff house

Just after 6:45 we bundle out of the house for the 30 minute walk to school. Along the way we are greeted by constant shouts of ‘How are you?’ – the first (and only?) English phrase the smaller kids here are taught. This question can be asked multiple times by the same person – sometimes not stopping until we are out of ear-shot! To our bemusement we are also sometimes greeted with the more pre-emptive ‘I’m fine!’ to which we’re never quite sure how to reply! The adults, meanwhile, absolutely LOVE IT if you greet them in the local language, Bemba (‘Mwashibukeni’ – Good morning, ‘Mulushani’ – How are you?).

Kids are everywhere

The kids have 5 lessons between 7:30 and 13:30, with half hours for morning break and lunch. The staff have a staffroom to hang out in during breaks/free periods. Kylie and I have been spending some of this time sorting out a shipping container of school supplies from the UK. This has involved various (mostly losing) battles with spiders and termites. Amongst the mountains of books (ever so conveniently packed in boxes the size – and weight – of a small car), we’ve also discovered a bath tub, a dolls house, an electric hedge-trimmer (I have yet to see a hedge in Zambia…) and – perhaps most excitingly – an audio-book of ‘Stig of the Dump’.

The shipping container – before sorting

Sorting out the shipping container

After the 5th lesson there are other activities (depending on the day of the week) such as P.E., science practicals, computer studies, assembly, class assembly, maintenance, cleaning and ‘clubs’ (debate, running, football, netball, recorders). Kylie and I typically run the science practicals and the P.E. sessions, and recently the football and netball clubs.

Kylie teaches the Greatest Game in the World

Spectators watch a netball match as the sun goes down

About 3:30-4pm we walk back to the staff house. Most days we then also have an hour round-trip walk to the centre of town to visit the market and get supplies for dinner etc.

On our way into the market

We’ll cook dinner fairly early, about 6pm (or ‘eighteen’ as Zambians say, using the 24 hr clock but not saying ‘o-clock’ or ‘hours’ after the number). Hopefully around this time the water supply will come back on, making it easier to take showers, boil more drinking water, wash dishes and refill the buckets. Showers consist of standing in the bath and scooping water from a bucket (cold with one kettle of hot water added) over yourself. After all the walking on dusty roads, showers are fantastically refreshing!

Its amazing how the early morning start, the heat, the kids, the walking and the lack of evening entertainment options combine to leave you exhausted and ready for bed by about 8pm! Typically we’ll watch a film or an episode from a TV series (‘Breaking Bad’ is our staple at the moment) before turning in. Now that the World Cup is under way though we’ve got hours of football to watch – much to the delight of my four female house-mates…

• Vinjeru