Day 8: Mwabuka Buti

Greetings to all from the Chikuni Mission!  We have been staying at the mission for just over two days, and although our time here has been short, I find myself reflecting on the weight and depth of our experience in this amazing community.  On a personal level, my time in Zambia has been extremely rewarding.  I have been granted the incredible opportunity to conduct a grant-funded research project in combination with this trip.  My project is examining the choral music of Zambia, and I can say without question our experience in Lusaka and now in Chikuni have proved vital to the successful acquisition of information.  The choir has been very empathetic to my effort, and I cannot thank them enough for their support and assistance.

Today was a busy day in the life of the choir!  After a quick breakfast, the choir was invited to tour Canisius Secondary School, a Jesuit institute for boys between grades 8 and 12.  Following the tour of the school, the choir was able to connect with Chikuni Radio Station.  This station is located on the grounds of Immaculate Heart Church, and serves a large area (70 km in each direction) surrounding the station.  We quickly learned of the great importance of this station to the community.  By providing music, news, and educational programs, Chikuni Radio plays a vital part in the growth and development of the region.  The director of the station, Jyde, and the program manager, Charles, were very welcoming to our choir and gave us a tour of the facilities and overview of the inner workings of the station.  

Following lunch, the choir had our second rehearsal with the boys choir at Canisius Secondary School.  In this rehearsal, we taught the boys two of our songs to sing together at the concert tomorrow evening.  I had a wonderful time teaching the tenor section the parts to the songs.  Shortly after, we continued musical rehearsal with members of the Immaculate Heart Church Choir as well as singers from Charles Lwanga (teaching) College.  Here, we shared a piece and learned two new songs, one in the native language, Bemba, the other in regional language, Chitonga  Like the songs we learned with Canisius, these pieces will be performed in our concert tomorrow night as well.

To finish the day, our choir, along with faculty from Charles Lwanga, Canisius, and members of the community, took part in a braai, a traditional Zambian gathering in which participants each prepare their own dinner over a fire pit.  This dinner consists mainly of meat – chicken, beef, pork, and sausage.  Here, we were able to connect with many of the friendly faces we had developed relationships with over the course of our time in Chikuni.  Although many of the Chamber Chorus members were spent from a long day of activities, many found joy and comfort in sharing this meal and experience with those we had befriended. 

The adventures of the day concluded with a beautiful walk under the stars as we returned to our beds.  This experience not only reminded us of the meaningful excursion we decided to undertake, but allowed time to reflect on the many blessings we had been given on a day as rich and fulfilling as this.  I can only hope our remaining time at the mission will continue to foster the deep connections we have experienced thus far.

To all my friends and family, I miss you and cannot wait to share my experiences with you in a little over a week! 

-Mitch Davey, class of 2017