We were very excited to be back in Lusaka for the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace run 2013! We were met at 7am by Dickson our friendly taxi driver that would drive our support vehicle for the day.
Our adventure into peace started at Paseli Backpackers were we we extremely well looked after. The schools were organised in a 10km loop so that most of our team could run from school to school. It was so great to get out on the road and weave our way through Lusaka.
The flamboyants were just beautiful as we ran to our first school appointment.
We made some friends!
We carried many of our bookmarks and handed them out as we ran.
Making it to Lotus Basic School with enough time to catch our breath and regroup before we ran onto their sports field to be greeted with a powerful group of singers performing for us as we arrived.
As they all crowded around the Peace Runners some standing other sitting we introduced the Peace Run and played our guessing game with them. Our last and most recent team member to be introduced was Dickson offering the clue ‘I come from a country with a black president and a white vice president’. This was meet with loud calls of Zambia! Zambia! Zambia!
Feeling peace in the heart.
The Head Teacher () holds the torch and our certficate of appreciation
Abhijatri chatting with the students.
They all then formed a larger circle and passed the Peace Run torch around making their own wishes and prayers for peace. As they finished some of the students would join Michon as he did loops around the circle with a couple of our flags. Once everyone held the torch we all came together and ran a couple of laps with the school before we were on our way again. With only 3kms between schools we set off in the climbing heat of the day to Nkwhazi Primary School. We had visited this school once before in 2010.
Here we meet again with Mr Mbewe who had students waiting for us on the stage in the large hall. They all performed a couple of songs for us before joining us in the World Harmony Run song, as they had their musical instruments at hand they could accompany us with guitar.
Shailaja had the guessing where she was from by using the clue " I come from a country very far away to the south." We were so impressed with their guessing of our countries with students guessing New Zealand and Canada on the first time.
Nkwazi sings for us
Teaching the singers the actions to the World Harmony Run.
Making a wish for Peace!
Even the teachers were able to make a wish for peace.
Nkwasi Primary school - they all posed with the team as they are official Peace Runners now.
Running with the torch.
What a smile!
Mr Mbewe was extremely kind to us and offered a vote of thanks.
We high fived the kids as we ran out on and out our next school.
Offering Mr Mbewe Sri Chinmoy's "Peace is our life-breath" painting to remind the students to remember harmony in their everyday lives.
What can I say here - surely a contrast!
Running through the streets of Lusaka to Rhodes Park Primary school.
Some locals hold the torch.
Dickson with our Peace Run tee shirt soon became a member of our team.
Mark gave the presentation to the kids very ably assisted by Michon and Stacey.
Thank you Rhodes Park!
Making a wish for peace.It always amazes me that people on the run can feel so quickly what the Peace Run is all about.
Moses Walubita who was instrumental in setting up the run in Lusaka ran with the torch with the students close behind.
It was hot (35 degrees celcius) but the trees provided wonderful relief from the heat. Here after a couple of laps in the midday sun we challenged the kids to sprint from one end of the field to the other... they beat us... but then we had been running all morning.
Moses Walubita and the PT teacher Kennedy who very kindly assisted the Peace Runers joined here by some enthusiastic students.
These two little girls were happy watching from the sidelines. We gave them a chance to hold the torch because they had the most beautiful smiles!
After Rhodes Park School we ran about 1,5 km with Shailaja in the lead. Well done Shailaja.
Another joyful smile of greeting when we arrived at Northmead Secondary school.
We have a short presentation which was followed by some outstanding singing.
We were happy to see that a number of the students remembered the Peace Run from our last visit in Northmead Primary School (next door) when they were at Primary School!
When Moses when up with the torch he got a cheer of delight from the school as he came from Zambia.
Shailaja too, even through she comes from neighbouring Zimbabwe, received a huge and enthusiastic cry of support from the school.
You can see here that Dickson, our taxi driver, and newly appointed team member was really starting to feel the Peace Run.
The school singers sang the World Harmony Run Song followed by a song that was all about light and it shining forth.
Thank you so much to Mr Michael Chanda (right), Patience (left) and to the Head Teacher Ms. Sunshine Mlambo from Northmead Secondary school who very kindly hosted our visit.
Back after the run was over we were very happy to present our friend and fellow team member, Moses Walubita, with one of Sri Chinmoy's paintings entitiled "World Family". He was inspired to organise a bigger and better event next year with a big run through town - were looking foward to it!
This last photo of our extremely kind and accomodating host Miriam at Paseli Backpackers. Miriam went out of her way to assist us in so many ways and was also very inspired by the Peace Run. She posted her report of our visit before we could post ours!
Thank you Lusaka and Zambia for a wonderful day. We hope to be back soon.
