The Ultimate Surprise
By Annabel Mumba
Annabel Mumba is AEP’s Donor Relations Coordinator in Zambia. She is a Scholarship Fund recipient, high school graduate, and also one of our Success Stories.
Co-written by Pamela O’Brien, AEP’s Development Director, who is mentoring Annabel as she pursues a journalism degree.
Part One: The Plan
Ernest preparations were made. Marie-Odile Savarit or Momma Mario as she is fondly known, was being celebrated by everyone at AEP’s Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre (AYC). It has been a long two years since Momma Mario last visited and the local team wanted to make sure she had a proper send off as her visit was coming to an end.
Momma Mario meets with the Creative Club to share AEP and AYC’s history.
AYC has incorporated themes into their weekly lesson plans as a way of effectively teaching the students and getting them engaged. It also provides a fun way of learning. From ‘health’ to creativity’ the theme focuses on familiar subjects to AYC, but this time around the theme was AEP and a week would be dedicated to learning about the history of AEP, its present focus, and its future. Momma Mario agreed to help plan the weekly activities and narrate AEP’s story. It was also a way to distract her as the local team planned the ultimate surprise.
This plan was brewed by AYC’s Director of Programs, Lumuno Chongo, and her assistant, Christine Mulenga. What Momma Mario did not know is that a surprise would await her on Wednesday, April 27th. This event had to be kept a secret from her, every song, rehearsal, and food preparation had to be done without her knowledge.
Part Two: The Execution
Momma Mario’s surprise and the AEP-themed week were going to be executed by everyone from the littlest Young Learners to the staff members. The students in the Music Club, with tremendous help from Kalaluka, an AEP college student who is in his senior year, prepared a song in French titled “On T’Aime Maman Mario” which translates to “We Love You Momma Mario”.
The young Mwalii Leaders rehearsed a song for Momma Mario.
James, AYC’s resident artist who is also an alumni of the program and teaches the Art Club, created a special painting for Momma Mario, The painting was a tree that represents her as the tree and AYC (the girls and boys) with their thumbprints as the leaves. James chose the symbol of a tree as a tree is a universal symbol of strength and growth as they stand tall and strong all over the world. The leaves represent the lives Momma Mario has touched as she continues to work with the children at the Center.
Children added their thumbprint to a painting for Momma Mario.
The team also decided to have a cake made for her, a cake that everyone needed to contribute to as we thought it would be special if everyone contributed to her celebration in some way. From the Grade 8 students to the Grade 12 students, the high school graduates, and the entire staff. It was especially exciting to see the Grade 8s contribute their K1 and K2 (a K represents the local currency, a Kwacha) towards the cake. After four days of fundraising, a total of K1,100 (almost $65 USD) was raised. The cake was going to be baked by Ngambela, an AEP college student studying Hospitality Management who also volunteers with the Nutrition Program.
Throughout the entire week, Momma Mario dedicated her time to various clubs teaching the students the stories that surround AEP and its founders. It was especially hysterical when the students staged a play on the story of when Julie-Anne, AEP’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, went home to tell her mother (Momma Mario) that she wanted to begin helping children in Africa. You could see the happiness as she interacted with the students and educated them on a journey so dear to her and her entire family. Everyone was very excited to learn of the numerous sacrifices that Momma Mario had to make for AEP and AYC to be where it is today.
Part Three: The Final Show
It was finally time for the surprise. Lumuno or Madam Lulu as she is affectionately called by all, asked two students to find Momma Mario and bring her to the center where the party was going to take place. The story they told her was she needed to attend Creative Club activities.
Light, Music, Cake, Children, Action, and the word Surprise! Momma Mario walked into the courtyard to find everyone waiting and screaming “SURPRISE MOMMA MARIO!!” Over 130 girls and boys, and the entire AYC local team, joined in this emotional moment as an important figure in AEP’s and AYC’s journey was celebrated.
We caught up with Momma Mario at the end of the day and asked her to share her thoughts. She said, “It warmed my heart to see all the students together to celebrate me. For the last two weeks, I taught all of them from the Grade 7 students to the College Prep students and they wanted to thank me. The Music Club had worked on a song in French that was so special to me. James made a painting of a tree and the leaves were fingerprints of the students. I really had tears in my eyes as I was overwhelmed by all the affection that they showed. Also, they all gave a few cents, Kwacha to be exact, to buy all the ingredients for the beautiful cakes that the team made. Over the years we had had celebrations when arriving or leaving but today was a very special moment as I realized how much I missed them and how wonderful and truly special they all are.”
Until next time Momma Mario!