My story so far! Growing up a middle child, my family moved from rural Chipata to Lusaka when I was aged 11. While my elder sister was sent to boarding school albeit the 9 year gap between my younger sister and me all meant I was basically an 'only child'... Making new friends on the other hand, was almost impossible at this pre-teen stage as most of them had already formed cliques. So this left me no choice but becoming a book-worm literally. At the time, we lived in the then very quiet suburb of Rhodespark (now a bustling re-zoned CBD of Lusaka). Rhodespark was at the time, a leafy neighbourhood was set so far away from many amenities. By then, the 4.1 kilometres journey to the library meant a very excruciating 30 minute red double-Decker or United Bus of Zambia (fondly known as U'll Be Zere) bus ride to downtown Lusaka's Katondo Road where the closest public library was and is still located to-date. When the nerdy me was not at school prepping for my next debate club presentation (and due to the none-child friendly proximity to the library), I would spend a lot of my downtime at home studying words in my dad's old and torn oxford dictionary which he used for solving cross-word puzzles.
Although the dictionary was so tattered and well used, I was determined to getting the definitions and synonyms out of it. When I could not find the meaning because it was either cut off or ineligible due to the wear and tear; I would jot down the words and eagerly wait for my dad (my personal human encyclopedia) to come home to define them for me in his own words...
Later on as I grew more confident and independent in my reading and comprehension; my dad and I started our own ‘Limula book club’ where we read books and then critiqued them. Sharing our passion for reading got us very close and engaged as “book-buddies” Fast forward, The Henry Morrison Limula Foundation was established in dad’s memory on his 25th year anniversary...
The race is now on to finish what we started all those years ago. It's 10 days to go to the International Literacy Day 2019 which marks our official launch of the National Spelling Bee contest in Zambia - making sharing my lifelong passion with children at home a reality! My heart is racing and skipping with excitement; just as I did when I waited to share with my dad my newly discovered wordsmith skills... I wish he was here today! However, one thing I am certain he would say is...
Spelling and loud storytelling helps children gain confidence. It prepares them for lifelong public speaking skills.
As for me... Although I wish I had stayed in the debate club long enough to gain confidence. (FYI Debate Club also coming at the HMLFoundation soon). While I also wish we had the spelling bee contest when I was growing up in Zambia, I am certain, growing up a nerd as I did, this would have been an added extra curriculum event I would've have actually enjoyed...(I was not so much of a play-dress-up kind of girl)! Much as it is tempting to plunge children in front of a TV to watch the cartoon network on a loop, or give them a tablet, gadget to occupy them with; I sure hope and pray parents in modern Zambia today will embrace this initiative and on-board their children to engage with our program to the fullest extent. As I believe there is a younger-me (male or female child) out there itching to become a wordsmith albeit because a career in journalism, Public Relations copywriter or Blogging awaits them! The sky is the limit as to what career opportunities await these spelling bees!
So my dear Zambian folks; let your child join the National Spelling Bee Zambia (NSBZ) today and stand a chance to live to tell their own HML Foundation story with us. Of course, their older self will thank you later.