By Duke
It is winter here in Zambia. Evidently most of the students had taken precautions to keep warm on that Monday morning, the 22 nd of June. It was interesting to note, however, that this was not the usual pack of Northrise students seated in room 201, one of the classrooms in Caravelle house (the current University building). Both the young and old were present in the mixture of students, eager to learn what the Foundations in Agriculture intensive class would offer them.
The intensive class is tailored to empower the community of Ndola in basic skills in agriculture and for them to comprehend how to coexist with the eco system. Professor Ronald J. Vos from Dordt College USA travelled to Zambia to share his knowledge in the field of Agriculture. He arrived in Ndola on the 20 of June and spent part of the weekend to prepare for the class that began on Monday. On this particular Monday morning, he was clad in a green Dordt College t-shirt and it was clear that the whether was favorable for him even though most of us indigenous to Ndola, felt it was a bit chilly. Dr Vos introduced himself to the eager faces before him and noted that theirs was an easy task in terms of learning one name, ‘Vos’, but he had to learn 30 names which is the composition of the class. This is Dr Vos’ third visit to Zambia and he is always excited to be here. This time around it is even better for him as he is imparting some of the knowledge that he has to the community of Ndola as well as some students of Northrise.
With the partnership between Dordt and Northrise strengthening, both Northrise and Dordt hope to continue to see this academic exchange that will empower both students and the community of Ndola in both academic and vocational skills. The agriculture class has been scheduled to run from the 22 nd of June to the 26 th of June. Students attending this class will learn the theory part of agriculture fundamentals in the first three days and then will be engaged in the practical of the course in the last two days. The practical will be conducted on the land at Northrise Farms.