Yes — 21 degrees.
Chilly by Zambian standards.
Our Western friends might show up in shorts and flip-flops. Here? If it were up to the students, they’d be wrapped in thick winter coats.
But MfA insists on full PPE — so it’s layers under worksuits, as if layering is a module we actually teach.
It’s usually sunny during cold season — but not always warm. So, when the sun finally showed up properly, Mr. Mbewe, our Senior Lecturer, took his Year 2 Spiritual Guidance class into the car park.
Crushed stone underfoot, trees nearby, sun on their backs — a simple, open space that invited honest conversation.
Spiritual Guidance is a weekly part of life at MfA — a pause from the buzz of the workshop to focus on something just as important: character.
This term’s focus was Teamwork and Service — two of MfA’s core values.
Drawn from Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 and Philippians 2:3–4, students reflected on trust, humility, and accountability — the kind of character that shapes both workers and workplaces.
Some of our students come from places where steady guidance is hard to find — which is why we make time for it. Because values don’t just appear in a toolbox. They’re taught. And caught.
“You really do need someone to help you up if you’ve dropped a gearbox on your foot,” one student joked.
It got a laugh — but also said plenty about why you don’t go it alone in a workshop.
Formation at MfA doesn’t always look traditional — but it’s always intentional.
Turns out, the car park’s a decent place to learn a few things you won’t find in a toolbox.