We Celebrate the Skill of our Bus Drivers!!

Africa University has received accolades in many different arenas.  Even our bus drivers participate each year in a contest that tests their skills and abilities in maneuvering the big AU buses that transport us to Mutare, on choir and field trips, etc.

Last year our driver, Jacob, was one of three from Zimbabwe who were so good they were invited to an international contest in Poland.  Recently I had a wonderful conversation with him about what all he experienced during his time in Poland!

Here Jacob (r) and Douglas (l) are being congratulated by Dean Beauty from the Faculty of Theology.  Sorry for the poor picture quality, but you can see that Jacob is holding the winning trophy from their participation here in Zimbabwe.

Having driven a school bus when I was teaching at Vashti School (Thomasville, GA), I was very interested in all that he shared.  Of course, the bus I drove carried about 35 passengers, while these buses hold twice that, so you can imagine their size!!

Jacob said that during the three days of the contest in Poland it was very rainy and cold, making it difficult to see and to keep his hands warm!  Not only that, but he had to adjust to driving one bus where the stirring wheel was on the left, just the opposite of the ones here!!!  A little disorienting to say the least!  Then, they had to drive around cones without knocking any of them down!!  And back up within just a few centimeters of the curb behind using only their side mirrors!!  I can't even do that with my car, let alone a huge bus!!

Language was a very different and difficult issue in Poland, but fortunately, his English got him through the worst!

We celebrate the skill of all our bus drivers, and appreciate that they get us where we need to go safely and with a smile!  When I see the kinds of roads they have to navigate ~~ with deep ruts, 8' bushes growing right up to the edge of the road, very narrow, and sometimes very steep either up or down ~~ I marvel at their ability!  All of this in addition to watching out for all, including very small children, who walk along the sides of the highways, day AND night!  And in some places, wild and free roaming animals bigger than the bus!!

THANK YOU bus drivers for your great skill and judgment!!!