My BaTata invited me to attend a mini Tonga (harvest) Festival in a local village. I was excited to go and had a great time, though it did last a little too long and watching the men get drunk was not my favorite part. I did get to meet the local witch doctor and he dressed up for me and showed me a mock witch/demon finding ceremony. He put a stick in the ground and gave it an offering of nshima, two boys held the stick and then the stick "led" them to a demon which they proceeded to fight back into the ground. It lasted for like forty five minutes it was amazing to see something that I had only ever read about. Then they took out the drums and danced to traditional tribal songs while getting progressively drunker. The tribal dances were cool but this went on for 6 HOURS! And I was sober the whole time.
A man from seed company, the Zambian equivalent of Monsanto, came to see me and gave me some free sorghum, maize and soybean, ground nuts, ginger and some seeds from home as well. I have been planing a garden, I'll have to make it bigger now. I learned that I own the Savannah next to my house so I'll actually be able to use that. My Batata burned it as a fire block, so it's now ready for me to till. I'm planting 16 crops in total. I'm hoping to get chicken wire and chickens next week and a goat soon as well. I met the man than owns the hardware store in Mufumbwe and he will bring the chicken wire to me. I also learned that the type of grass that were in my savannah show it is very fertile and will be great for a garden.
My teacher Mr Kashindwa has set up a club of kids that want to learn more about America, so I've been teach an "American" class. They have lots of questions, misconceptions and interest. It is fun and interesting to learn what they do and don't know. I was asked how long I had to live in Zambia for my skin to turn black - no little Zambians you are not burned to a crisp! I showed them pictures of builidings and streets in the US, one had a clock on a building, they didn't know what it was. When I explained it was like a watch, which they know what that is, they said why do we not tell time by the sun and why do we care what time it is.
I am really enjoying getting to know the 2 farmers I am working with,
Mr. Makonde and Danny. They are very excited to learn new techniques and are very smart when it comes to creating tools. Here is a picture of a hand held corn sheller that one of them had a local welder make. It slides over the ear of corn and is twisted to shell the corn off the cob.
They also are very open to new ideas and both work in the fields with their wives and are very proud of that. In fact one of their wives is a teacher at the High School in Mufumbwe and they live there during the week. When I told him that I didn't have the math skills to figure out something we were trying to make, he said he didn't either and then pointed to his wife, smiled and said, "math teacher". He says the only way you can become successful is to work in the fields with your family and to take good care of your farm and profits.
I have gotten to sit in on a couple of meetings of the farm co-op. It's interesting to learn what they now do and what they want to learn from me.
I was also given a ginger root, and it is as big as my head, here's the proof! I have been using it in everything.
I love watching my brothers, Maka and Popo doing their favorite job of the day, getting the chickens in for the night. Every night, they chase them around the yard yelling, and trying to catch them. One night I heard the boys and I also heard Marangu yelling at them, the boys were buck naked running after the chickens and Marangu with their clothes in his hands were chasing them and hollering to stop and get dressed!
Marangu came home from Mufumbwe with a tiger fish from the market. It was as long as from my waist to the ground. It was from the Zambezi river.
I had my first site visit from BaHenry, our PCTrainer. He comes to our villages and interviews people about us and sees how we are doing, integrating and taking care of ourselves. He was very excited with my progress. He even asked me to speak at the IST (In-service training) in August.
He said that the people at the tuck shops and they in the village all know me, and like me. My family loves me. They teachers at the school and great things to say as well.
He said he was happy to learn that I had made so many contact by going to the school for language lessons and by attending a different church each week. He also said that the programs I've start and have ready to go are good and very innovative.
He liked that I was very well settled and that they had not received any complains from me as I've not had any problems or things to complain about.
I have also learned that I had a couple of things wrong, just due to language problems. My BaTata was introduced to me as Headman Mujillo, so I thought that was his name, but actually the village I live in is actually called Mjuillo and he is the headman of it, and Kowama is sort of like a county, including a group of villages all in one area. My Batata's name is Pollom and my BaMama's name is Sylvia.
Little Maureen was sick and had to be in the clinic in Mufumbwe for a few days, but is home and seems to be better, not as cranky. My BaMama had a very bad day - I heard her yelling at all the kids and screaming at a woman in the middle of the road, not a side of her I'd seen before. We all have those days I guess.
I had a drunk man come into my compound one night and wouldn't leave, I had to get Marangu to come to make the man leave. He came back again the other night and my BaMama came yelling and ran him off. It's good to have them close and so protective of me.
Was woken up to wailing the other night, next morning I found out a little girl across the road had died. It is so eerie and spooky to hear it in the middle of the night. Also, my BaTata's brother died last week.
I had a great day of American company one day by going into Mufumbwe and meeting up with two other volunteers that are close. We had a day of shopping, eating and speaking English!
I want to Thank everyone that has sent packages and letters and emails. I love getting any kind of contact. Also a big thanks to everyone that has donated money for shipping and projects.
My last picture is of a cute chameleon I saw. Zambians are afraid of them, and won't eat them. They are afraid that they will turn colors.
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