Lea In Zambia

Monday, October 22, 2007

Biggest Project Ever!!

Up until recently, every project I've worked on has seemed bigger than the last, and I repeatedly hear myself saying "this is the biggest project ever"... but this time, it really is the biggest project ever. We (the community and I) are well on our way to approval for a Peace Corps Partnership Project to build a new clinic and expand the existing clinic in my catchment area.

The catchment area for my clinic is home to more than 30,000 people and we have 1 clinic with only 2 clinic staff. The furthest village is 58km (36 miles) away from the clinic. Most people don't have bicycles, so they must walk the distance to the clinic. As a result of the distance, we have a high death rate, especially in maternal cases, during transport to the clinic. Also, those who are on ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) or TB (Tuberculosis) medication must go to the clinic on a weekly basis to refill their prescription, because of the inaccessibility of the only clinic, many become non-compliant with their medications, causing complications.

The project consists of the construction of a new clinic, 2 staff houses and 7 VIP (Ventilated Improved Pit latrine) in two different sites. We will also be working with the Zambian Government over the next 10 months to ensure a proper staff for our new clinic, and to make the necessary changes to divide our enormous catchment area into two very manageable catchment areas, each with a fully operational clinic.

This is your chance to help, we need to raise around $27,100 in order to successfully complete our much needed clinic project. We are working in partnership with Peace Corps, and will have a web page where you can find more information about our project, as well as make a donation (via credit card or otherwise). Anyone who donates will receive a tax write-off. I have pamphlets available to anyone who needs them, or wants to pass them out. Please spread the word to everyone you know, we can't complete this project without you.

I will post the web link just as soon as I get it. The villagers of Kabuta catchment area and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any help you can give. I will be sure to post pictures and updates whenever I can.


Chicken in a Bag!?!? - Bufi!!

The direct translation of "bufi" (pronounced boo-fee) is "lie", but it isn't as harsh as the translation sounds. In Bemba, it's used more like calling someone out on something, as if they are "pulling your leg", or it can be used as a falsehood. So its not like you're directly calling someone a liar if you use the word bufi.

In my village, there is this super cute little girl, Mable Mulenga. she's a spunky little 8 year old with a raspy voice. She loves to laugh and teach me Zambian jump rope and hand-claps. So Mable was over helping me wash dishes when she spotted an empty package of chicken (you know, like tuna in a bag, only its chicken). Mable quickly picked up the bag inquiring about its former contents while very intensely twisting and turning the package in her hands.
"ninkoko" I replied (it's chicken), not even thinking how it must look to Mable, who has only seen the kinds of chickens with feathers. Mable responded, "nkoko! Mu chola! Bufi" (chicken! In a BAG!, It's not true!)"eh - nkoko mu chola" (yes - chicken in a bag).

Clearly by this time, I realized how crazy I sounded... I mean, really... chicken in a BAG!?!? Before I had completed my thought Mable had called over all her fiends to tell them that in America chicken comes in a bag! They all broke out into peels of laughter and we finished washing dishes together.


What's My Schedule Again?

Every month I make a new calendar in my notebook. I've never ha to draw out my own calendar before. I mean, in America-Land you simply buy one that is already printed out, all ready to hang on the wall or sit on your desk. My homemade calendars always started with Monday, instead of the usual Sunday. This happened because when reciting the days of the week, one always begins with Monday. Well, this month I decided to start my calendar days with Sunday, and as a result, I've been off a day. Especially since my watch is broken, and I can no longer glance at my wrist to check what day of the week it is. Last Saturday, I was sitting on the porch, working on crocheting small pattern samples for various women's groups. I was definitely not in a hurry because I thought it was Friday... a meeting free day. There were 3 little boys whom I've never seen before watching me from the road. Its nothing unusual to have children observe my every move when I'm outside, so i didn't think anything of it. Then I noticed a few more children gathering (again not unusual). After some time, they all stood and stared intently at me while I was knitting. They would stare and then break into group discussion, then stare some more. Finally, after several moments, a few of the children started slowly walking toward me, turning around occasionally to motion for their friends to join them. Eventually, they all made it to my porch and asked me:

"Finshi mulepikula?" - what are you knitting?"Ama-Samples" - samples"Bushe, mwakwata mitingi pa 14:00 hours lelo kuli Kapela?" - don't you have a meeting today at 14:00 hours in Kapela's Village?

I glanced at the sun and realized that it was around 14:00hours. I quickly closed up my house and started off for the meeting. Of course, it started late, but if it hadn't been for the children, I wouldn't have made it at all! It just makes me laugh to think that the children in the village know my schedule better than I. I mean, really, who needs a calendar anyway...


Just Call Me Rachael Ray

Nutrition is a rather large component of the HIV/AIDS program. I have been holding cooking demos about twice a month since my posting to Kabuta, but recently, I've had more cooking demos than I can count. Usually, the cooking demos are with a specific group that I'm working with, so it's very interactive... everyone cooks.

The new trend seems to be just me demonstrating various cooking techniques or high protein recipes. For example, I've been working with the mothers of underweight children, so that they are more aware of the importance of their children's nutrition. The set-up reminds me of something I would see on the cooking channel... only village style. There are several women, all taking notes and observing as I cook in front of them... saying things like "and just add a pinch of salt" or, "and don't forget to roll the lemons first so that you can get maximum amount of juice from them". So there I am, in front of all these women, with my brasiers a'blazin' and my extremely dull village knife, whipping up a quick and simple batch of groundnut stew or millet cake. In the end, I'm always sure to say "and don't forget to come back next week... we're going to make peanut butter and jam!" I don't think I've ever cooked so much in my life!


The Scorpion and the Tarantula

This certainly was not as enjoyable as the Tortoise and the Hare. I didn't even think that there were scorpions in Zambia, but apparently I was wrong. I only know this because I found a scorpion in my house. Just a small one (phew...), but none the less, a scorpion. As if that wasn't enough, there were also 2 tarantula's in my house. Fortunately Libby was there for the first one... She's the brave one of the two of us. She sprayed it with half a can of Doom and finally it died. It was huge! There were even teeth!!

Then a couple of weeks later I noticed another tarantula in Kushipa and Talala's water dish. This time I was alone, after a brief meltdown followed by an outright freak out, I composed myself I ran for the can of doom. I sprayed once and the tarantula flipped over and all of its legs curled up. I thought it was dead, and having been liberated by spraying the spider all by myself, I thought that I would take a closer look... I mean, it was dead. So with my weakly lit headlamp, I leaned in for a closer look. All of the sudden, the spider jumped up!! All its legs were outstretched and it was coming straight for my face!!! I unleashed the remainder of my can of doom in every direction I could manage, and fell back onto the floor, all out of breath, as if I'd just run a marathon! I know, I know, looking back on the situation, I was being completely ridiculous, as I often am when it comes to insects. Today, I'm laughing about it, but at the time, it was clearly not a laughing matter.