Letters from Zambia 7
Nathan wrote:
Yesterday was the HIV/AIDS and VCT meeting at St. M. I arrived at 0900 to find Bob still hasn't returned from town. I wasn't looking forward to being the only white in a sea of people. People came from up to 25 km away, but the facilitators didn't show. We waited and waited. I even answered questions about the US from two St. M teachers. Their impression (from news, etc) is that Bush speaks for all Americans, esp that "Christian Nation" BS, that catches so much attention here. It was nice to set the record straight. At 1200 I gave up and was just starting to head back when a USAID truck comes along with Bob's white head in back. Crap, I was looking forward to going home. The meeting organizers were caught in town, Bob managed to catch a ride. So we're at the meeting, laughing at the mis-spelled agenda on poster paper and see no reason to be there. Absolutely nothing to contribute, though I was tempted to stand up and ask everyone: "Who here has had a test (which would be a VCT)?" Bob and I would have raised our hands, I doubt anyone else would. They talk about everything except the important stuff. We ducked out. Frustrating. Today (3/10) Mulenga and I got some more thorns from the bush, I'm determined to have a pair of Moringa. Lufwanyama District Health Management Team (DHMT) passed an ordinance that revokes roaming goats/pigs/sheep protection. Free game. Bob is still getting flak for pegging them with a slingshot, here people are starting to agree with me. The pig crap on the path to the school's borehole makes walking difficult, I can understand the ordinance but some people are so ignorant. I'm becoming more and more convinced that a lot of it has to do with the tribe I'm living with, they are uneducated and see no reason to change. Lufwanyama scored the lowest of all 9 districts in the Copperbelt for Grade 9 exams. In more up-beat news, the front wall of my neighbor's house has collapsed outward, the small part to the right of the door. I'm almost hoping for more rain. Maybe I should sneak out at night and push on the rest. That's not technically a sin. (I'm certainly not coveting my neighbor's house) Besides, sometimes nature needs a hand. :)
Today the air felt drier, it was light, but sometimes from the south, I think the rains have begun their shift north back to the Congo. Every once in a while I find little black feathers in the house, but there are still 11 ducklings. I think Luk is hunting more then just mice, I can even hazard a guess as to the species. Black-winged red (or fire-crowned) Bishop. I've seen them in the grass along the fence line, apparently I'm not the only one. Euplectes hordeaceus. We've always heard that there's more than one way to skin a cat, I wonder how'd the Z's do it? But he's been throwing up all day, he's so cute and quiet when he's sick. My hen has laid two eggs, one yesterday, another today, I wasn't even sure which chicken was doing it until today. Aren't they supposed to sit on those eggs? She only hung around long enough to pop one out. Mulenga said she'd sit on them when she finishes laying the batch. I'm confused. I wouldn't mind a few chicks, cause they'll grow up (finger-licking good) but if they won't hatch I'd rather eat the eggs. Guess I'll see. A roasted maize cob for lunch. A steamed pumpkin/squash with sugar this afternoon (Kantende PFAP Chairman who first fed you goat in Kantende gave me some veggies) (He's Nyanja from E/P). And now another roasted maize. Come back so they give us goat (I'm not special enough by myself. I haven't eaten it since you left. In fact no meat since then). Just a few eggs from St. M once in a while, but they don't always have.
03/13: Signs are in the air that the rain will stop soon. Bob is sneezing and has a runny nose. I'm sure with the extra rain this year there are many mold/fungus spores floating around. I heard on BBC yesterday (Sun.) that now Cameroon has H5N1. I'll admit that it brightened my morning. Bob estimates that a realistic guess for it to spread here is 3-6 months, but of course 1-3 months is possible. A country confirming it that borders Z, we are sure will put us on Stage 2 of the EAP: Standfast. Have e-bag ready to go, do not travel more then 5 km from your site. I'm waiting for that point. Coming back from his run to town, Bob brought with your box and two letters. Bob is borrowing my bike tomorrow to go to Shikelele. His finally gave up the ghost around 13000km. His APCD should be bringing a used-replacement on the 23rd. The bushpath to Shi has to be a perfect nightmare, mud, potholes, blind trail with 2m grass (wet) flopping into the trail. I'm curious how long it will take him. 1938/0.17" thunder
03/16: On Tuesday the 14th, five farmers were supposed to come from Mafuta A, only one showed, despite sunny skies. :( Walking, Bob came over. He was going to take my bike to Shikelele, but Ba Kapopwe sent a note saying all the bridges on the paths have been washed out. Swimming would be required. We're hoping to take a ride out there in 4x4 when Bob's RAP APCD visits on the 23rd. I'd also like to give 2 or 3 ducklings to Ba Kapopwe. The bridge across the Ingwena at the old hydroplant at St. M has been washed away also. However, the last few days the wind has returned, starting at 0800 until sunset. Another sign the rains are stopping. During the rainy season this wind stopped. The air seems drier too. Last night was mostly clear, I was cold. I wish my thermometer would function. I really have to buy another blanket when I'm in town next. Yesterday I caught up a little around the house. I replanted my second Moringa and transplanted my two Lauceana into the yard. All plants now have thorns around them. However, I now have more wounds that can and may go septic very soon. Today I washed some clothes, transplanted Sesbania s. & m. out into my yard. I should spend time today on (at least) starting a few letters. I really need to put my house in complete order in the event of Stage 3 EAP. I had forgotten earlier. I wanted to go over with you the possible course of action:
1. ALERT: A surrounding country is rumored to have H5N1. Maintain viligance and monitor news. (Some of us are already at this stage.)
2. STANDFAST: A surrounding country confirms H5N1. Remain at site & await further instructions. Inventory property, pack e-bag.
3. CONSOLIDATION: Z is rumored to have H5N1. Lock home, secure property. Proceed directly to consolidation point with e-bag.
4. EVACUATION: If Z confirms H5N1. Move to specified location for evacuation.
1 & 2, Bob and I are guessing on, 3 & 4 are confirmed, like I mentioned at Ba Kapopwe's reservoir. Bob has been going through papers, burning what isn't needed. I need to do some of that. Luk is so damn cute sometimes. Sleeping, napping, sunbathing, he's angelic. Otherwise he borders on demonic. My patience has been very short the last few weeks. He knows how to push me over the edge. He'll try sneaking over to grandfather's house. If g-pa isn't there, I'll get the slingshot and hit Luk in the butt as he heads for g-pa's door. Caterwauling does not equal stealth! He seems to be a slow learner. On Saturday I have a composting/manure tea meeting at St. M. Otherwise, I 'll take it easy for today and tomorrow. 1134 / Two gust fronts today, the first blew papers around my house, the second looked scary. Now just a downpour (brief I hope). Just heard on BBC that interest rates in Zimbabwe are at 700%. "Inflation rampant" Yikes. Yesterday they were saying that women can no longer afford "sanitary napkins," so are resorting to newspaper or old clothes. Donors from UK & Australia have free shipments waiting in SA but Zim wants to charge 40% taxes on them to bring them into the country, so they sit in storage. Also, on Tuesday (I think) we heard Chad had an attempted coup. We're pretty sure H5N1 is centered around the Lk. Chad area, but if your government is busy with national security measures, of course you wouldn't want WHO officials mucking around your country. 1950/0.02" Thunder
03/17: Happy St. Patrick's Day
03/18: This morning I left early for St. M. Mulenga went with to go to the clinic - we think he has malaria. Let's just hope it's a bad flu. St. M meeting on alternatives to fertilizer: composting & manure tea. Six showed and dragged me to the PFAP nursery there. 20 min walk in the bush to get down near the Ingwena. We stood there for two hours discussing it, in the hot sun, occasionally a breeze. 2001
03/19: Just as I got water ready yesterday, the rain came and made me cancel my shower. First time. Today I made sure to keep ahead of any rain. I spent the day at home trying to catch up, to no avail. I did manage to burn a pile of garbage and papers. I was hoping to wash sheets, but today was not sunny or windy, so they'll have to wait till next week. This coming week I'm busy each day. Nothing special in the news. I want to catch up on letters but all the other stuff & paperwork comes first, and then I run out of daylight, time, & energy. 1925
03/25: Yikes. Time flies. A week? Tuesday was Kambale. Wednesday Mafuta A. Thursday to St. Marys. That night Bob's APCD & PCVL Josh came for site visit. Friday morning we rode out to Shikelele. Ba Kapopwe was in town, but everything looked great, he's started another pond. At 1000 we left and got stuck in the mud in the dambo right near Ba K's house. 7 hours later we finally got across it. 200 meters of saturated ground. Nothing solid. We kept sinking in past the axles. The winch overheated and the last half there was nothing firm to anchor the cable to (we pulled down a few trees). Often it was a meter at a time. Lots of digging and up to our knees in mud. Neither Josh nor Bob brought a hat, sunny all day. Josh actually looked purple. None of us brought chlorine. Bob and I screwed up, we thought it would be a simple day, very unprepared. That can't happen again. We arrived at St. M just at dusk. We overdosed on ibuprofen, made dinner, hot bath & crashed. This morning I was supposed to be at Kapempe's Farm (1/2 way to Mafuta A) at 1000. I was too worn out to leave St. M before 1300. The flies and mosquitoes are horrible at my house, seem to be less elsewhere. The rains have stopped. Only distant lightning and occasional sprinkles. Last night the stars were phenomenal, clear sky, lightning flashes to the south & west. Kambale seems somewhat serious, we'll find out. We'll build compost piles on 12 Apr. Mafuta A, we had a follow up discussion & Q/A on conservation farming. That was great. The women there will learn how to make jam in 1.5 weeks when I return. I head to St. M on Monday. Tomorrow, Sunday, Bob and I are hopping in with Father Mobe and going to Kambilombilo to briefly see Keegan. I finally got mail today. The nuns went to town last week, picked up the mail, and then went to Ndola and Lusaka. They finally got back yesterday. Yes, I was nun-cursing. I will drop this letter tomorrow @ St. M, but we're going to town on Wed/Thursday (we'll meet Ba Elizabeth in Ndola) so it might be faster to post it then.
N
Yesterday was the HIV/AIDS and VCT meeting at St. M. I arrived at 0900 to find Bob still hasn't returned from town. I wasn't looking forward to being the only white in a sea of people. People came from up to 25 km away, but the facilitators didn't show. We waited and waited. I even answered questions about the US from two St. M teachers. Their impression (from news, etc) is that Bush speaks for all Americans, esp that "Christian Nation" BS, that catches so much attention here. It was nice to set the record straight. At 1200 I gave up and was just starting to head back when a USAID truck comes along with Bob's white head in back. Crap, I was looking forward to going home. The meeting organizers were caught in town, Bob managed to catch a ride. So we're at the meeting, laughing at the mis-spelled agenda on poster paper and see no reason to be there. Absolutely nothing to contribute, though I was tempted to stand up and ask everyone: "Who here has had a test (which would be a VCT)?" Bob and I would have raised our hands, I doubt anyone else would. They talk about everything except the important stuff. We ducked out. Frustrating. Today (3/10) Mulenga and I got some more thorns from the bush, I'm determined to have a pair of Moringa. Lufwanyama District Health Management Team (DHMT) passed an ordinance that revokes roaming goats/pigs/sheep protection. Free game. Bob is still getting flak for pegging them with a slingshot, here people are starting to agree with me. The pig crap on the path to the school's borehole makes walking difficult, I can understand the ordinance but some people are so ignorant. I'm becoming more and more convinced that a lot of it has to do with the tribe I'm living with, they are uneducated and see no reason to change. Lufwanyama scored the lowest of all 9 districts in the Copperbelt for Grade 9 exams. In more up-beat news, the front wall of my neighbor's house has collapsed outward, the small part to the right of the door. I'm almost hoping for more rain. Maybe I should sneak out at night and push on the rest. That's not technically a sin. (I'm certainly not coveting my neighbor's house) Besides, sometimes nature needs a hand. :)
Today the air felt drier, it was light, but sometimes from the south, I think the rains have begun their shift north back to the Congo. Every once in a while I find little black feathers in the house, but there are still 11 ducklings. I think Luk is hunting more then just mice, I can even hazard a guess as to the species. Black-winged red (or fire-crowned) Bishop. I've seen them in the grass along the fence line, apparently I'm not the only one. Euplectes hordeaceus. We've always heard that there's more than one way to skin a cat, I wonder how'd the Z's do it? But he's been throwing up all day, he's so cute and quiet when he's sick. My hen has laid two eggs, one yesterday, another today, I wasn't even sure which chicken was doing it until today. Aren't they supposed to sit on those eggs? She only hung around long enough to pop one out. Mulenga said she'd sit on them when she finishes laying the batch. I'm confused. I wouldn't mind a few chicks, cause they'll grow up (finger-licking good) but if they won't hatch I'd rather eat the eggs. Guess I'll see. A roasted maize cob for lunch. A steamed pumpkin/squash with sugar this afternoon (Kantende PFAP Chairman who first fed you goat in Kantende gave me some veggies) (He's Nyanja from E/P). And now another roasted maize. Come back so they give us goat (I'm not special enough by myself. I haven't eaten it since you left. In fact no meat since then). Just a few eggs from St. M once in a while, but they don't always have.
03/13: Signs are in the air that the rain will stop soon. Bob is sneezing and has a runny nose. I'm sure with the extra rain this year there are many mold/fungus spores floating around. I heard on BBC yesterday (Sun.) that now Cameroon has H5N1. I'll admit that it brightened my morning. Bob estimates that a realistic guess for it to spread here is 3-6 months, but of course 1-3 months is possible. A country confirming it that borders Z, we are sure will put us on Stage 2 of the EAP: Standfast. Have e-bag ready to go, do not travel more then 5 km from your site. I'm waiting for that point. Coming back from his run to town, Bob brought with your box and two letters. Bob is borrowing my bike tomorrow to go to Shikelele. His finally gave up the ghost around 13000km. His APCD should be bringing a used-replacement on the 23rd. The bushpath to Shi has to be a perfect nightmare, mud, potholes, blind trail with 2m grass (wet) flopping into the trail. I'm curious how long it will take him. 1938/0.17" thunder
03/16: On Tuesday the 14th, five farmers were supposed to come from Mafuta A, only one showed, despite sunny skies. :( Walking, Bob came over. He was going to take my bike to Shikelele, but Ba Kapopwe sent a note saying all the bridges on the paths have been washed out. Swimming would be required. We're hoping to take a ride out there in 4x4 when Bob's RAP APCD visits on the 23rd. I'd also like to give 2 or 3 ducklings to Ba Kapopwe. The bridge across the Ingwena at the old hydroplant at St. M has been washed away also. However, the last few days the wind has returned, starting at 0800 until sunset. Another sign the rains are stopping. During the rainy season this wind stopped. The air seems drier too. Last night was mostly clear, I was cold. I wish my thermometer would function. I really have to buy another blanket when I'm in town next. Yesterday I caught up a little around the house. I replanted my second Moringa and transplanted my two Lauceana into the yard. All plants now have thorns around them. However, I now have more wounds that can and may go septic very soon. Today I washed some clothes, transplanted Sesbania s. & m. out into my yard. I should spend time today on (at least) starting a few letters. I really need to put my house in complete order in the event of Stage 3 EAP. I had forgotten earlier. I wanted to go over with you the possible course of action:
1. ALERT: A surrounding country is rumored to have H5N1. Maintain viligance and monitor news. (Some of us are already at this stage.)
2. STANDFAST: A surrounding country confirms H5N1. Remain at site & await further instructions. Inventory property, pack e-bag.
3. CONSOLIDATION: Z is rumored to have H5N1. Lock home, secure property. Proceed directly to consolidation point with e-bag.
4. EVACUATION: If Z confirms H5N1. Move to specified location for evacuation.
1 & 2, Bob and I are guessing on, 3 & 4 are confirmed, like I mentioned at Ba Kapopwe's reservoir. Bob has been going through papers, burning what isn't needed. I need to do some of that. Luk is so damn cute sometimes. Sleeping, napping, sunbathing, he's angelic. Otherwise he borders on demonic. My patience has been very short the last few weeks. He knows how to push me over the edge. He'll try sneaking over to grandfather's house. If g-pa isn't there, I'll get the slingshot and hit Luk in the butt as he heads for g-pa's door. Caterwauling does not equal stealth! He seems to be a slow learner. On Saturday I have a composting/manure tea meeting at St. M. Otherwise, I 'll take it easy for today and tomorrow. 1134 / Two gust fronts today, the first blew papers around my house, the second looked scary. Now just a downpour (brief I hope). Just heard on BBC that interest rates in Zimbabwe are at 700%. "Inflation rampant" Yikes. Yesterday they were saying that women can no longer afford "sanitary napkins," so are resorting to newspaper or old clothes. Donors from UK & Australia have free shipments waiting in SA but Zim wants to charge 40% taxes on them to bring them into the country, so they sit in storage. Also, on Tuesday (I think) we heard Chad had an attempted coup. We're pretty sure H5N1 is centered around the Lk. Chad area, but if your government is busy with national security measures, of course you wouldn't want WHO officials mucking around your country. 1950/0.02" Thunder
03/17: Happy St. Patrick's Day
03/18: This morning I left early for St. M. Mulenga went with to go to the clinic - we think he has malaria. Let's just hope it's a bad flu. St. M meeting on alternatives to fertilizer: composting & manure tea. Six showed and dragged me to the PFAP nursery there. 20 min walk in the bush to get down near the Ingwena. We stood there for two hours discussing it, in the hot sun, occasionally a breeze. 2001
03/19: Just as I got water ready yesterday, the rain came and made me cancel my shower. First time. Today I made sure to keep ahead of any rain. I spent the day at home trying to catch up, to no avail. I did manage to burn a pile of garbage and papers. I was hoping to wash sheets, but today was not sunny or windy, so they'll have to wait till next week. This coming week I'm busy each day. Nothing special in the news. I want to catch up on letters but all the other stuff & paperwork comes first, and then I run out of daylight, time, & energy. 1925
03/25: Yikes. Time flies. A week? Tuesday was Kambale. Wednesday Mafuta A. Thursday to St. Marys. That night Bob's APCD & PCVL Josh came for site visit. Friday morning we rode out to Shikelele. Ba Kapopwe was in town, but everything looked great, he's started another pond. At 1000 we left and got stuck in the mud in the dambo right near Ba K's house. 7 hours later we finally got across it. 200 meters of saturated ground. Nothing solid. We kept sinking in past the axles. The winch overheated and the last half there was nothing firm to anchor the cable to (we pulled down a few trees). Often it was a meter at a time. Lots of digging and up to our knees in mud. Neither Josh nor Bob brought a hat, sunny all day. Josh actually looked purple. None of us brought chlorine. Bob and I screwed up, we thought it would be a simple day, very unprepared. That can't happen again. We arrived at St. M just at dusk. We overdosed on ibuprofen, made dinner, hot bath & crashed. This morning I was supposed to be at Kapempe's Farm (1/2 way to Mafuta A) at 1000. I was too worn out to leave St. M before 1300. The flies and mosquitoes are horrible at my house, seem to be less elsewhere. The rains have stopped. Only distant lightning and occasional sprinkles. Last night the stars were phenomenal, clear sky, lightning flashes to the south & west. Kambale seems somewhat serious, we'll find out. We'll build compost piles on 12 Apr. Mafuta A, we had a follow up discussion & Q/A on conservation farming. That was great. The women there will learn how to make jam in 1.5 weeks when I return. I head to St. M on Monday. Tomorrow, Sunday, Bob and I are hopping in with Father Mobe and going to Kambilombilo to briefly see Keegan. I finally got mail today. The nuns went to town last week, picked up the mail, and then went to Ndola and Lusaka. They finally got back yesterday. Yes, I was nun-cursing. I will drop this letter tomorrow @ St. M, but we're going to town on Wed/Thursday (we'll meet Ba Elizabeth in Ndola) so it might be faster to post it then.
N
posted by nathan at 18:43
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