Our Future

Amazingly, we've already been in Zambia almost 19 months - with only five months left on my contract. Even here in the southern hemisphere, time still flies quickly!

As I write this, I am watching Viriginia our housekeeper sweep the leaves off the grass with her reed broom...no power leaf blower, just sweeping bent over, the old-fashioned way. Life is simpler here without the distractions of life in a developed world. I'll comment on this in another blog...

I'm working on figuring out my job situation and our future. We'd all like to stay in Zambia, but funding will be an issue - it's not cheap to have an ex-pat living overseas. So, the first order of business is to determine whether WV will continue to fund my position. Then, we have to wait until late May to see if we get awarded the grant from USAID.

If neither of those options work out then I'll seek out a job at WV (back in Federal Way). One of the stipulations of taking this job in Zambia was that there would be no guarantee that I would get a job back at WV (I gladly accepted the risk), but it means I could be joining the ranks of the unemployed!

We're praying that we can stay... Please join us in praying that decision makers would agree to funding my position.

Either we'll be back in Tacoma this summer for good...or we'll be back for a short summer holiday and come back to Zambia again. We look forward to seeing you!

My First Gross Bug Living Inside!

This past Sunday, I was sitting on the couch and looked down at the back of my calf (which I rarely, IF EVER do) ... and there was this black circle with a hole in it! Where did it come from? What is it????

We have an ex-Peace Corps friend who thought it might be either a putsi fly or a bot fly. One of them lays larvae in damp clothes then burrows into your skin - and you have to wait until the worm thing comes out. The only way to prevent this is to either put your clothes in the dryer or iron your clothes. That must be why we have a housekeeper who irons ALL our clothes: to keep the bugs off!

The other one has larvae that is carried on the backs on a mosquito or fly - then lands on you, finds another warm, wet place - and burrows into your skin.

Of course, I'm not sure that it's either of those things, but I find it hard to believe that my skin would suddenly turn black - and have a crater in it!! There's only a little bit of a bump - but I don't even remember there being a bite or anything. Freaky! But curiously interesting....

Either way, the worms will have to come out - and there's puss involved - and a squirmy head (with teeth!)trying to get out of my skin ....

Any arm chair doctors or hypochondriacs who want to offer up their opinions?

My leg with the spot...

A close up of the crater in the middle of the black spot. If it changes throughouot the week, I'll take more photos and post them!

Fun With Austin...

Our buddy Austin was here to speak at the American school for a global issues summit. On Sunday after his commitments, we went up to the Wilkinson's farm and had a BBQ (or a braai as they call it here). Isaac W. decided he wanted to be buried in dirt!

Look at those dirty hands and legs! Nothing beats being a kid!!

With Natan and Naomi Huddle making ice cream - the old fashioned, hand cranked way.

Happenings On Our Street

I drove down the street - and saw this huge tree across the street. I thought it had fallen down but I think they chopped it down...

There were about 5 guys chopping down the tree. No chain saws, only axes...labor is cheap here, electric tools are almost non-existent.

These ladies were walking down the street with their brooms. I wasn't sure if they were there to clean up the debris from the tree or if they were off to another job sweeping dirt from the street. Again, no street cleaners (the big truck with brushes) only ladies with big brooms!

Mosquito Net Distribution - Chipata, Eastern Province

At the first distribution site, people grouped themselves by village. They had come from far away to get their free nets.

These women caregivers are wearing their RAPIDS chitenges (fabric wrap) and are dancing like no one's business! The caregivers will be the ones to talk with clients/recipients about the nets, how to care for them - and will check up on them on a regular basis to make sure they are being used correctly.

These mothers are waiting for nets. Pregnant women and children under five years are the generally targeted first for nets because they are the most vulnerable.

Before the actual distribution, the district health staff tell the net recipients about malaria, the nets, how they are used and how to care for them. There were several thousand people at this first distribution.

At the second distribution, I asked the people "how many of you had malaria last year?" - nearly everybody raised their hands. The nets (seen at left still in the bales) will go a long way towards reducing the incidences of malaria. If the area can get 80% coverage, there is a good chance that malaria will be eradicated.

Each person was registered by their caregiver before the distribution - and had to sign their names (or if they couldn't write, they used their finger print) to show they received their nets. If neighbors couldn't make it, they will also pick up their nets. The villagers will self-police and keep track of who should have received a net.

It was a very hot day, so people who brought their umbrellas were able to find some relief from the sun...or they could use their nets as shelter!

Everyone here carries stuff on their heads...that's why they have such excellent posture (a comment I keep pointing out to Sophie!!).

The granny in the middle came up to me - and just started talking away, in a language I didn't understand, but she had something to say to me! She was the sweetest woman and I loved listening to her speak so emphatically... but not being able to reciprocate. With time, she and her friends walked away, clearly I was no longer fun to talk with!

The grannies walking home with their nets. It always makes me happy to see old people because I know the ravages of AIDS have passed them over. On the flip side, they are often taking care of grandchildren and great children who have lost their parents to AIDS.

These school girls are so happy to get their nets!!

The methodology we use to distribute nets at the community level with our caregivers really is an ideal method and we have found net usability is high - and incidences of malaria have decreased. Caregivers will continue to check up with clients months from now to make sure they are being used properly.

Death

One of my co-workers lost her mother this past week and I went with the staff to the funeral service. Her mother had been ill for quite some time - in and out of the hospital, and my workmate was the one who had been doing most of the caretaking. Two weeks prior to her mother's death, her brother unexpectedly passed away and she had to travel to another part of the country for his funeral...so within two weeks, she lost both her brother and her mother.

We waited about an hour and a half for the service to start (sitting in the car in the parking lot). I was told that the queue could be quite long to pick up bodies from the morgue, then because the family was doing the work themselves, they had to prepare the body...

As we were waiting there were many mini buses (taxis) dropping people off on an ongoing basis. Cars and trucks with 20 more more people sitting in the back also dropped people off.

I thought they were all there for the mother's service, but then a truck drove up with people crying loudly. The last man to get out of the truck was carrying a small white coffin, that was only about 2 feet long, an infant. Once they arrived, people went to view the body, then they picked up the coffin and went to the burial site.

At about the same time, the family arrived with the mother's coffin. Many people were crying - and some of them fell to the ground (one guy even fell into a mud puddle). We didn't go in to view the body, it seemed like an intimate occasion reserved for family...but just as we were leaving another truckload of people arrived, this time it was another infant coffin that was being carried in.

Within 20 minutes three coffins had arrived, two infants and one old lady - with more people coming in with coffins as we were leaving.

Death. It's happens every day. But since we've been in Zambia, it seems like we see it more. Maybe because the main cemetery is on the road to the kids' school or maybe because there's just more death. Truckloads of people sitting in the back of a truck along with a casket and funeral service cars (for those with more money!) are every day sightings. It's not uncommon to hear from a staff person about the death of a relative.

And, I can only imagine what it must have been like at the height of the AIDS crisis. Death and funerals would have been every day occurrences and often, there would be multiple funerals to attend in a day.

The Zambian people are strong. Life and death are intertwined. It's still painful and heart wrenching.

Peter's Birthday Party

Peter had some of his classmates over for a party and sleepover. Sophie and her two friends, Ava and Tino, helped organize the games - they had a great time!

The great thing about an international school is, of course, the international flavor! The kids are from all over the world, they all have different accents, these kids are incredibly polite (!) and, the universal trait of boys - they love to play!!

Peter's friends include, from left: Rueben - Zambian, Jamie - South African, Johannes - half Norwegian, half Zimbabwean; Jurgen - South African; Kaisei - Japanese.

The classic: Musical Chairs!

Pool Games

Sophie helping Jurgen and Peter with a clue for Scavenger Hunt!

As an aside, Peter is now the class president and Jurgen is his vice-president!

Everyone's a winner!!