Kasama


So this will be my last post for a while, roughly sometime in August, since I will not have internet until then.  After that Ill be able to update every 2 - 3 weeks so I am sorry for the lack of contact after today

On May 2nd, we were officially sworn in as Volunteers and no longer Trainees.  It was actually a huge blast of a ceremony at the ambassadors house in Zambia, the headmen and chiefs from multiple villages came, and some of our host familys (mine!).  Lots of food, we all dressed up in our best icitenge outfits, which was hilarious and colorful, and this was the first time the RAP group (rural aquaculture promotion) and the LIFE group (linking income food and environment) group have seen each other since we all flew over on the plane/spent that intro week in Lusaka.  The festivities continued with shopping for supplies for our huts, then an all you can eat indian buffet, a instrumental circle (drums, flute, banjos, guitars, ect)  and late night festivities.

Goodbyes in the morning were the hardest thing Ive done here in Zambia yet.  Some of the best people Ive met in my life Ive come to know in Zambia and knowing that when you need to call some of these people for support and encouragement you cant because there isnt service or internet.  And visiting each other is a trial and a half considering the road conditions, bikes, hitching, and just vastness of the country.  Im really going to try and work on keeping a good connection with these people.

That being said we piled into a cruiser at 630 am and drove on up to Kasama, my new home for the next 2 years.  The Northern Providence crew (or NOPRO as we say) is awesome and Im really happy with new neighbors.  Shopping was a fiasco in the market and we kept getting over charged but as soon as you speak Bemba the people here are shocked and its amazing how fast the price drops.  Today we spent the day by the waterfalls in Chishimba and it was a perfect day to swim and hang out and not do anything official.  Naturally being Cinco de Mayo we are making guac and tortillas and corn salsa (in remembrance of Cabo fish taco for me).  Tomorrow we meet with some of the Dept. of Fisheries agents (DOF) and get our official Zambian citizen cards.  And Tuesday I head to my village for 3 months of solitude - Kasonde Mutokwa in case anyone wants to google where that is but somehow I doubt youll find it.  Its about 40 - 50 km up the Mbala road north of Kasama and then another 10 km west off the tarmac.


heres the RAP and LIFE group 2013! check out those outfits! 


Bemba language class! BaGeorge was awesome and we all passed


Bamayo and Batata mu Zambia! Natotela sana! 


The gang! 


A "welcome home" sunset into Kasama, Northern Providence


Chishimbe Falls, Kasama


Bembas of Northern! Or most of us.  I love how many trees there are in NOPRO compared to central


chilling on the falls. that orange speck on top is me. sorry mom 


Looking out at the Loumbe River from the top of the lower falls





Comments

  1. Mary.Mary,I.Am.MaryMay 5, 2013 at 2:43 PM

    all very awesome Garrett, great pictures! I hope you wrangle yourself a pooch soon for protection when you're on your own lol ;)

    -Gustav/Cristov

    ReplyDelete
  2. BeoWolfMay 28, 2013 at 4:22 PM

    Wow Garrett-not only are you a good storyteller but your pics are breath-taking......almost makes me feel like I'm there with you!

    ReplyDelete

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