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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First is the worst.

Day 1 was just a big train wreck.  Just when I thought I had everything under control and I was ready for this, I get to the airport with my mom and Rodgers and I could not stop crying.  The poor people going through security with me.  This display was followed by delays and cancellations all over my airport, luckily my flight was not cancelled just delayed an hour, but we were loaded onto the plane and then sat on the runway for another hour because of excessive fog.   Needless to say I was late to orientation, but so was half the group. I guess we were all riding the strugglebus today. My PC group consists 43 volunteers, or trainees since we are not technically volunteers yet,  between the ages of 23 and 65.  Its pretty 50/50 with regards to gender and our homes range from every part of the country possible.  Although there were a surprising number of people from green bay/milwaukee  (go pack go!).  My boyfriend also ...
Read more

PICTURES!

Image
OK finally I am posting pictures.  I am sorry for the delay. Us waiting at the airport at 3 am. Awesome.... Central Providence, Zambia.  This is the area Ive spent the last 3 months in.  My room with my host family.   The gang, playing cards and goofing off.  Managing a fish pond. super groody.  We found a chameleon, which locals are afraid of and think they are bad juju.  Heres one of the rivers in Northern Providence, where Ill be living for the next  2 years  My counterpart, Ba Ernest.  This is the river right next to my village, maybe a 10 min walk and the marsh area where Ill be working/building ponds.  Us hanging out at the bar after classes.  Ulupwa yandi mu Zambia.  Or at the least most of the family I was staying with.  About 10 of the kids are missing. 
Read more

Lush

So I have arrived safely in Zambia.  The flights were CRAZY and monday through wednesday all seem like one long day.  It was defiantly a worm hole experience. In a word, Zambia is lush.  It sprinkles every now and then but everything is SO green even from the plane it was unreal.  As of right now I am on this compound outside Lusaka and its really more like a tiny resort for PC people rather than being in Africa.  Its great for bonding and lots of orientation but I am beyond excited to move out to the "more real" parts of the country.  Our days here pretty much consist of paperwork, lots of discussion and orientation, getting to know each other, frisbee, and soccer, along with the occasional beer. Sunday we get to shadow a current volunteer in a village and see what the real work is all about. Ill be heading out to the Central region with 4 other group mates, all of whom are really great people, and itll be our first real initiation to Zambi...
Read more