Chad in Zambia

A Year in Review

2009-04-09T15:12:00.008-04:00

Hey Everybody...

Against my plans, I ended this blog rather abruptly... busy busy. Last weekend I was asked to give a short talk about my placement. I was able to get a recording of the talk, so I thought I'd post it here is a bit of a summary.

I hope you enjoy.

10. Video Killed the Regular Blog

2007-07-14T11:51:00.000-04:00

People are getting bored with my blog sooooooo I've decided to mix it up with some video entries. I've got two finished but am hoping to make four in total. You can check out the first two now but you will have to check back for the other two later this week or next.

Video 1: My Farm
Video 2: My National Park
Video 3: The Band
Video 4: My Home
Video 5: My Work

My Farm: a 5 minute video about my first experiment with farming.

My National Park: a 4 minute video to market the park where I work.

The Band: a 3 minute video of a pretty crazy band.

My Home: a 4 minute video to show where and how I live.

My Work: a 5 minute video to explain the project I work on.

Comments are cool as they motivate me to make more of this kind of stuff! Thanks for watching.

09. Worlds Collide

2007-05-28T18:54:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel as though I lead multiple lives, transecting different worlds. The contrasts of my life in Canada with my life in Zambia are extreme. My environment, my friends, my food, my work, my thoughts and my surrounding culture and wealth are all over the map. This can be unsettling, really, but over the past few years I have come to understand something.

I am the same person wherever I am because at the deepest level of my ‘self’ and my values, there is continuity. I am ‘me’ regardless of my physical location and surroundings. My complete experience, mainly the people in my life, has cumulatively contributed to who I am, and I am me, whether in Zambia or Canada or anywhere else.

My biggest struggle though is not with myself, it is with others. Often I feel far and disconnected from those who are important to me at home regardless of how much we talk, email, or SMS. Since I’ve been gone people have been married, babies have been born, and family members have died. I have not been around for these glorious and grim happenings, and it hurts. I try to stay up-to-date, and I even share and talk about it here, but my friends here have a difficult time truly understanding the world from which I come.

Similarly my experience in Zambia is also rich with changes and events, with ups and with downs that my friends and family back home can never really understand. They are interested in what I’m doing and we do talk about it, but the reality in which I live is somewhat incomprehensible for someone who has never been.

But 21 days ago this suddenly changed. My two worlds collided.

21 days ago, my twin sister Lindsay and my brother in-law Brett stepped off the plane and the dust of their shoes met and mixed with a new dust, slightly redder and a bit drier. All of their questions leading up to departure, “what should we pack, what will we eat, will we get sick, where will we sleep” were dropped somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.

God it was nice to see them! We were soon out of the calm airport and into the swirling capital city of Lusaka. To me Lusaka has become normal. I had long quit starring out windows and moving wide-eyed with curiosity, but seeing Brett and Lindsay, and their reactions to this place, made if seem foreign and exotic all over again. On the dusty busy streets, they exuded a mix of excitement and caution, curiosity and trepidation.

The next three weeks were action packed! “We’re up for anything” was there motto and anything they got. They ate nshima and pigeons, learned how to wear a chitenge and carry a baby, travelled on sketchy buses and boats, met with traditional chiefs and loving mothers.

They lived in a village, saw babies born and named, helped butcher and roast chickens. They got too close to hyenas, elephants and buffalo and got way too close to a lonely lioness. They drank wine at sunset, jogged at dawn, transported blood for the ministry of health, taught English in a school, chlorinated their own water, gazed at the stars, bathed in the river and got attacked by killer ants.

They toured a mission hospital, felt the thunder of Victoria falls, harvested maize, rice and sweet potatoes, killed a snake, learned some losi, enjoyed some mosis and made many friends. They got an in-person glimpse into my work with Engineers Without Borders and got a personal introduction to the life and times of Zambia.

No matter how much you’ve prepared yourself, one’s first face-to-face with extreme poverty is overwhelming and emotional. Some things made Lindsay and Brett laugh and smile, others perplexed and confused them, some frustrated and angered them, some caused fear and others made them deeply sad and others happy. Coming to know the injustices of our world is powerfully sobering and raises a lot of questions. “It’s just not fair and I don’t get it” Lindsay exclaimed emotionally while sitting around the fire.

For three months leading up to their arrival, the people in my village were asking if they were really going to come. They counted airplanes in the night sky figuring which ones were coming from Canada, planned gifts and meals, doubled checked the arrival date and practiced saying their names. When the time came, when they finally arrived, they had an entourage and warm welcome.

I think Brett and Lindsay were blown away by the generosity and reception they received. They were given gifts of chickens and vegetables, invited to eat and sleep in people’s homes. They were never out of place and they were always welcome. Here they needed help and they got it. The people of my village had special guests and they wanted to share their riches and their homes and make them feel as welcome as possible.

For me the best part was my brother and sister from Canada meeting my brothers and sisters in Zambia, my roommate and friend Monde hugging my twin sister Lindsay, and my good pal Bo Richard eating with my brother-in-law and friend Brett. Families’ coming together is always a good thing and this is when I really felt that worlds were colliding.

For Lindsay and Brett it was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was an accelerated jump into rural Zambian life and they got a good look at a different world. I was impressed by their ability to adapt and accept, their adventurous attitudes, their humble demeanours, their quick learning, and their genuine interest in the people they met.

Will their lives be changed? I don't really know, but I’ve got a feeling that some of the things they saw, and some of the people they met, will stick with them for a long time.

I have a particular group of friends, people with whom I've shared times together in distant lands or in trying circumstances. It’s a small group, but with them I have an indescribable bond and a deeper shared understanding of life. I think through this visit, even though short, Lindsay, Brett and I now share such a bond.

In the end, this collision of worlds turned out to be more of coalescence of realities. It felt good to see my friends in Zambia laughing and enjoying with my family from Canada. Worlds have not collided, they have connected, and that puts a huge smile on my face.

The Globe and Mail

2007-05-25T02:09:00.000-04:00

This is a short article I wrote for the Globe and Mail that was printed May 25th. It's geared towards an engineering crowd... not sure if that will turn you on or off? Anyway, enjoy.

Canadian Engineers Tackle Poverty in Developing Nations
The Globe and Mail, Friday, May 25 2007
By Chad Hamre

Engineers are not intimidated by problems. In fact, they love nothing more than to sink their teeth into a juicy one. In our diverse field, this is what unites us.

The problem that consumes my mind is perhaps the most complex, urgent and daunting of them all: extreme poverty. I won’t bombard you with depressing statistics about education, health and famine —you have heard them all before. It suffices to say that life for those living in extreme poverty is characterized by a daily struggle to support oneself and family.

Yet I remain optimistic. Rather than looking at the situation as a tragic burden, I think of it as our generation’s greatest opportunity to drive meaningful change. My degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan has launched me into a career that seizes this opportunity for change:

In the Philippines, ICT Training Centres are providing disadvantaged youth with the opportunity to develop valuable skills to contribute to their community and improve their lives.
In Haiti, gravity-fed water systems are effectively quenching the thirst and improving the health of thousands of families.
In Zambia, business is booming and the private sector is developing to serve the needs of majority rural population profitably.

None of these are individual accomplishments. They are all projects that I had the opportunity to work on with Engineers Without Borders during the past five years. They are the results of thousands of engineering students and professionals across Canada who are dedicated to seeing an end to extreme poverty, and who are working in partnership with developing communities around the world.

Engineers Without Borders believes that technology, when appropriately incorporated into each community’s social, cultural, economic and political context, can drive extraordinary change. To date, over 200 EWB volunteers have worked with developing communities, helping to build technical knowledge and skills among local organizations, spreading innovation and sustainable solutions to the challenge of poverty. In Canada, over 20,000 EWB members raise awareness about the roles of Canadian engineers, the general population and government in poverty alleviation.

In the past, engineers with a zeal for contributing to development were left on their own, working on a short-term project over a two-week holiday or making ad-hoc contributions. But as the new Boeing A380 was not designed and built by moonlighters, taking a bite out of extreme poverty requires committed professionals with career-long timeframes and goals.

My colleagues and I are engaged in challenging and fulfilling careers with Engineers Without Borders. Our work combines the thoughtfulness of advanced-level academics with the focus, rigour and pragmatism of the private sector.

Our work is gaining national and international recognition for our innovative approach. This leads me to believe that one day, in the near future, a Nobel Peace Prize will be presented to an engineer for his or her contribution to poverty alleviation. Not because the problem of poverty has a technical solution, but because solving it will require a pragmatic, structured approach, along with strong problem-solving abilities. This approach, an engineering approach, can lead to effective, sustainable change.

Chad Hamre is currently posted in Zambia with Engineers Without Borders Canada and is the recipient of the 2005 Canadian Engineers’ Awards Student Gold Medal.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/partners/free/sr/engineers/engineers.pdf

08. Breakdown and Update

2007-04-30T18:25:00.000-04:00

"BANGGG! click-click-click-click" at full tilt the boat engine seizes violently.

Here we sit in the middle of nowhere a few kilometres from the mighty Zambezi River. We were enroute from Kalabo to Mongu, a 2-8 hour boat ride depending on your steed. Our planned trip time was 2 hours, but as usual fate had a plan of its own.

After a few minutes of trying to paddle to dry land, the relentless headwind proved its superiority and we parked ourselves comfortably. Wedged into the gently swaying river grasses we began to wait for our rescue boat. However, long before they were scheduled to arrive we hear the put-put-put of another boat that kindly attaches a rope and pull us to the only dry land around, to "George Maxwell’s Palace," a rather bizarre place.

Well it's certainly not a palace in absolute terms, but in the heart of the Zambezi flood plain, far from power, concrete and iron, it kind of looks like a palace of some type.

Apparently it was built in the 1980's by a man with a vision named George Maxwell. He picked a rare piece of land where the Zambezi and the Luanginga Rivers intersect and set up an impressive fishing camp and home. In its heyday it must have been quite a site, but today it is dilapidated and serves as a pit-stop for boat passengers to take a pee or get a snack.

So anyway, by now we were hoping to be pounding the tarmac towards the capital city, Lusaka, but instead we're stranded at this strange rundown island of a fishing camp in the middle of nowhere... but after 9 months in Kalabo, trust me, no delay, no setback and no breakdown could possibly create stress or anger, instead it's relaxing, time to let my mind chase it's tale as a good friend of mine likes to say.

Today I'm thinking about my time in Zambia so far. What have we accomplished and what have I learned? That's the point of me being here, right?

The first thing is that I cannot talk in terms of ‘I’ as our progress in Kalabo has been a collaborative effort between Juraj, Daniel and myself, with lots input and support from Tom and Mike and many others.

If you’ve forgotten, EWB has placed me with PROFIT, a USAID funded development program that uses a private sector approach to strengthen markets in which small holders participate and are likely to benefit from. We are working in partnership with African Parks as the communities are situation in and around a national park.

When we first arrived in Kalabo, we had no office, no vision and no plan. We had a general private sector development theme passed on by PROFIT, the implementing organisation, but there were major questions whether this approach would work in such a remote and un-commercial corner of Zambia.

We started with a general assessment of the area, looking at rural livelihoods and market value chains to determine if there were any areas likely to lead to positive impact for small holders.

We considered numerous areas of work and finally settled on three main objectives:

To establish private veterinary services for small-scale cattle farmers.
To encourage traditional craft production and marketing for women’s clubs.
To enhance and promote the National Park and the community owned services through which locals are likely to gain.

Vet Services

Here part of our work has been in the community, mobilizing farmers and encouraging them to consider investing into proactive health care as many animals are dying. Cattle are the main income source and asset in this area and there are basically no government services, or alternatives for health care. This leaves farmers without any hope of accessing vital vaccines and treatments to keep their animals healthy. The other part of our work has been helping a private Vet establish a business to offer such services to small holders and to coach him through promotions, pricing and costing and some general business development services. Since the small holder market has never been targeted, we buy down some of the initial risks for the vet by covering transport to initial promotions and other non-distorting subsidies and technical advice.

The positive outcomes of our work have been after six months we finally got the program off the ground. Farmers are in contract and paying for services from the vet. The young Vet running the program understands the concept well and is working hard to expand the business. We are piloting a new low cost and high potential expansion model using local vet assistants. Our failures are that the senior vet running the company doesn’t appear to be fully bought into the business and so far they have yet been unable to sell the package to the smallest of the small-scale farmers.

Craft Production

Here part of our work has been around building up women’s club’s production capacity in traditional crafts and the second part has been exploring and linking them with reliable markets with considerable growth potential.

We have been successful in creating relationships and trust with the clubs and identifying reliable and diversified markets. We successfully ran a low cost training to help improve the quality standards of the products. During our first year, the clubs independently funded and built craft shops in the park and profitably sold baskets and other crafts to tourists. This is new money in people’s pockets, but more importantly it has built their enthusiasm and trust in the market. Our failure to date has been in linking these clubs to year round more formal markets for export. In the face of plenty of effort we found there were just too many barriers in terms of production skills and pace, transportation, and trust, to successfully complete orders.

Tourism Promotion

Here our team aimed to work with African Parks to improve the tourism product that is the National Park, we aimed to mobilize resources and people to properly market it and aimed to position community groups and individuals to benefit financially from the tourism activities

Our successes are seen through several specific improvements in terms of a visitor’s center, campsite improvements, staff skills, and community products and services available. We have helped African Parks put forward an active marketing plan with tools such as info packs, a website, magazine articles, a brochure and most importantly a broader marketing strategy to guide future actions. In terms of the community we have helped the community owned campsites reform their management structure to improve the service and make them more profitable for the communities. There are some specific activities that are moving at a slow pace, but generally this has been a very positive and productive work-stream.

My Learning

In terms of what I’ve learned, I do feel it’s been substantial. I’ve had a very deep rural emersion helping me understand rural livelihoods, rural people and the challenges and opportunities they face. I’ve had a practical development sector immersion helping me learn more about development philosophy, approaches, workers and the general industry. I’ve learned new things about myself both personally and professionally. I expect all of this learning to pay dividends as I continue with my career in development. If you’re interested in the specifics of these lessons, we’ll have to talk it over, over a cold beer or drink!

Anyway, while my time here has come with a lot of uncertainty, today as I sit at George Maxwell’s dilapidated fishing palace, a few things are very clear:

● The injustices of our world are unacceptable. An unnecessary gap exists, and through cooperation it can be closed, I’m certain.
● I am comfortable with my plan of committing my career and life to driving these changes. I often question it, but today I’m sure.
● If you want to cause positive change, your approach is paramount. Development is complex and good intentions and a vision are not enough.

George Maxwell had a vision, but somewhere along the line it has crumbled. Similarly much of development work will end up failing. Even some of the work we’ve done in Kalabo will go the way of George Maxwell’s dream. Some will fail because incentives just aren’t there, some will fail because they’re inappropriate for the context and others will fail for reasons we can’t know today.

But with a thoughtful approach, with good field workers, creative organizational structures, genuine intentions with coherent actions reinforced by accountability to beneficiaries I believe amazing things are possible.

I can hear our rescue boat in the distance so I better cut this short. Ah it’s good to let one’s mind chase it’s tail.

07. Kuomboka Time

2007-03-31T23:59:00.000-04:00

"The ancient war drums sound, the enormous boat charges forward by the power of 100 royal paddlers in leopard skins and lion manes, smoke bellows to tell the Losi people that their Paramount Chief (Litunga) is alive and strong, and it is time to follow him to the highlands."

This is not a historical quotation from Britannica, this is what I witnessed today, March 31st 2007 in the Western Province of Zambia. The ceremony is called Kuomboka and it signals the Losi people of the Zambezi floodplain to make their annual retreat to the highlands, safe from the floods, as they have done for over 300 years.

Seeing this firsthand was electrifying and humbling.

Electrifying to stand among thousands of Losi people, feeling the ancient drums beat and watching the huge boat carry their Paramount Chief and humbling to recognize the strength, organization and history of this powerful tribe.

Kuomboka literally means "to move out of water" and that is the essence of the event. The date is set by the Litunga (The Paramount Chief) who considers the level of floods, the availability of food and the phase of the moon. It is only announced a few weeks beforehand.

You may wonder why the Losi chose to settle in a floodplain? The reason is actually quite simple. Most of Western Province is Kalahari dessert and the sand is hot, dry and infertile. However, contrasting this dessert sand, is an enormous floodplain of black soil that is replenished yearly as the Zambezi river bursts and washes in water, nutrients and fish. This is a good place to farm.

The problem is that when the floods come, the floods come with fury. This year I saw water rise 15 feet and a massive flood plain fill-up in just a few days time. For families, these floods bring problems: mosquitoes, disease, drowning, crops flooding and general discomfort.

The response then is to make a break for the sunshine-to high grounds-to wait out the worst of the waters.

The journey itself is called the Kuomboka Ceremony, it all begins at Lialui, the Lintunga's dry season palace which situated in the middle of the Zambezi Floodplain. Around the palace, crowds gather to catch a glimpse as the royal subjects who are carefully porting the Lintunga's possessions to the royal boat.

Following them, is the Litunga himself who will be accompanied by his Prime Minister and other local area chiefs (Indunas).

He walks proudly and is greeted by this royal paddlers, who know it be a great honour to paddle for Litunga.

The Litunga's boat bears the legendary name of Nalikwanda. It is a barge of magnificent size, able to carry the chief, his possessions, his attendants, his musicians, his 100 paddlers and is capped with a statue of an elephant, the Losi symbol of power.

The Litunga's goods are loaded and he takes his place in the shade under the elephant while the royal drums and xylophone play. The quality and sound of the instruments are mind blowing and mesmerizing.

Two white scout canoes are sent first to check the depth of the water and for the presence of enemies. These five person dugout canoes glide with speed and precision.

Once signaled by the scout boats, the coordinated paddlers heave mightily and release the heavy boat from shore to begin the journey to the highland. The Lintunga's royal boat is followed by one for his wife, the Queen, and one for the Prime Minister. Hundreds have come to watch the Lintunga set off.

Now under the hot sun, the boat moves through hand dug canals, rivers and standing water. It will take 6-8 hours to reach the final destination of Limulunga, the highland palace. It is said that the journey is grueling and in old days fatigued paddlers were thrown out of the boat to the crocodiles. The drums continue to beat, coordinating and energizing the paddlers.

Meanwhile a massive crowd gathers at the highland palace called (Limulunga). They line the banks where the royal boat will soon land and then wait in anticipation...

Finally, on the horizon a large black elephant is seen moving slowly in the distance, then the ancient drums (one thought to be over 150 years old) are heard playing the familiar beat only played for this ceremony, the crowd erupts upon first sight and sound!

The scout canoes sprint down the canal to make sure all is safe for the Litunga. They move at impressive speeds, obviously energized by the cheering crowd. They continue to do do laps as the Litunga's boat approaches.

Now, the Lintunga does not just sail in and land. His boat fiercely charges the bank and then retreats three times, each time playing a different war song to flush out any enemies planning to ambush.

On the third time the giant vessel plows into the bank. The boat for the Queen (with the crane on top) and that of the Prime Minister follow behind.

Remember, when the king boarded his boat he was dressed in traditional garb, but as he emerges at his destination he steps out wearing a finely polished British commissioner's uniform given to him from the British Royal Family during colonial times. Among the waiters is Levi Mwanawasa, the reigning President of Zambia who rises and greets the Lintunga at the foot of his boat. They then walk together up the long road to the palace with a rambunctious following.

Here the Litunga addresses the crowd, before entering his palace for a night of feasting and dancing. The following days are a celebration for all in the area!

For me, being able to witness Kuomboka was electrifying and humbling. This ceremony with it's very practical roots holds great symbolism and importance for this tribe and I'm happy to see it flourishing today.

Happy Kuomboka.

- Chad a.k.a. 'Nalishebo' as I'm now called.

06. Hamre Receives Food-aid

2007-02-05T16:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after a hard morning's work plowing my field, I came home hungry to a house with no food. I hadn't planned well and did not stock pile for the week’s end. I rummaged high and low but all I could find were a few small pieces of cassava root which I optimistically roasted, hoping to end my hunger and rejuvenate my energy.

I could always buy food, but it was Sunday and I didn't feel like making the long walk to the market (1hour) to buy rice or maize, so I decided to tough-it-out until evening and hope my roommate Monde would bring some fresh fish for dinner.

I then sat under a tree, and with a few pesky but lovable kids poking at me for attention, tried to distract myself from hunger by reading. The previous weekend I had started Nelson Mandela's autobiography, and thus far I was enjoying it VERY much.

After a few chapters and to my delight, my kind neighbour, Bo Nyambe, brought over a steaming bowl of 'something' – something that I had yet to encounter after 6 months in Zambia. The fact that she brought it over without me asking or knowing that I was without food, is typical of the generosity and kindness of the people in my village. Imagine living among those who are statistically the worlds worst-off in terms of access to health care, opportunities for education, and security of food, but here they are, quite regularly and selflessly sharing with me, a white, rich visitor from a distant land. The following graph of life expectancy vs. personal income was generated using Gapminder.

I shoveled large spoonfuls of this new food into my mouth and then asked "kingi ki ye?" What is it? Bulgur wheat I was told, bulgur wheat from World Vision! WHHHAT - I almost spat my food out as I gasped in shock?! There I was, an Engineers Without Borders Volunteer, eating official World Vision relief food – ironic. While I hadn’t stood in line at the school waiting to hear my name called, I none the less had questions of ethics bouncing in my head. I couldn't help but laugh, but food aid and the need for it are far from funny issues.

The reason boatloads of food aid have been chugging up the Zambezi River to Western Province is water. Not floods from too much local rain (the Government's Meteorological Report shows below average rain fall this season) but rather from floods caused by surging rivers fueled by rain that has fallen in the DRC and Angola. The river by my village has gone up 15 feet in two weeks – a foot a day! I had been warned of the floods, but never believed, as such a dramatic change is difficult to imagine.

Anyhow, below average rain fall and extreme flooding are not a good combination. It means the maize has been stunted by water deprivation, and that before any harvest at all, the field can become completely inundated overnight. This sounds like a tall tale, but when I take my small canoe to work each day, I look down and see the tops of maize plants (7 feet tall), three feet under water! It's shocking.

So what's the logical solution to this problem? Food Aid, Food Aid, Rah Rah Rah! Well not really, but many an organisation and many a government believe so. Today roughly 20,000kgs of maize and bulgur wheat were sent up the river, and the same will follow tomorrow. Once it arrives in Kalabo, it is distributed through a fascinating ad-hoc private sector delivery service, where anybody with a boat or an ox-cart can receive one 50kg bag as payment for transporting ten bags to distant villages. This quickly gets the food to the places hit hardest. Globally 4 million tonnes of food aid is distributed annually, with Canada contributing just under 10% and the US approximately 60% of it all.

The case for food aid is strong; people are starving and they need help immediately. It's inhumane to let people suffer when there is a global food surplus. Additionally it makes donors feel good to hand out big bags of food to skinny starving people - it looks great in the press and slogans like “from the American people” printed neatly on the bags helps for recognition...

I believe though, that food aid is NOT the solution, and should not be considered official development assistance. I think of development as a process of lasting positive change and food aid does not qualify. In Zambia, I've seen it distort local markets, create dependency and completely glaze over the root causes of the problem. Food aid is self perpetuating; it makes people slow in finding their own solutions to their food security problems; food aid creates more food aid. The real solution is simple and is demonstrated well by my neighbour and good friend Bo Ndate Scana.

Bo Ndate Scana, grows maize, rice, cassava, sorghum, millet and vegetables, he catches fish, gathers fruits, rears chickens and milks one cow – his livelihoods are certainly diversified. Between all of these different sources of food and income, he'll be fine through any particular weather disaster. If his maize floods, his rice will flourish, if his chickens die, the fish will bite, and under all conditions, the resilient and amazing cassava root will always bear good yields and feed his family well.

When I first arrived in Zambia, I spent several weeks touring remote villages interviewing men and women and meeting with community groups. I was told by countless people that they were starving. It felt terrible to hear and I never knew how to respond. Four months later though, during my daily language lesson, I learned a funny fact. ‘Buhobe’ (the staple food) in the local language Losi, translates directly to ‘food’ in English. Since ‘starving’ is defined as having 'no food,' and ‘food’ is defined as ‘buhobe,’ then even if you have just finished a sizzling 12oz fillet-mignon with mashed potatoes and gravy, you could still technically be ‘starving’. I don’t believe this was a strategy of luring sympathy out of a relatively rich visitor, but instead it a case of mischievous linguistics through translation. But regardless many of the people I visited were certainly undernourished.

I can't honestly claim to be unconditionally against food aid, but I would institute a policy in which every dollar invested in relief food must be matched by two dollars towards productive livelihood diversification training and agricultural extension work. I would then start gradually decreasing the amount of food aid that is distributed, and withhold it for only the most extreme disasters, and even then, I might institute a food for work program or something similar.

Times certainly are the toughest I've seen in Kalabo so far. Crops are flooded, malaria is rampant from the standing water encouraging mosquito reproduction, cattle are dying of corridor disease, and my work has slowed to a sluggish pace due to the logistical difficulties of traveling to villages and organizing meetings with a wooden boat and rubber boots. I'm still smiling though, because I've learned how people survive and I have hope.

People are lifted through problems by a great wave of family and community support. Many African cultures define family much more broadly than we in Canada. In Lozi, there is no word for “nephew or niece” to distinguish your sister’s children from your own, because there is no difference, her children are your children. I've seen this firsthand as I've been gradually welcomed into the loving family that constitutes my village of Sunga. This network of social capital provides true strength to rural communities.

Today I read the last page of Nelson Mandela's “Long Walk to Freedom.” His struggle against Apartheid lasted his entire lifetime and left him innocently imprisoned for nearly 30 years.

There is no doubt that this fight was difficult, tragic and trying, but I couldn't help but think how much simpler his battle was then ours. Apartheid was well defined and legislated. Someone was clearly responsible and the oppressed were united by commonalities. The battle that we face today, the end of extreme poverty is none of these. Poverty is not a legislated Act, it's a condition of life for many of the Southern majority perpetuated structurally and personally. It is complex, ill-defined, under-perceived, dispersed and multi-caused.

I’ve always found the concept of an outsider fighting for the liberation of others a bit questionable. Can you and I genuinely contribute to ending extreme poverty? Do we accurately understand? Can we truly empathize? And will we fully commit? On the last page of Mandela’s book I found encouragement.

"To be free is not merely to cast of one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela

I thank you for your support on my short assignment and congratulate you as part of this much longer struggle.

Keep rockin and rollin!

- Chad

05. Christmas Math

2007-01-05T21:32:00.000-05:00

3,000 Kilometers by Motorbike, Bus, Taxi, Car, Boat and Foot

+ 3 Great Travel Mates

+ 1 New Culture

+ The Indian Ocean

+ A Few Small Fish

+ A Few BIG Fish

All Spiced with old Portuguese influence!

= 1 Fantastic Christmas in Mozambique.

04. A Millionaire

2006-12-17T06:58:00.000-05:00

Today I met a millionaire. A millionaire who claims to be too poor to keep his 12 year-old daughter in school. How can this be true and who is this monster? Allow me to introduce to you, Mr. Nyambe Namasiku.

He may not fit your typical image of a rich man but I assure you, that in Zambia, he is indeed a millionaire. Mr. Namasiku is a resourceful jack of all trades; farming, fishing and carpentry are but of a few of his specialties, but his main business is cattle - and this where he has accumulated his fortune.

He has a nice heard of 80 traditional Barotse stock cattle - a breed that is well adapted to the trying environment of the flood plains in Western Zambia where I have been working with Engineers Without Borders for the past four months.

But is he really a Millionaire? A healthy cow in Zambia fetches CAD$ 300 on the local market, or roughly ZMK 1,000,000 (Zambian kwacha). His heard is then valued at 80 million kwacha or CAD$ 25,000... making him the richest man in his community.

But why would a millionaire pull his daughter out of grade six? Meet Mable.

Mable is not happy about it, but she understands that her father can no longer afford the fees and school supplies required. She knows that she needs to help on the farm to ensure their family is food secure next season. The sad thing is, is that Mable is not alone - only 20% of children in this area even register for grade 8.

While primary school in Zambia is technically free, costs do accumulate quickly and force a large percentage of students to drop out as they lack financial support. In 2004, in the western province, only 55% of children finished grade seven, 20% then entered grade eight, and then only half or 10% of those finished their grade twelve exams.

THE PROBLEM:

So, what's the problem? The solution simple right - sell a cow and keep Mable in school! Back in Saskatchewan, one of my closest friends paid his way through university by selling a couple of cows each semester, so why not let Mable do the same. Well... after starting to understand the cultural, social, and economic context of the area, I see that it's not so simple.

Cattle as a bank: For many vulnerable people living in developing countries, animals are the most effective form of savings and income smoothing. Since the "modern bank" is a two day walk from his village, this traditional banking system provides security for Mable's family. They will sell a cow when needed, but only in dire straits - to avoid starvation, to prepare a proper funeral, or to help out a family member in an equally tough situation. There are a lot of competing forces to sell-off animals but Mable's dad is disciplined. This is why he has not yet depleted his best asset like many of his neighbours. Since Mable has 7 siblings all of whom would like to attend school each year... his 80 cattle could dry-up rapidly if he was too quick to sell.

Access to Markets: When I was living in Toronto I could bike to Mountain Equipment Co-op in 20 minutes, or in Saskatoon I could order items online with overnight delivery. For Mr. Namasiku, market access is a bit more challenging. Next to the bank in Mongu (the biggest city in the province) you'll find Zambeef™ (the major cattle buyer in the country). Again like the bank, the problem is the four day walk to reach this buyer. Eight days (total trip) is a long time away from home where he's needs to fish and farm. Plus it's difficult to find food on the journey and he has no way of knowing the current buying price at Zambeef. The alternative is selling to the nomadic cattle buyers who wander village to village buying cattle and talking them to Mongu in bulk. The problem here is that through predatory pricing they will pay only half of what the cow is actually worth.

Animal Health: In these parts, there are no vets, no medicines, and essentially no health care or treatment for the animals. This results in extremely high calf mortality rates, worm infested bellies, stunted growth, oozing eyes and typically tough and unfit-to-eat meat; in other words, a complete nightmare to export or sell. The government of Zambia does a few "mass vaccinations" each year, but they are one-off programs that target only epidemics that pose an immediate threat to the national heard. When Mr. Namasiku finds a sick animal, he springs into action, meaning he walks two days, to visit the nearest government vet who most likely has an empty drug cabinet and certainly no transportation. By the time he returns home, perhaps empty handed, it's quite likely that 4 or 5 of his cattle have already died.

Prestige: To compound all of this, our old friend prestige adds a final blow. In absence of extremely large 4x4 trucks as in used in Alberta to denote status, holding a big heard of animals gives you tremendous respect and power in the community - hence adding another restraint to selling.

THE PROJECT:

Through EWB, I was placed with PROFIT, a four year, $USD 400,000 private sector development program. We're working in the livestock, agricultural input supply, export crops, tourism and forestry sectors.

Our goal in the livestock sector is to address the problems above. To improve the competitiveness of the cattle industry in Zambia. This is of course just an intermediary goal to increasing wealth and security to small scale cattle farmers for families like Mable's.

Our assumption is that poor animal health is the most foundational of the problems discussed above. If addressed and if market access is also improved (as we plan to do next year) the prestige issues should solve itself rather organically.

Our strategy is to use a private sector development approach to create an affordable preventative health care system for small-scale cattle farmers.

We are doing so by working with a private vet, who prepares a HHP (heard health plan) which he sells to farmers 12 months in advance. This plan includes all important vaccinations, treatments, mineral supplements, routine procedures, and even emergency visits to ensure healthy animals.

Then, once this health plan is ready to be marketed, we work with communities to gently introduce it to them as it is quite a foreign concept. Together we also explore options for payment to make it possible. This usually means selling 1 animal to ensure the health of 20 to which there is immediate resistance. But, when you start calculating that last year alone 30 animals in the village died from prevatable illnesses, and that had they sold those 30 they could have guaranteed the health of 600, some community leaders, or "early adopters" start championing the idea and organizing groups of farmers to buy into the heard health plan.

MABLE'S GOOD NEWS:

The good news for Mable is that her father is one of these enlightened community champions - far from a monster! He has gathered five of his friends with a total of 160 animals to put on the plan and hopes to stabilize his livelihood so Mable can get back to school.

We've got a lot of work ahead of us to help mediate the contract negotiations and then to oversee the service delivery. Finally we'll take on the challenge of measuring the true benefits to the community and compare those to our projections.

It is complicated but I believe things are looking on the up-and-up for Mable and her friends and there chances for finishing school!

I'll keep you posted on how things go. I have yet to set a plan that hasn't changed, or formed an opinion that hasn't been reformed since I've arrived in Zambia! If you have any questions or ideas, please post them. I've simplified the situation and our project, so if you want more info let's talk!

I hope you have a fantastic Christmas! I'll be missing home a bunch (really) but I'm sure my first Christmas in Africa will interesting!

Take Care,

- Chad

P.S. I also want to direct you to five cool websites:

http://www.windinggear.com
My good friend Davin has gone BIG with his new online movie.

http://tinyurl.com/yaaa4y
The Otesha Project is looking for it's 2007 bike tour team members.

http://tinyurl.com/ycwhas
Kofi Annan has said goodbye to the United Nations, read his final speech.

http://tinyurl.com/yblpxa
Think outta the box and buy someone a cool gift this year.

http://tinyurl.com/ygb2oe
All the pictures from this entry can be watched in a fancy slide show.

03. In Sunga Village

2006-10-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

"Chady, so you're telling me that even you, a white person, you can dream?"

"Sure Monde, of course I can dream!"

Yesterday the roosters woke me before my dreams had finished. I was in

Canada

, it was thanksgiving and I was preparing dinner with my family. When I told Monde about my dream he was surprised to hear that "even I can dreams" but he did understand that I am missing my friends and family in Canada. Still though, after two months Sunga village was starting to feel like home. My village has about 15 houses and is located right next to a swiftly flowing river - you can see my hut on the far left.

I'm living in a mud and pole house belonging to the village ‘Induna’ (area chief) who lives in a temporary shelter in the forest from August to April looking after cattle and farming. I live in his permanent house with his son Monde, whose company I enjoy very much. Monde helps me by showing me the way of life in the village and I help him with a bit of English tutoring - he's mostly interested in slang. He’s 22 and will be finishing his grade 12 this December. He has worked hard farming and fishing so he can graduate high school making him one of the most educated people in the village.

The recent elections injected some extra excitement into Sunga with campaigning parties moving school to school (they are the community meeting points). They arrive like a circus; set up their tents, give speeches, play drums, sing songs and finally give away party memorabilia then move on to the next. But they are not the only new visitors; I too have been stirring things up in the area.

Since I am the first white person who wants to live in a village in the area, accommodation was rather difficult to arrange. People here believe that westerners need to live in mansions in big cities with many servants. The idea that I could live in a "normal village" and eat "normal food" was very difficult for people to grasp. But after 42 days I'm finally living in the village so let me tell you how it came to be.

The Arrangement:

I started by trying to explain my vision to a teacher. After four somewhat painful visits he was starting to understand that I really wanted to live in the village; that I was looking for a nice family with a small house to plunge me into Zambian culture. On the fifth meeting he explained that I would have to ask the Induna (the area chief) for permission. So I told him that I'd come the following day to arrange the necessary meeting.

I returned the following day to find that the teacher had fallen ill and was at the hospital for treatment. The only person available was his wife (who doesn’t speak English) and at the time my Lozi (language) was at the level of a two year old. I tried to communicate that I would be away for three days, but I'd be back Friday and would like to meet the Induna.

I then spent three gruelling days in the field, on my motorbike visiting distant villages meeting with farmer’s and women's groups. On Friday afternoon, I returned exhausted and nearly drove past the village, forgetting momentarily my meeting with the Induna.

“Ohh but wait a minute, it looks like the MMD Party is holding a campaign event in the village!” There must be 100 people gathered under the tree. Well this should be interesting - while I wait for my meeting I can see what exactly goes on at one of these campaigns.

As I drive closer, I can tell that every single eye is fixed on me. This is quite normal though, a white person on a motorcycle is not a common sighting. Anyway as I approach, I feel as though I'm getting more attention that usual.... hmm I wonder where the politicians are. Oh it looks like they haven’t arrived yet and that the people are waiting for them.

I park my bike and pull of my helmet as the teacher rushes forward. "Ah Chady, we have been waiting for you!" Waiting for me? WHAT???? Oh NO! I thought... Confusion! There is no campaign, these 100 people have gathered for me!

Then he says “we have been waiting for your address!” I'm dirty, tired and not prepared, but 100 waiting people will give you a jolt of inspiration! I get down on one knee and clap 10 times to show respect and greet the group as best as I know how. "Mutozi Kawfela" (good afternoon to you all) I say. I pull out all the Lozi I know and the meeting continues.

I say “I’d like to live in one of your villages.” I explain that I want to stay in a normal house in a normal village so I can learn to speak, cook, and live truly Zambian. They applaud this and offer me a large piece of land by a private lake where I can build my estate... hmmm they don’t quite get it! It takes me 30 minutes to explain and negotiate but finally they understand what I'm looking for. Three days later, I'm sharing a house with Monde, paying k50,000 ($15) per month as rent and enjoying life in Sunga village.

Picture Tour:

To give you a better sense of my personal life, I’ve put together a quick day-to-day play-by-play picture tour of my life in Sunga Village.

6:00AM – Wake: Oh the roosters do a very fine job of waking me up on time. This is a picture of my roof as I see it each morning when I first wake. The grass is laid well and even the heaviest rains cannot enter!

6:15AM - Run: Time to run! I run to town and back each morning which takes about 20 minutes. My young friend Biemba often joins me and even though he doesn’t have shoes he keeps up without breaking a sweat!

6:35AM – Bath: I’m bathing in the river each day. Without running first it is quite a mental battle as it can be cold in the morning. After a good run though, I grab a bar of soap and dive into to our little harbour to get nice and clean!

6:50AM – Cook: I’m cooking on a small fire just in front of the house. You can find good firewood within a 15-30 minute walk. If I head out alone I usually end up with a pack of kids helping me. Breakfast is rice everyday with a bit of salt or sugar. Since this area is a floodplain the rice grows well. De-husking is no easy job though.

7:30AM – Walk: To get to work I have to walk for about 30 minutes and then cross the river into town. I cross either by a canoe (25 cents) or by foot (free) if the water level is low enough and if there are no crocodiles around.

8:00AM – Work: I arrive at our office! I spend four days in a week “in the field” and one day “in the office.” The field work is with cattle farmers and women’s groups (as seen in the picture) while the office work is meeting and planning with the PROFIT team. My next posting will talk about what exactly we’re trying to achieve.

6:00PM – Home: I race home to hopeful beat the sun which sets at 6:30PM. It’s a pain cooking in the dark, but I now have a small oil lamp which helps quite a bit.

7:00PM – Cook: Monde and I will cook dinner together on the fire. We usually have nshima and vegetables, and we will add meat (chicken or fish) once a week. The maize is now starting to grow so in a few months we will have fresh food right form our backyard!

8:00PM – Work Out: It’s time for a quick workout. I accidentally opened the first ever fitness facility in Sunga. To fight off ultimate skinniness, I learned some local building techniques, gather some logs, and built a small training apparatus that I use for chin-ups and dips. In the mid-day sun, it sits empty, but other than that, there is always somebody coming over for a quick session!

9:00PM – Study: last week I officially completed my grade 2 Lozi! Thank you, thank you! A favourite past time of oh... I’d say 15 people, is to gather around me while I’ll practice Lozi from my elementary school books. I’ll be starting grade three this week so wish me luck!

10:00PM – Read: Each day I try and get in a bit of reading, but I’m usually too tired from the day to read more than three pages. And Sleep……….

The Benefits:

I’ve had a few people ask me “Chad what’s the point? Why are you living on 2 dollars a day and staying in a house with no electricity, no running water and not eating a balanced diet? Why are you doing this when you could find a nice modern place in town and enjoy the same comforts as you would in Canada?” Well my friends it’s called “integration” and the payoffs are big and the small loss of productivity is well worth it.

Respect – Ultimately it comes down to respect. I respect the people whom I’m working for and their way of life. I am no better than any of them; my basic needs are identical and are being met in full. I want to learn Lozi language, be a part of Lozi culture, and understand Lozi jokes. The goal is not to live on 2 dollars a day; that is simply a means to a more important goal of increased learning and improved relationships.

Big Lessons – I’m here to help improve business/livelihood opportunities for rural people living in poverty. For me to design and implement a program that achieves this, I need a good understanding of what life here is all about. There are huge lessons that can only be learned in the village.

As an example, during my training with EWB, we discussed how in Canada we usually look at an individual when assessing someone's assets and needs. But in rural areas of Zambia, it is much less individualistic and therefore a household is a much better unit of study. After two months living in the village I disagree. I would go even one step further and propose that you’d have to consider the whole village. In the villages I'm in, assets (tools, land, animals) can be shared by many households. It is not always clear who belongs to which household or what belongs to whom but the entire collection of people and assets create a self providing unit. This implicates our project design and I would not have learned living in town.

Stereotypes – One other benefit is the chance it has given me to break down stereotypes of us westerners. From generally proving that a westerner can live in a village house and eat village nshima, to specifically helping Monde realize that I too can dream… he concluded our talk by saying "Ahhh, Chady then maybe it is true that we are just the same.”

One good thing about life in the village… It’s fun!

Before I left for Zambia, a good friend of mine said “Chad, you won’t be able to do the same things you do in Canada, but you must find ways to be and express your true self while integrating in Zambia.” I feel like I’m well on my way to figuring out and being Chad in Zambia.

I hope you’re all happy and healthy and enjoying the coming of winter! I’ve heard rumours of snow! BRRRRRRRRRR! If any one wants to borrow my snowboard, please do, the farmer's almanac predicts 'no snow' this Christmas in Sunga village!

Thanks for reading and especially for leaving comments!

- Chad

P.S. Next time I’m going to send out videos!

SEE THE PICTURES IN A SLIDESHOW HERE:
http://tinyurl.com/ykapsg

02. Like A Lion

2006-09-03T03:59:00.000-04:00

"When charged by a lion do NOT run. Stand your ground and stare it in the eyes" - Wild Animal Survival Guide.

Easier said than done...

It's 5AM. I'm sleeping in a tent alone. I'm roused from my sleep by a deep gentle growl. Is that a hyena? Maybe a lion? Ahhh a cheetah? No, just a dream? Yes, probably just a dream. "Rooooooooooaaaaaaaaaar" Nope, definitely a Lion.

Once you've heard a lion roar, you'll never forget the sound - it resonates within. It creates a strange desire for you to see the lion with your own eyes - we grab a flashlight.

Four of us are huddled around the light, crouching within 20 meters of Lady Liuwa, a lioness in heat, who is in the prime of her life - thrilling. She's quite peaceful, lying in the grass under a tree, her eyes fixed, obviously as intrigued of us as we are of her.

Dexter, a local of Liuwa Plains, is operating the flashlight. I feel safe standing next to him; he lives here and interacts with all sorts of dangerous animals. The Lioness' eyes glow from the light. Suddenly, with great agility, she leaps up on all fours! Someone gasps and scrambles away! The three of us are left stunned. Fight, flight or freeze? No time to think. The 'you don’t have to outrun the lion, you just have to outrun your friends' mentality kicks in and the three of us bolt for safety. I am sure it is the fastest I have ever moved!

You're probably thinking, what am I doing playing with lions? You thought I was coming to Zambia to work with people. To find ways to improve their quality of life and create new opportunities for more secure and sufficient livelihoods.

Well that is the goal, but to gain sufficient understanding to improve a complicated situation you have to be patient. You have to sit listen and learn from local people. And you have to make sure not make any quick or potentially dangerous decisions.

In reality, the lion was just curious about us and wanted to get a better look. Our reaction was the worst thing we could have done. Flight is her queue to attack. Had we known this, we would have stood our ground and been safe, instead we ran.

Similarly it's important that we take ample time to intimately understand life in the Liuwa Plain before designing and executing our intervention. This is serious business - people's lives, people's incomes, people's trust and goals. I've started learning that the area presents a very unique situation.

Liuwa Plains

Kalabo is a small remote town located just across a river, from Liuwa Plains National Park.

Travelling here from Lusaka (the capital) is no easy task as it involves either crossing a massive flood plain on a nasty road (in the dry season) or by travelling 80kms by boat (in the wet season).

The National Park is one of the only Wild Game Parks in the world where people and animals live together. Conservationists usually say that human are too big of a risk to the animals and vice versa. But in this case, the Lozi People have been here for thousands of years and are here to stay.

The folk tales say that the Lozi were sent by the Paramount Chief (the Litunga) to watch over the animals to create a protected hunting ground for the Chief. This Litunga leads the traditional government system called the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) which is still in place today. They work together with the modern national government to manage the Western Province of Zambia.

Because of the power and autonomy of the BRE, the western province has been neglected by the national government in terms of services, resources and programmes. The Lozi people are probably the most traditional and different people in all of Zambia. Part of why may also be because during the British colonial days, the Lozi Tribe maintained higher levels of independence than any other tribe in Zambia. There exist, therefore today, less residual influence. But this is not the only reason why things are different here; the geography presents some unique resources and challenges. Let me explain.

Flood Plains

Each year, during the rainy season, the mighty Zambezi River's banks swell and dump millions of litres of water into this vast plain. It is around this flooding cycle (up to 3 feet in some areas) that the Lozi people plan their lives and livelihoods.

The main income generating activities are fishing, farming, livestock and some crafts. While it is remote and people's incomes are limited, entrepreneurs are not hard to find, even in the middle of empty field - people are very resourceful.

During certain months, fishing is the main source of food and income. As the river floods the plains, large fish stocks escape from the currents and take refuge in the shallow flood plain waters. As the hot sun evaporates the water and the land begins to dry, large ponds are left plump with bubblefish and tigerfish. As the ponds continue to shrink, the fish become more and more populous. Fishing in these ponds is done with nets and spears while fish are usually pulled from the river with nets and lines from canoes.

Livestock, mainly cattle, are an important part of many people's livelihoods. The traditional breed takes a very long time to mature (8 years until large enough for market) and are therefore kept mainly as status and insurance. When an emergency hits you can sell a cow to absorb the shock or slaughter and eat one in times of drought.

Farming in a flood plain is very different than farming in most other parts in Zambia. While maize is the national crop the bins here are not full. In fact I haven't seen much maize at all. The sandy soil and the flooding combine to make maize more difficult to grow. Regardless, you'll see clever farmers growing cassava (seeing below) maize, sweet potatoes, and even rice.

Baskets and mats are a favourite crafts of women in the area. The materials can be found locally and finished mats are often seen floating down the river enroute to the market in Mongu, a larger town 80km away. One woman told me that she's proud to make mats, as "the work is easy and profitable."

Community Meeting

Last week, we held our first community meeting in a village called Salunda. We were greeted with drums and songs and a fine group of 60 proud farmers and villagers awaited us. Our trip on motorcycles was gruelling through the thick sand and we arrived exhausted and dirty.

Although my fatigue and hunger challenged my concentrating, we persevered and had a great introductory meeting with the community. They were very happy to hear from us and we were happy to hear from them. The community spoke of the projects they were currently undertaking to improve their villages. From building rural health centres, to running a hammer mill, to repairing the shallow well, to promoting health and nutrition to farmers - they were moving.

The meeting was great - definitely an active and organized community. At the end of the meeting I asked a particularly old farmer "Muzwakai sha" which means where are you from, sir. He point to the east. I asked how far and he said "not far." I asked how long it took him to walk and he said "maybe three hours." THREE HOURS WALKING! Each way! And I was feeling hungry and tired from my small journey. He made no complaints. Two things became clear (1) was that transportation is no easy game here and (2) I really need to toughen up.

During the dry season in the plains, the sand is very fine and deep and can swallow up anything trying to move quickly. Local people move around on foot or with oxen. The oxen pull either carts or sleds, depending on the load, the distance and the owner.

For the villages that are close to the river boats and rafts are often used for transportation.

But people have to be very careful in and around the river since there are both crocodiles and hippos lurking. I still haven't seen a hippo completely out of the water, so I can't answer the ultimate question of "how big a hippo really is" but take a look at the picture of this young hip bull! That's one mean looking dude.

How is the project?

The first step is to really understand the situation and context. People here have a good understanding of their complex and diverse livelihoods and it is from this knowledge and their goals that we'll set a good plan to move forward. It looks like we may be working with cattle, farming, tourism, and a micro finance project, but again it's too early to say anything for certain. For the first while we really just need to shut up and listen and learn!

How am I?

I am healthy, happy and feeling great. I haven't been sick and I am surrounded by good company. I'm still getting settled so I'll write all about my living arrangements and personal life in the next update!

What makes me very happy is that I haven't met a single Zambian who talks of dreams of going to Canada. Zambians want to stay in Zambia and invest in their country. This is different than other places I've been and makes me very happy.

I've got to run now; I'm meeting my Lozi teacher Mr. Muyeye in 20 minutes for a lesson! If you'd like to learn a bit too, try greeting someone today by saying "muzuhile hande" which means good morning and is pronounced just how it's spelled.

I hope you found this interesting! Thanks for tuning in and please leave comments if you want me to write about specific things!

Take Care,

- Chad

PS. My Cell phone number is +260 99 787 167 if you'd like to call! Click on the "local time link" on the right of my blog to make sure you call at a good time!

PPS. I've also posted a link for a great Zambian song by a kick-ass artist named Chasaya if you'd like to sample some Zambian tunes. I'd recomend Tizaonana. Click HERE

See these pictures in a slideshow here:
http://tinyurl.com/ynfo4y

01. The Beginning

2006-08-10T13:10:00.000-04:00

For the past five years, I've dreamt of living and working in Africa. To secure my place fighting the biggest and most unacceptable injustice in the world, extreme poverty. To live with, to learn from, and to love a new place and a new people.

Today I sit in a Boeing 747 at 37,000 feet crossing the Atlantic Ocean approaching Zambia, and while the lasgna is foul, I consider anybody in my spot to be very lucky! Tomorrow I start my first day of a one volunteer placement with Engineers Without Borders in Kalabo, Zambia. I've been through intense training and it's finally time to get on the ground.

If you would like to be emailed every time I update my blog, send me a quick note and I'll make that happens. Also, check out some of the links to the right - you can find out the current time and weather where I'm staying.

People keep asking my why I want to live in Zambia? Isn't it the 11th lowest country on the human development index (HDI) rating in the world? Isn't the life expectancy only 37 years old? Doesn't drought, disease and famine ravage the country side?

Well yes, these may be true, but I'm sure there is much much more to it. I expect I'll be welcomed into a hardworking, intelligent and vibrant culture. I expect that people here will teach me profound lessons that are scant in the western world. I have so many questions and I believe that positive change is possible.

To learn more about Zambia click here.

But how can it change and how can I contribute? What is life really like in Zambia? What do people do for fun? How do people cope with poverty? What is poverty? How big is a hippopotamus? How do you say the word "opportunity" in Lozi? (the local language in my area) How can we help?

Hopefully I’ll find answers to some of these questions while living in my new home called Kalabo which I’ll write about in a few weeks.

Thanks for your support and have a fantastic August! I’ll send my new address and phone number as soon as I find a home.

- Chad