A guided tour through the bush

 

One of my joys is to wander in the bush around Monze. I just like to wander along the narrow paths and see where they lead me! I might take a book with me, but I always have my binoculars and usually a camera..

On this occasion I had sat down on a fallen tree trunk and looked forward to relaxing with my book when these three lads appeared.

One took my binoculars and wondered how he could take a picture with them. I explained what they were and showed him how you could see distant objects. I then told the boys that I did have a camera to take pictures - “you snap me”. So I snapped them.

One boy took my binoculars, another my camera and I was led further into the bush.

My new friends spent the next two hours showing me around their village.

Costern my new cameraman insisted that his friends and neighbours came out of their homes to greet me and pose for photos.

This was one of so many experiences that I have had in Zambia which wouldn't have been possible without a local 'guide' stepping up and showing me around. 

This was a marvellous and memorable experience early during my visits to Zambia and Costern's

pictures allow me to recall that wonderful day.

My memorable tour ended with a visit to Chief Monze's Palace. Not perhaps palatial by our standards, but I considered it a great honour. I was led to a chair with an awning over it.

I wasn't aware of the protocol and, when a man appeared, I got up to greet him. He told me that he wasn't the chief, but just one of the villagers. He asked me where I was from and I said England, he said “what part of England” . When I told him that I was from Cheltenham he said that he was familiar with the area. His son went to Hartpury College in Gloucestershire and he had visited.

This was another lesson for me! I hadn't expected to come across someone during a walk in the bush who was perhaps more familiar with my part of the world than I was with theirs.

The chief did appear and we were introduced. Chief Monze is, as you might imagine, an important person in this area and one of the major chiefs of the Tonga people.

 

 Chiefs and headmen are important in Zambia and fulfil important roles in relation to disputes and the distribution of land. 

 

 

 

 

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 Chris Barrell 

John's Well

If you live a little way from the town in Monze a well provides a reliable water source for growing crops and drinking.

John told me that all he needed to dig his well was a pickaxe and a shovel. I was a little sceptical, but a friend offered to fund the project (about £15 if I remember correctly).

After a week or so J appeared again! He had dug down about 6 foot. Now at this depth you hit an issue – getting out of the hole.

There is however a solution. You need a windlass, which is a device with a wheel and handle. If you think of the top of a mine you will get the idea.You pass a rope over this wheel and attach a bucket. The bucket is used to take the soil to the surface. Oh, and to lower and raise J so he can continue digging!

It just happened that this was not my first well digging project and Jennipher had a windlass that John could use. So sorted!

The windlass is hand operated, so now we needed someone to operate it. John had a friend who was willing to do this work. He would just need to be fed.

So onwards and upwards – or more accurately dowmwards!!

All went well (no pun intended) for a while. Then John came to me to say he was worried, he had dug down to 50 or 60 feet. During this time the equipment had been well tested and the rope was showing it! John said that it was fraying and he was worried.

At this point I began to wonder whether I should be involved! Anyway we obtained a new rope and John continued to dig.

Eventually John hit water. The test is that when you are lowered (perhaps 100 feet) into the hole you bail out enough water to fill two large barrels. At this point you can stop digging and you have your well.

However we now have a very deep hole. It is towards the end of the dry season, but the sides could still fall in – when the rains arrive the well will be in trouble!

The solution is to line the well with concrete rings or bricks. We decided therefore to buy 2,000 bricks to line the well – oh and a bit of sand and cement to make the mortar.

Before John's well I had a very bad experience when a little girl fell down a well. It was very important therefore that John's well was capped.

The usual way of getting water is by dropping a bucket into the water. However this allows the water to become contaminated. Each year in Monze they have a show which gives various organisations to exhibit their products. Many years ago I was impressed by a “rope pump”. This goes over a well and produces a sealed system which prevents contamination.

I decided to get John a rope pump to complete his project.

The moral of this tale is that when someone tells you they only need a pick-axe and a shovel to build a well be wary.

Schedule of items for building a well:

pick

shovel

windlass

rope

bucket

food for man 2

second rope

2,000 bricks

sand

cement

pump

The well was built just before John decided to move. I never found out what happened to the pump! Unfortunately I haven't got a picture of the well so this is a different well!

Please help us complete the science block at PIZZ School  PIZZ Science Lab 

 

Chris

 

 

Around Monze

When in Monze I choose to walk. This allows me to take in everything around me and to meet the local people. I attend church at Our Lady of the Wayside which is about 1 ½ miles along the Livingstone Road.

Returning into town I sometimes use the railway line – in Zambia this is treated as a footpath!! The area around Monze is flat. When walking outside the town I can usually see the water tower and the mobile phone towers giving me confidence that I can find my way home.

I meet animals along the main road as well as the side dust roads. Donkeys, as well as oxen, are used to pull carts. This one shows a clear cross - sometimes claimed to be a sign that a donkey carried Jesus on its back.

One of my favourite places is a small lake a couple of miles to the west of Monze. I enjoy sitting and observing all the activity. There is a good range of birds – pied kingfishers which hover before diving for fish, african jacanas which dive in and out of the light scrub, there are wide-billed storks which look prehistoric, plenty of cattle egrets and the occasional snake eagle which can stop still and hold their position using the wind.

Cattle and goats come to drink, sometimes brought by local children.

Children often come to see what I am doing. They take my binoculars and hand them around, but they are always handed back when they have finished looking through them.

In recent years the lake has become virtually dry before the fresh rains arrive.

Looking through some of my many pictures from Zambia helps me recall events, that because of my aphantasia might not come to mind. There are many special memories.

It is quite difficult to know how to relate some of the stories. My friends in Zambia are generally very poor. There challenges are big and some are no longer with us.

The photo below shows me with John. This was in fact the first ever photo that my friend Diven took. (Diven wants to help me write his book – we have had a lot of adventures over the years!)

It was 2006 and I was doing some work at the hospital (At this time I had a work permit – another story!). I had collected a number of computers with issues! I think I sorted some of them!

John lived not far from the lake and wanted a well.

Chris

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A Fishing Village

I remember coming across the African Toyota Ox-cart on a dusty road leaving Monze. I was being driven by Fr. Kenan - a priest friend of mine.

Just a little way further along the road we came across these young boys herding cattle. It is very unlikely that these children went to school. Their families will have owned cattle for generations. The cattle provide their employment and income.

So where are we heading?

This is Lochinvar. It is about 35km from Monze. Lochinvar is known as a National Park where there are antelopes such as Impala and the local Lechwe – there are also Buffalo, Zebra and other animals that pass through – and beware of hippos and crocodiles! It is well known for its abundance of birds. I remember seeing a Secretary Bird which walks in a very haughty fashion as well as a Maribou Stork, Fish Eagle, Hornbills, Vultures and many more beautiful birds.

But we weren't here on safari!

These boys are part of a fishing community. The families live in these straw huts while they fish the Kafue river.

When the rains arrive each year this area is flooded and the straw huts are all washed away!! 

I had come to Lochinvar to join the fishing community in the celebration of mass.

During the dry season access to the church is by car, but during the rainy season you need to find a canoe! The fishing community have permanent houses which are much further from the river however these house as well as the church need to be on ground that has been built up above the level of the flood water. Sunday mass is an occasional rather than a weekly occurrence because of the remoteness of the village.

I have been very fortunate to have had so many wonderful experiences in Zambia over the past 20+ years. The photos I took allow me to remember these events, despite my Aphantasia.

I will share some more stories if you are interested.

Chris

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Stories from Zambia

Stories from Zambia

Last year I realised that I have a condition called Aphantasia. This means that I cannot picture anything or anyone in my mind. I am realising that this has a significant impact. In particular I have a very limited recollection of many of the events in my life.

I have been reflecting on the past 23 years since I first went to Zambia. Because of Aphantasia I realise I need some help to remember. I am therefore going through the hundreds of photos I have taken (I wish that I had taken more!). These trigger my memory. I have shared my memories on Facebook, but have also decided to record them here.

 

I will admit from the outset that I am also trying to promote my charity Transformation ThroughEducation www.transformationthrougheducation.org.uk which currently has a crisis! We need to raise £30,000 to complete the building of a Science Laboratory for PIZZ school by the end of this year or the project could be put in doubt.

Somehow I need to reach out to people who can help us secure the future of the children of Monze, Zambia. Lifting them and there families out of poverty is a lasting legacy for those that help this project succeed. A legacy that will continue through genrations to come.

@transformationthrougheducation.orh.uk

 

Isn't Technology wonderful!

This afternoon I had a video call with my son Andy using WhatsApp.

I took him for a tour along the main road and behind some of the shops. Scenes familiar to me were less usual for him. At first he didn't recognise the wheelbarrows. Here wheelbarrows take many shapes and sizes depending on what goods are to be carried. In the UK they are used in gardens and are generally the same shape.

Lorries are longer here, often including a trailer, Bicycles in the uk are for one person with a helmet, there are not usually makeshift stalls at the side of the road and trucks are not usually filled with people.

Let's just say that Andy was able to get a good picture of life here – one that, without the technology, would not have been possible.

I have offered friends and family the offer of a video call. Obviously this can't be an entirely open invitation, but for friends reading this blog please get in touch if you would like a tour!

Of course another thing that technology can offer is a very simple way to donate money for a bag of cement to complete the foundations of the Science Lab at PIZZ school. All you need to do is click the link below.

https://checkout.justgiving.com/

Thanks,

Chris

 

We have Power!

 

At least the sun is shining. In fact it is still unusual to see any clouds here.

The power came back just long enough for me to boil water for my second cup of tea, but not long enough to reboil water for my flask. Still the water is now warm enough for a cup of coffee or two.

The internet came back – still no power!

I sat down in the garden at Truckers. It is relaxing with a variety of trees planted as well as a variety of birds – though I saw only saw Pied Crows and House Sparrows this morning. Unless you count the chickens.

Now we have power and possibly internet as well.

These and many other difficulties face everyone here. Teaching under these conditions also has its challenges.

Today is to try to publicise Transformation through education and raise funds for the school. You can find out about our 50 day challenge here.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/buildingasciencelab

Chris