This is another bright chitenge shirt made by Ireen.
Chitenge material has a variety of uses. The most common is as a covering ladies use to protect their dresses. The material is just wrapped around their dress and tied . When ladies gather they usually sit on the floor which is a dusty soil for most of the year. The chitenge can be easily washed while leaving the dress clean.
Chitenges are also used to carry babies. The babies are held close to the mother in the sling made by the chitenge. It is very easy to swing the baby to the front for feeding. It is lovely to see mothers carrying their babies in this way.
Finding suitable accommodation in Monze has been a bit of a challenge. Thankfully I have a number of friends in the town who will search for me. I need somewhere that is furnished, I want to be able to cater for myself and to have space to welcome friends for coffee or a meal. I also like to be close the town centre so that it is easy to pop out to the market and local shops where I often meet friends that I have made over the past 20 years.
Recently I have been staying at “Truckers”. This meets all my needs. The drive leads to the main road on the northern edge of town - about 15 minutes from the market.
In this picture I have a chitenge hanging behind me on the wall – yet another use! This elephant chitenge was a present for my wife from my landlady at Truckers - giving presents is an important part of the Zambian culture.
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Chris
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