Tuesday 26th
November
Power came just after 10 pm on Sunday night – sort off!! It wasn't
very powerful power!! In fact it was only strong enough to illuminate
a few lights – others failed to come on. The same was the case
throughout the Curia (and probably all that part of town with
electricity.) The sockets seemed to be inactive – so no tea!!
BECOMING GREENER
Monday morning I had a visitor at just after 7 am. He was a guy
called Kelvin who had apparently asked me some years ago, when I was
staying at Homecraft, whether I had contacts who could give him a
job. I am sure that I will have disappointed me then. Some people
think that I might work with an NGO (Non Governmental Organisation)
operating in Zambia. Kelvin told me that he has social work
qualifications, but has yet to find a job that uses these
qualifications. In Monze there is little scope – especially at the
moment. He is currently working in the laundry at Monze Mission
Hospital as a General worker. His wife is studying to be a teacher,
but needs to find 350 ZMW (£20) or she will not be allowed to take
the exams at the end of the year. I don't usually provide support
unless I know a person reasonably well, however he had obviously gone
to some length to seek me out and no doubt needed courage – another
alternative Christmas present!!
I had nothing planned for the rest of the day. I have no formal role
in Zambia any more. I could come for a holiday! However, I feel
guilty if I am not busy – and you will see from my blog that most
of the time I am pretty active and rarely alone! However, we cannot
make positive decisions without periods of quiet contemplation. There
is a tremendous amount to think about here in Monze – especially
when so many are hungry.
I sat under the veranda and did a little bird watching. There were a
couple of starlings in the garden. If the light catches European
Starlings they are beautiful birds. However in Africa the starlings
are painted in metallic greens or blues. This couple were iridescent
green – spectacular birds! I saw a Village Weaver or two. A couple
of black birds with spectacular yellow gapes were doing a courting
dance. Large yellow dragonflies are very common this year. I walked
around the garden and took a few photos.
A REAL MANGO
“Power” returned at about 16hrs. It was a little stronger. I
found that I could eventually boil a kettle full of water and made a
cup of tea. It was not possible, however, to use the cooker. So
another cold salad was the order of the day. At least the laptop and
the phone were recharged.
After an hour or two the power left again! By 23 hrs I decided to
turn in for the night feeling a little drained despite such a quiet
day.
I woke around 7 hrs and was astonished to find we had power! Not
since I arrived in Monze has the power been present in the morning.
It wasn't full power, but surprisingly after some time I was able to
boil the kettle and make some tea. Suddenly life was great!!
I realised however that the power being low meant that my fridge
hadn't been operating for two days, I bought some meat a few days
ago. Some sausages have been in the fridge section and some 'steak on
the bone' in the freezer section. The vegetables etc. I am not so
worried about.
However, I headed for a meeting with Mrs. Sianga with renewed vigour.
I was enjoying the walk, the hallos and children waving and greeting
as I passed. Unusually I had to wait for a train at the level
crossing. A little further on a group of school children gave me high
fives all ten of them!!
I met Mr Sianga along the road and he told me that his wife was
waiting for me.
We talked for about 4 hours!! Last time I came a friend gave me a
donation to give to the school. I agreed with Mrs. Sianga that this
should be used as an emergency fund were money is needed immediately
– and that she should then try to get it reimbursed from Hands
Around the World. There are many occasions when money is suddenly
needed. The Education Department often institutes fees which need to
be paid w ithin days or severe penalties are incurred. PIZZ School
has not had funds available in the past but for the past few months
these demands can be met. In the end this saves money for the charity
as well. Unfortunately the photocopying machine is not working. It
should have been replaced before the exams were imminent. The cost of
a new machine would not have cost much more than has had to have been
spent on photocopying outside. Everything is made worse by the lack
of power. There is much demand for photocopying for school exams and
the providers need a generator!
The current situation brings huge challenges. The lack of electicity
also means a lack of water – so drums of water need to be fetched
to Mrs. Sianga's offices and the pre-school to use in the toilets.
Maize which was bought for the children's food needs to be ground.
The nearby grinding mill needs electricity, so a more distant machine
is used which runs on solar. All these operations add to the cost.
Agnes and her mother came to see us. Agnes is a girl I have seen over
the years. She is one of the children who have a UK sponsor. Recently
while she was staying with her uncle in Kafue – between Monze and
Lusaka – she became pregnant. She is only fourteen. She says the
boy came from the Copperbelt and she knows little more. Mrs. Sianga
would follow this up with the police, but there is nothing to go on.
Life in Zambia is very complicated and I don't try to make sense of
much of it. Poverty makes life very difficult. I am sure for many
there is little hope in their lives. They would like to have nice
clothes, good food – and water at their house and electricity is a
dream! Anyway I am sure there are lots of temptations for a young
girl. In any case we have a situation with a young girl who will soon
become a mother. Mrs. Sianga and Killian were concerned about the
sponsor and their reaction if the girl was to transfer to Kafue as
she would like. My response was that they should do whatever is best
for Agnes and her child. Sponsors need to understand some of the
realities of life in Zambia. There are many reasons why a child will
move from a school and relocate. Sometimes parents or guardians die
and they move to be with other relatives. Families break up for other
reasons. Life is complicated everywhere, but here the children at
PIZZ School live in the most fragile of circumstances.
I am writing this blog with minimal power. Sometimes the laptop
detects a little power – at other times it doesn't. I started with
no battery power and have hovered around 10 – 15% for the past half
hour or so. The power is nowhere near enough to boil water, run the
fridge or more to the point to pump water into the tank which
supplies the Curia and my house. Water ran out at tea time!!
Fortunately a tap outside is lower and I realised that I could fill
bottles and a large bowl. This should keep me going for a couple of
days if necessary. I just have to implement a few severe water
management rules!!
MY HOUSE FROM THE GARDEN
Mrs. Sianga received a call this morning from a nephew. So many
tragic incidents, but the loss of three members of the family like
this is horrific. Mrs. Sianga told me that a niece of hers died in
childbirth a few months ago leaving six children. She is worried that
the baby who survived will not live long. The environment into which
she has been born will make it very difficult to survive. Where there
are relatives who can look after the child the prospects can be OK,
but it seems in this case the grandmother is very old and lives in a
very rural area. I have been privileged to have been able to support
some such babies with a supply of dried milk for a few months and the
children have done well with their adopted parents – in a couple of
cases that is Jennipher!
There are always huge challenges providing for the developing
community of PIZZ School and its Alumni! As the school has developed
and thrived, its success brings more challenges. The school was
established by Mrs. Sianga primarily to keep the children from going
on the streets. The problem is that with little industry and work
opportunities in Monze, children who complete grade 9 without
progressing to secondary school or some other form of training are
likely to do just that – end up on the streets. In my former role
as Project Co-ordinator I fought hard to support at least those that
had managed to pass their grade 9 exams to move on to secondary
schools. Further success at secondary school has equipped children
with grade 12 certificates. Perhaps in Lusaka this might get them a
reasonable position, but in Monze many will again be left with
nowhere to go. In the UK moving into higher education is looked on
as a right if the grades are reached. Though admittedly a student now
has to accept a lifetime of debt as a result!! In Zambia the costs
are beyond most and certainly beyond any who attend PIZZ School. I
wonder whether a group of professionals could be persuaded to band
together and provide a fund to give the opportunity they had to those
in Zambia less fortunate. Zambia desperately needs more good
professional people, doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers,
computer specialists etc. We cannot just say that the challenge is
too great – rather let us see how we can give these children and
through them the wider community a much better future.
Returning from my meeting I called into Diven's house. He was saying
that he didn't believe that he would ever make his business pay in
its current position. He told me that he can sit in his hop all day
and receive only 10 Kwatcha (55p) or 20 Kwatcha (£1.10) This is only
enough for food, but not enough to renew his stock. He usually goes
to the market and can make perhaps 50 Kwacha. As always there is a
lot to ponder. I am very glad that I decided to come at this time. I
am learning a lot. The reality of climate change and its very wide
ranging effects can be seen here in Monze now! The whole economy is
devastated. The farmers have no crop, they are hungry! They have no
money! The marketeers of Monze (almost everyone who isn't a farmer!)
have no customers, they have no money and food prices are higher –
they are hungry! The businesses cannot operate because they need
power which only comes on for an hour or two during the day. Butchers
that have no generator are closed!
At least I don't think I am doing any harm. I am spending a little
money with the marketeers and putting a little more into the economy
here and there. I have no illusions that I am making any real
difference. I hope that the fact that I care means something.
With my love and prayers,
Chris
