Child Labour, Laughter and Singing

Tuesday 7th December

You can almost see the grass grow in Monze at the moment! The rain is now coming regularly in showers and – especially at night in longer spells. People were wearing coats today! However,I am still comfortable in shirt sleeves. We have had clouds now for several days, with relatively little sun. Every time I look outside, the grass is higher and less of the sandy soil is visible. The transformation of Zambia at this time is wonderful, every bit as much as our Spring – but much quicker and more dramatic.

At lunchtime I bought some eggs of a young boy. It is difficult to know what is best. Boys of 10 or 11 – some much younger – shouldn't be selling goods on the streets, they should be at school. However for many if they didn't help earn money for the family – they and those who rely on them would go hungry. Some will even be looking after sick parents. Of course this shouldn't be necessary, but until we are prepared to share more of our wealth with the poorest the situation won't change. Until then I will have to decide whether to put a few kwacha in the children's pockets or tell them that they should be in school!

Yesterday evening I went to the market for a few items. It is a while since I visited my friend who has a prime corner spot as you enter the covered market. As well as onions and tomatoes, I can rely on her for herbs and spices. I usually get a supply of curry powder, paprika and piri piri (chilli) from her. She also sells “village garlic” which is very powerful and yesterday she had some fresh root ginger. It was beginning to sprout so she told me to plant it! While at her stall another friend from St. Veronica's – also a marketeer - came up to me and said I should buy some mushrooms from her – she was just fetching them!

I visited a couple of other stalls picking up among other vegetables a cabbage. My biggest problem with cabbages is finding one that is small enough! I have only just over a week to eat it!! I found one that is only 5 – 6 inches in diameter – these cabbages have a very firmly packed heart so it probably weighs about 1 kg (2lbs) and cost 1,500 kwacha (20p). I found my friend back at her stall and I bought three mushrooms from her for 5,000 kwacha (60p) – but since the smallest was about 6 inches (15cm) in diameter, I had enough for two substantial meals!

This evening for supper I had garlic mushrooms with Kapenta (very small fish - sold dried) fried with pounded groundnuts and rice.

I have continued to read “chasing joy” and I am enjoying it. Edward Hays seems to be my kind of priest. He moved from the theme of laughter to that of singing – he suggests that we should sing regularly unaccompanied and on our own. However, he claims that the church is a place were people are always solemn and even miserable, where there isn't spontaneous laughter, lots of smiling or joyful singing. He hasn't visited Zambia!! I might try to contact him and put him right! I suspect however that he is reflecting what he sees in the US and unfortunately is also very much true in the UK. It is a shame that Christian churches can seem to be joyless places, when the God that I know is in the smiling faces and laughter I see all around me here. And yes it is common to come across people in the streets of Monze singing (solo) as they make their cheerful way about town.

This evening I called to the chapel for mass. The bishop celebrated the mass for our congregation of about 10 people. At the cathedral I don't think I have known him celebrate daily mass. He is usually present but takes a back seat and allows one of the other priests to be the principle celebrant. He occasionally visits the outlying churches and celebrates mass for those congregation – as he did this evening.

As I left the hospital I met Jennipher heading my way. She had said that she would call around earlier, but was detained at a meeting and would have gone straight home had our paths not crossed. She was visiting a client in hospital. He works as a security guard and last night some people came to rob the place he was guarding. He went to investigate and was shot in the neck. Although such instances are not common, there are occasional instances of shooting in this area. The patient had been looking after his mother who is largely bedridden, though today she was trying to tend to him in Monze Hospital. They will probably try to transfer him to Lusaka where they are better able to treat him.

I was expecting Teddy this evening, but either my phone has gone mute, or it's my ears – because I see I have missed two calls from him!

I must rush because I have another webcam test to perform!

Take care

Chris.

A New Priest and a little Relaxation

Monday 6th December

Unusually I have decided to write this in the morning. I tend to feel guilty when I do something that doesn't feel like work, during working hours. However, I believe that what I am doing here should go a lot further than producing systems, writing project reports etc. I believe one of my major roles is to try to bridge the gap between life here and back in the UK. The blog is a part of that process. In any case, I need a break from the PIZZ accounts database. Working on the database at the moment is an act of faith, because, as it stands, it is not clear that it will be accessible enough to be used here – my problems with the Windows system are still present.

Yesterday I attended mass at Our Lady of the Wayside church. Fr. Maambo, the former Priest in Charge, moved to another church just before I came out in November. At the mass Fr. Raphael was introduced. He will take over in charge of the church and I hope to have an opportunity to talk to him about the growing partnership with St. Gregory's church in Cheltenham before I leave.
The day started overcast and the sun was almost entirely absent throughout the day – something rare in my experience. However, there was no significant rain. In view of the weather I was told it was unlikely that St. Veronica's Small Christian Community would meet. Most families in the community have very small houses that wouldn't contain the group that gathers. We therefore meet outside, under a little shade if possible. However, there is no shelter from the rain.

I therefore had more free time than I had expected. I used the opportunity to do a bit of housework while listening to the music stored on my laptop. I also picked up a copy of the Post – an independent national newspaper – and caught up with local, and international, events.

I have had difficulty in locating a couple of computer applications. Solitaire seems to be the most played computer game worldwide but, of the ones usually on offer with Microsoft, I prefer “Hearts”. After an extensive search I managed to locate it yesterday and indulged myself with a few games! I have finished the novels I brought out – so I was looking for another pastime when I have a chance to relax.

Today I had a couple of people asking me whether I had found support for their projects. It is always difficult when people ask me for support and I feel that I cannot help. Many people I don't know ask for small sums of money because they are hungry. It is difficult to say no, but there are so many hungry people just here in Monze. If I said yes to everyone who asked, I would give away a significant sum each day. Even if I could manage it , I suspect that the numbers would grow and I would set a precedent for other “white folks” who visit the town, causing further problems. However when people you know well ask for support, it is more difficult. A friend asked me a year or so back if I could find help for her to complete the building of her house. Although it is important that this work is completed I find it difficult to give too much priority to this among so many other requests.

The other enquiry was from Best. I think that today was the deadline for applying for a university course. I would love to be able to help him through university. A year or more back he suggested we fund a taxi for him to set up a business with his friend. He was confident that this would enable him to raise sufficient money to pay for his own fees. In practice I was able to find money for his course fees, but not the taxi. It probably would have cost only a little more for the taxi and his university course might now have been secure. He will now have to stop studying and try to earn a little money to keep himself. Maybe he will be able to return and complete his studies leading to a degree in Law in a year or two – I certainly hope so. Best has a bright future if he completes his studies, otherwise he will still have benefited from the support that he has received. He will probably be able to gain a junior legal position when he is awarded his diploma. (He his just completing his exams in the next few days.

During the night we had some more showers – with the associated sound and light show! As I write the sun is trying to break through. The morning has been cooler than of late, though not cool enough to tempt me to put on a jumper. Yes! I do know that you have been gripped by sub zero temperatures and probably don't want to know about me sitting in shirt sleeves with the window open, on what I consider a cool day!! So I won't mention it!

Schools and colleges are breaking up for a Christmas break. PIZZ school closed on Friday and will re-open in January. There has been a lot of activity outside and I suspect that the Homecraft training centre is also about to close for Christmas.

Last night I noticed that my friends Mary and Dominic were online on Skype so I gave them a call. It was a chance for me to test my system and to determine whether it would be feasible to set up a session between PIZZ school and Whitecross school in the UK. I was very pleased with the result, though the video was only one way – I didn't receive any picture at my end. ( I have now achieved one way video in both directions, on different – but I am confident that it will succeed.) I am currently trying to gauge the cost. Since my Internet connection is charged according to the amount of data transferred, I suspect a video link would be expensive to use regularly – but now and again, for special occasions, it could be worthwhile.

Chris

More welcome rain

Friday 3rd December

It rained again last night and, before I turned in, the accompanying storm once again put out the lights!

With the computer working I have plenty to keep me occupied. Unfortunately this morning after about 1½ hours my battery gave out. I headed to the hospital and met one or two friends before returning via Ireen. She has started on this years garments and told me to return next week when all will be ready.

Fortunately power returned at midday and, after a spot of lunch, I was able to return to the task of tailoring the accounts database for PIZZ school. I don't like repeating any task, so when there are standard items of expenditure each month – in this case teachers salaries – I don't see why the data should be retyped. So I spent an hour or two creating a button or two that will automatically fill in the relevant details. Being the sad individual I am, I revel in such exercises.

Sr Racheal rang yesterday to ask if I could call around this morning to help her with some anti-virus software. This we postponed until power returned. At the convent it was 15 hrs before the electricity was once again flowing. We met soon after. In Zambia, power outages are part of life. In previous years power was generally rationed. Often at peak times – e.g. supper time the power would be turned off for a couple of hours. Being without power for best part of a day is very common. I doubt if it occurred in the UK people would take is as calmly!

Sr. Rachael's computer had Kapersky installed as the anti-virus but the subscription had expired. She bought AVG from a computer firm in Lusaka to replace it. Initially she had problems when she started to install because she couldn't see the subscription code. This she later realised that was because it was printed on the CD itself – which of course was by this time inside the PC. Unfortunately in Zambia it is difficult to ensure that you are getting the genuine article – this is true with most goods, but especially true with any software product. If you have no technical knowledge you can be walking into a minefield. The firm in Lusaka is reputable, yet having a disk printed with the organisations details made me a little suspicious – I am also doubtful that AVG provide their software to the retail market – and to be resold using a local firm's disks. A warning came up to say the installation was out of date and might not work properly. However it seemed to install OK, but the anti-virus files were nearly a year out of date. Sr Racheal was told that the software would last for 2 years but in fact the subscription runs out in 15 months. The price was about what I would expect to pay in the UK for Norton or Kapersky for a year – so it wasn't cheap.

In Monze the problem of computer viruses is a major one. The lack of technical knowledge means that many people pay a lot of money and receive products that are of little value. I decided to fetch my modem so that at least the software could be updated – Sr. Racheal has no Internet connection so can't do update the software herself. I left the updates being downloaded – after 1½ hours it only had just over an hour to go. Unfortunately MTN charges per MByte and there was about 100MBytes to download - therefore another significant bill.

Our world is run by the rich powerful nations and is seen from their perspective. The Internet is regarded as ubiquitous and fast; constant electricity and clean water supplies are taken for granted, as are tarred roads. So the products on offer rely on huge assumptions that don't apply here – hence often they don't work – or don't work for long. I was told today of an NGO that provided a Ford vehicle for one of their project. This is great, as long as it doesn't go wrong! You won't find Ford parts in Zambia and I don't know the nearest country to supply them – it could be an expensive spark plug or distributor cap! Or yet another abandoned piece of expensive equipment!

Reymond called around this evening and we talked about various issues. In particular we discussed the way in which Zambian resources seem to be destined for other countries. I try my best to use Zambian products. I use Zamtel as my mobile network provider. Zamtel until recently was government owned and therefore profits stayed within the country. However recently a Middle Eastern firm has bought 75% of the company – 25% being retained by the government. The massive advertising by multinationals has a huge influence (they wouldn't spend so much otherwise). The effect is for most Zambians to believe that Zambian products are inferior and therefore the little money they have goes to help the companies from the richer nations to make even more money. Even most of the brightest graduates from Zambia leave the country after having received their training here.

Unfortunately the politicians haven't the courage, the will or the power to ensure that firms operating in the this country at least give a fair share of the profits to help the people out of poverty. Of course the multinationals have no conscience and those running them only have an interest in profit.

Sometimes it is difficult to see how the cycle of poverty can be broken. Today Ian said that God was taking special care of Africa. There is no doubt that he is ever present in the suffering of the people here. The chapter I have just read in a book (entitled “chasing joy”) that I brought with me, talks about smiling and laughing. The author points out that we don't see smiling Madonnas or statues of Jesus – like him, I believe the world would be much better off if we did! He also refers to an Apache story of creation where the Creator made humans come fully alive by giving them the ability to laugh. The people here are certainly fully alive and have a close relationship with their Creator. I read that David Cameron is trying to make the UK the second country in the world to measure well being. (I think it's Bhutan that is other one!) I wonder whether the amount of laughter will be measured? On such a measurement Zambia is indeed wealthy!

I think I mentioned, in a previous blog posting, the campaign to, at least, ensure that companies declare there tax contributions in all the countries were they operate. When I get home I intend to seek those working in Zambia and do a little hassling of my own!!

Tomorrow I need to take a bit of a break, for the temptation is to keep running at sprint speed – though I am running a marathon!


Saturday 4th December

I lay in this morning until about 7.30. I had to buy some more cornflakes as I had run out – and I need them to start my day!! I decided to do a bit of washing this morning. The day started cloudy but the sky was brightening and I guessed that the washing would soon dry.

I had decided, as I said above, to have a bit of a rest, so I read for a while and enjoyed a cup or two of tea. Even in the hottest weather I find a cup of tea refreshing – drinking a cup of tea is also a comfortingly familiar activity – like the bowl of cornflakes.

I hung out my washing and, at a little after 11 hrs, headed out towards my regular haunt – the little lake (dam) to the south of the town. I used to think it was to the west, but my sense of direction has always been poor! Along the way I was accompanied by a flock of swallows. There are a variety of different swallow species in Zambia but these were the European variety. It is unusual to see swallows grouped together on electricity cables – as they do in the UK before leaving for the winter. - but today as well as their usual playful swooping and turning, they made use of these perches. At the dam, I sat under a tree for a while and watched while a few waders pecked at the waters edge - one a particularly pretty slender bird, with a thin pointed black bill and long legs, I identified as a Black Winged Stint, there was also a Little Egret and a couple of African Jacanas – all rather attractive birds.

After a while I decided to head a bit further along the road to St. Marys and Kisito. St. Mary's is a village about 15 km from Monze. Kisito Pastoral Centre is found just before the village. In 2004 I was invited to attend a weekend retreat at Kisito and enjoyed it. I have always felt particularly privileged when offered the opportunity to experience a part of life not generally available to visitors to this country. To spend a couple of days in prayer with a small group can be an intimate experience. So to be welcomed into such a group where people often share personal and private experiences, requires a lot of trust and I am grateful.

Some years afterwards I chose to walk to Kisito (and back again!). Today I contented myself by travelling just a kilometre or so beyond the lake. I took a turning from the main road and eventually found another tree that offered some shade. It always does me good to get into the countryside. The Kisito road is wide and relatively good, but only two or three vehicles passed me during my stroll. I was surprised to see a couple of tractors – ox carts are more common around Monze. A calf was joined on the road by a couple of adults and a group of goats rummaged around the bushes at the roadside. Dragonflies abound at the moment – particularly, though not exclusively, near the dam. I sometimes wonder how many ants there are in the world! Zambia certainly has it's share. Finding a suitable place to sit is always a bit tricky. If I drop any of my lunch, a great herd of the creatures appear from the ground to eat or carry away the scraps. There are also a large variety of beetles busily walking here and there. Every so often the air is filled with sound, a bit like a school of children rattling their shakers. I am not sure whether the sound is from beetles or grasshoppers, but it starts suddenly and is very loud. There are other, now familiar sounds, but they continue to be equally mysterious. There is a whistle – just a long single tone, that occurs often and another sound, like the noise that sometimes emanates from an electrical installation on a damp day. This is very loud and when I approach it stops – only to restart as I move on.

Approaching me down the road was a family in their best attire – perhaps heading for church. I thought that I would love a picture and, as I passed, they asked me if “I would copy them” - which of course I did with great pleasure. They asked if I could give them a print. I will see if I can organise something, but the logistics are not simple! I told them I couldn't promise anything – I will add the picture to this blog.

This is the end of Zambia's spring. Some trees are in flower. A pretty catkin on a thorn bush caught my attention. These bushes have lovely delicate soft leaves hiding very vicious needles and then these beautiful catkins.

On my return journey a pick-up van stopped and the driver ( Mr. Meheritona) offered me a lift. Tabo Meheritona used to be the School Manager at St. Vincent's Community School and we have known each other for several years. I thanked him for his offer but explained that I wanted the exercise – so he left after greeting me.

I returned to the dam and once again sat for a while. Some gentle rain started to fall. I was interested that no one took any notice. People, like me, sitting and relaxing, continued, as did those fishing and of course those swimming in the lake. The rain was very gentle and quite refreshing, hardly managing to wet the skin before evaporating again.

It was time anyway to head towards home. I had arranged to call by Diven's shop and hopefully pick up some Finta (UHT milk) that I asked him to buy for me. He rang when I was a few minutes away to check that I was on my way. I stepped into the shop and the rain re-commenced. This time it was a heavy shower lasting for 5 – 10 minutes. I was a bit concerned about my washing on the line back home but glad of the shelter. In previous blogs I have referred to my friend Bro Joe (now Saint Joe) and his ability to keep dry whatever the weather! When you were with Joe, the rain was always somewhere else. So, often, we would enter a building or vehicle and the heavens would open; or would walk outside and the rain would immediately stop! This incident made me remember Joe.

On the way home a river had started flowing where on the outward journey there was a small road. When I arrived home I found that washing was again wet but only one shirt had hit the ground – I expected to find the line collapsed and everything in the mud. I rinsed the shirt and decide to leave the washing out. It was only 15.30 and it would be almost dry again by nightfall.

I retrieved my modem from Sr. Racheal. There is a short cut through the church grounds to the convent and hospital using a small gate that is usually open. The other day I passed the seminarian, working at the church, who told me I should use it. I don't feel I should take advantage by using this route generally, but since it links the church and convent directly, it seemed appropriate in this case. (It saves at least ½ km and 10 minutes!). Yesterday evening the anti-virus update worked, though it halted for a while. It also appears that some Windows updates were downloaded, which was an added bonus. Sr. Racheal informed me that there are a couple of other computers at the convent needing attention, so I agreed to look at them before I leave the country!

Luke came around a little later. Luke is starting his exams on Monday and is confident of success. He hopes to go onto the final stage in June. This would give him a good opportunity to progress with his career and would give him a number of course exemptions if he decided to pursue a degree course. We talked a bit about local issues. It is useful to get direct feedback from friends. Much of the 'gossip' I hear repeats similar stories and helps me build up a picture of life here in Monze – particularly in relation to the many projects in which I have some involvement.

I am getting lazy in respect to my meals. I had some beans boiled a couple of days ago, so added a little rice and some salad – also prepared earlier in the week. The fridge keeps reasonably cool even when the power is off, though frozen food will naturally de-frost, so the food was still edible.

I didn't access the Net yesterday, so I will check it out now.

Cheers

Chris

World AIDS Day & Confused Inswa

Thursday 2nd December

The inswa seem to be confused this year! Usually the flying ants or inswa all fly on a particular night as the rains arrive. In the morning any areas under the lights to which they are attracted are carpeted by their fallen wings. This year however they have, so far, flown on three consecutive nights.

Yesterday December 1st was World AIDS Day – a bit better known than November 19th which is World Toilet Day! I wanted to prepare a presentation for today so I started the day with my computer. At about 11 hrs Jennipher rang to tell me that I must go to the District Office and see how they were celebrating.

The local dignatories were present and the event comprised a few speeches and a number of sketches looking at different aspects of the disease. One was about a woman who was sacked when the employer was told she had AIDS. She went to one of the support organisations who explained that she couldn't be legally sacked because of the disease. Eventually the employer was brought to court and was told to take her back on the payroll. The issue of stigma was considered, and the ignorance that makes people fear contact with someone having AIDS. Jennipher acted as interpreter for me since almost all the sketches were in chitonga.

I was grateful that I was allowed to stay in the background – at similar events I have been dragged under the tent with the VIPs, which, although an honour, is not something I want.

Jennipher on the other hand is a prominent person in terms of HIV/AIDS support and doesn't hide in the background. She gave a powerful testimony about her life before and after contracting the disease. As always she was very vociferous about the need for extra support to maintain the lives of those living with AIDS. She received loud applause at the end of her speech.

In the afternoon I called around to see Mrs. Sianga to talk more about her project and collect some information to help us put some pages on the Big Give and Global Giving websites. I was again struck by the achievements that this woman has made. There are more than 200 children who attend her schools. Some grade one students are now taking their grade 9 exams. Some say to her “if it wasn't for the school were would we be now?”, and there is little doubt that their lives would be very different. As well as providing education, the school provides food – when funds allow – and gives the children a safe place to meet others and make friendships. The children are some of the most disadvantaged in the area, many have lost parents and some also have AIDS. The school is staffed by people who are sympathetic and understanding of the difficulties faced by the children. As well as teaching, they check on students if they are not attending and help with administering medication etc. Small things to preserve the privacy of the children and maintain their dignity have been introduced. Other schools would not take such issues into consideration, but to a child they can make a huge difference as to how they perceive themselves. I hope that many who look on the websites will be moved to support this project - their money won't be wasted.

A quick visit to Diven's shop, and only a few minutes late for my 17 hrs appointment with Vincent. We decided that this time was best to get an hour's ACCESS training done. It seems to be going well – another couple of sessions should complete this very swift course.

I decided to boil the remaining mushrooms, eat some and try to freeze the remainder. There wasn't much evening left and some more preparation for today needed. I did manage to set up a Sype link with my son Andy, though my webcam failed to work. I suspect that I need to sort out the laptop to get it to connect. Voice is fine and I can receive pictures – though my credit was eaten up rapidly when we used video. I will need to do more testing to establish the cost and whether there is a cheaper alternative.

This morning I gave a presentation to the hospital management team on efficiency and cost reduction. I gave a few ideas and examples from my experience of how costs can be minimised and managed to stimulate a bit of discussion. I was interested that they particularly picked up on the importance of having well motivated staff. I might be asked to give some follow-up sessions.

I have plenty of computer work to fill in any spare moments. Now that I can use most of the computer facilities and, in particular the ACCESS databases, I never have an excuse for an idle moment!

At around 15.30 I had another training session with Vincent.

I know that one of my avid readers has told me that I mustn't eat the ants, but it would be impolite to refuse when a friend has offered you a bowl of this delicacy! So when Diven told me he wanted to bring me some inswa I had to agree.

At about 19.30 he arrived with a bag full of these little fat ants. His current girlfriend had caught them. I haven't been presented with raw inswa before.( I didn't join him in tasting them before cooking!). He explained how to prepare them and agreed to help me cook and eat them. I spent much of the cooking time talking to Dilys. We were alternating with cooking, and not concentrating properly and unfortunately some got a little overdone! Still we split about half of them and ate them between us – I will be able to enjoy the rest tomorrow!!

Well time to check the Internet

Bye for now,

Chris

Back in the Bush

Tuesday 30th November

Back in Monze the rains arrived last night, falling for much of the night and up to about 10 hrs. There will no longer be any delay before people start planting their crops. I heard Lusaka (and probably Chisamba) also had some decent rain.

On Saturday morning I met with the management committee at Kaliyangile. It is always good to have a chance to listen to the local views and ideas in relation to the project and it is an opportunity for me to discuss the role of HATW and our supporters.

I decided to repeat my walk of the previous visit. The clouds were amassing and it looked as if rains were bound to fall, but although rain could be seen in the distance I was spared a soaking. I recalled the year in England when, wherever I walked, I remained dry. Sometimes I believe the Lord smiles upon us in these little ways.

Sunday was the first day of Advent – the time when, as Christians, we start our preparations for Christmas – the Birthday of Jesus. The secular world in the UK starts preparing in September – or earlier with the usual glitter and tinsel, though often the relevance of this Christian celebration is forgotten. At mass the children presented a play and read from the scriptures. It was well done and appreciated by the congregation and the priest. The altar was adorned with symbols of this time – an Advent wreath with four candles – one for each week in Advent, a Jesse tree containing names from the ancestry of Jesus and on the back wall were painted words reflecting the meaning of Advent, such as preparation and anticipation.

I decided once again to go for a walk. I wanted to go for a long walk but was aware that today there were few clouds to shade the sun. I had thought the suntan lotion I brought from the UK was not one that I was allergic to. Dilys, however was right and so, when I used it earlier on the trip, I came out in a rash. I have avoided it since, but haven't done any significant walks. In the event I decided not to stop as intended but to keep walking until the path took me to a more wooded area. Probably 1 hour when the sun was at it hottest. However I had my cap on and with my arms by my sides the sun was shaded by the short sleeves.

It is the time of year here when the sun is directly overhead at midday. So in fact, when walking, the
suns rays only glance most of the body. When I raised my binoculars, however, the intense heat of the sun suddenly became apparent. Lying in the sun here without very strong sun block would not be a good idea for us with pale skins!

I enjoyed my walks in the bush this weekend. The sounds of the birds are interesting and different from the UK. It is a joy when I manage to identify one of the birds. Little features now sometimes lead me to recalling the species – a small bee-eater, a fork tailed drongo and a couple of rollers were birds I recognised. Butterflies of a variety of colours add to the scene and one of the many beautiful locusts – often initially confused for small birds because of their size – caught my eye and completed a very African scene.

Over the years so much has become familiar. The fact that to see another 'white' face is a rarity, mothers with babies strapped to their backs with Chitenges and carrying all manner of items balanced on their heads, is part of everyday life as are so many small scenes. After mass a large group of children climbed into the back of a truck and at the other end of the High Street dismounted and ran back towards the church having enjoyed their little adventure.

Back at the Guest House I had chicken and nshima for supper while a heated debate was raging in the bar. The question under discussion was whether Jesus was God or “just” the Son of God. I reflected that I couldn't imagine such a debate taking part in a bar in the UK. Football or politics might be discussed, but people quoting from the bible to justify their theological beliefs is not something I would expect!

After supper I wondered whether to risk joining the debate which was still being pursued with great vigour. I was invited to join the group – many of whom I had met before. One lad, who had obtained his biblical knowledge from the Jehovah's Witnesses, seemed to be outnumbered by Christians of other persuasions. Eventually I was asked for my views. My personal views are heavily influenced by my Roman Catholic beliefs, but I remember a BBC programme presented by a guy who claimed to be agnostic. He looked at the historical information about Jesus and concluded that the evidence confirms that Jesus did exist and that he was known as a teacher and a healer, also that Jesus believed that he was God. I also said that different Christian groups had their own interpretation of the bible – I happen to believe mine is correct – however I might be wrong! I believe that whatever religion we believe in, as long as we try to be open to God and do what we sincerely believe is right, the theological differences are not important. It is interesting that at the heart of so many religions is the belief that we are meant to respect each other and God's creation, to live in peace and to look after the weakest. It is a shame that many, who claim to be driven by religion, forget these basic principles.

Even in the drink fuelled bar at Chisamba it was something of a privilege to be included in their debate.

After a quick meeting with Justine yesterday morning I set off for Monze. I checked on the availability of the “Birds of Zambia” through contacts I was given but wasn't sure enough that the book I was talking about was the same as that on offer – so I decided not to make a long detour to the other side of town to check. One day I will obtain a copy!

From Chisamba to Monze seems to take a day! I left at about 10 hrs and Justine dropped me at the crossroads were I soon caught a minibus to Lusaka. I walked through town, had a quick bite and jumped onto a medium sized 'Rosa' bus. It left within half an hour. I wasn't sure why, when we filled up with fuel, the bus was rocked from side to side by the driver! We made good progress, except when going uphill – but fortunately didn't need to get out to push! At Mazabuka we called at two more garages. It is always a little disconcerting when repeated visits are made to garages. At the second, a watering can was passed through the drivers window and the guys at the front stood up while hissing noises came that area – much to their amusement. Eventually water must have been poured into the radiator and we were on our way again. (Livingstone is less than 300 km so it should have made it!!)

I arrived back home at 17 hrs and staff were still working in the Diocesan Offices, so retrieving my keys wasn't a problem. There was no electricity, so I made a salad, read for a while and turned in early.

This morning the electricity had still not returned and by mid morning the water also stopped flowing. I visited the hospital and met Sichone. In 2004 one of the first areas I looked at was the stores and there I met Sichone. He lost his mother recently and has been away from the hospital for a while as a result. It was good to once again touch base with him.

Diven came around at lunchtime and Jennipher also joined us. Jennipher is getting prepared for World AIDS day tomorrow - December 1st. She usually takes a very active part in the events here in Monze and subsequently has activities back at Pemba with her own support groups.

This evening I joined Diven for a meal and a couple of Mosis at Tooters. By about lunchtime the power and water returned – though initially the water was very brown. Soloman had picked some wild mushrooms for me this morning, which Jennipher delivered – so I treated myself to a plateful before heading out.

Its now past the time to get on the Internet but I will give it a go anyway.

Best wishes


Chris

Windows working sort off

Friday 26th November

The rains keep promising but don't quite arrive – at least not here. The farmer with fields next to Kaliyangile took a chance and planted a few days ago. He could be in trouble!

Last night I found that I could get into most of the Windows applications – including Firefox and the MTN Modem – hence the blog posting last night. I also can access my photo manipulation program 'Gimp' which is excellent at reducing the size of photos – essential here if you want to put them on the net. However, the system is still not really usable with Windows for a computer novice.

I tidied the accounts system for Kaliyangile and did a bit of analysis which, of course, showed that more funds need to be found to make ends meet.

I can't cope with three cooked meals here, so at lunchtime I have taken to eating an egg with some bananas and of course a mango or two. I added a few roasted and salted peanuts to today's lunch.

Life here is less frantic than in Monze – which is probably just as well. I have had a few calls asking when I will be back, because there are things for me to do!

At supper one of the guys said he lives about 60 km away. A place where most people have never seen a 'white man'. He said they would be delighted if I visited. One day I must take up such an offer and go deep into the bush. I am sure that it would be a wonderful experience. Although I have been off the beaten track a little, I haven't been to any of the really remote areas.

Well I will surprise you by finishing here! A short blog at last!

Chris

P.S. I will try to add a picture of a proper mango!

Back in Chisamba

Thursday 25th November

The weather has turned cooler and the cloud cover has increased. Though it is unlikely to compare with what I hear is happening in the UK. Temperatures today only reached about 28 °C and I still turned red waiting and travelling in the minibus yesterday.

I attended mass at 6.30 am yesterday and set off for Lusaka at a little after 8 am. The bus moved off quickly, but stopped along the main road until it was full. I still forget what full means! When we set off we had five adults wedged into the four seats in our row. Behind us there were 5 seats but children don't count, so an additional 3 or 4 joined the adults. The bus was the all stopping variety. Which means that if anyone is at the side of the road the driver stops and the conductor tries to persuade them to come for the ride – irrespective of the number of passengers already aboard.

As a result it was about 12 hrs before we reached the drop off point in Lusaka. The buses used to go into the bus station in town, but, probably because of the traffic jams, they now stop as we enter the city and it is a short walk into town.

I had arranged to meet up with Justina at the CHAZ offices and she was waiting for me when I arrived. We talked a little about her project to set up “LIFE Zambia” and then caught up on other topics. We were joined by a lady from CHAZ and a guy who originated from Rotterdam and was acting as a consultant for organisations involved with NGOs. They were enjoying nshima and fish which looked rather appetising – maybe the menu at CHAZ isn't as fictitious as I had imagined – one day I might even get my crocodile steak!

Justina led me to a bus station to catch a little bus to Chisamba. I was told to take the front seat and, when the girl who had been sitting there protested, she was told that girls aren't allowed in the front, (and the driver wasn't going to let me sit in the back). I told her that he wouldn't get away with that in England. Apparently she was the first on the bus at 9hrs and was told it would be going by 12. It was 14hrs and we didn't set off till 14.40 – and then we only moved a few metres before stopping for another 20 minutes!

I decided to get a taxi from the crossroads rather than get Justine to pick me up. I wasn't sure how many passengers we had since people got in and out over a period of a few minutes. I expected to wait an hour or so until we had sufficient passengers, but suddenly someone said “let's go” and the taxi filled immediately and off we went!

I was greeted warmly by the staff at the guest house and given my usual room – this time they have installed the mosquito net much to my relief. While waiting for Justine, Patrick, who is very much involved with the project, appeared and was surprised to see me. I also got chatting to a guy who said that his father was involved in the fight for independence along with Sata who is now one of the current opposition leaders. Unfortunately Zambia is a country that has been getting worse economically over recent years. Many blame the politicians. The current ruling party has now been in power for 20 years and it isn't easy to displace them.

I enjoyed my nshima beef yesterday, today I am told chicken is on the menu – so I will have that for a change.

I decided to give the bar a miss, instead I read and had an early night.

It rained a little last night. I enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and chips, with a few cups of tea before heading for Kaliyangile – our Chisamba project. One day the windpump will be working again and that will be a great joy for me – until then I will just hope!

It was time to catch up with Justine, the Centre Manager. As always there are plenty of challenges. HATW have recently started using Global Giving and The Big Idea to help raise funds for projects in which we are involved. We hope to add PIZZ in Monze and Kaliyangile here in Chisamba to the list. One of the major issues here is transport costs. Almost everything needs to be brought from Lusaka which adds to the cost. Justine suggested that a small van might be a cost effective investment. There is a lot to be done here and as usual funds are hard to come by. However, if a few young people can be given a chance to make a reasonable living then it will be well worthwhile.

I tried the latest fix for the computer and progress is being made! I can now open in Windows as far as the Desktop Background. However icons and toolbars there are none! However I am actually composing this in Open Office using Windows! I suspect that I will be able to open any Windows application using a rather convoluted method. If it works I will attempt to send this blog later using the modem – and might even add some photos!

I will run out before supper and buy some airtime.

Best wishes

Chris