3 Months

On July 16, 2012, I left home to start my Peace Corps journey.  Now, three months later, I look back through my pictures and see all that has transpired and happened.  It is an understatement to say that a lot has occurred!  From Philly to New York to Lusaka to Choma to Chongwe and soon to Chikankata, I have been here, there and everywhere in between!  

Everyday I am learning.  Everyday is a new experience.  Enjoy the photos as I take you from the U.S. to training to swearing in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer.   

Julie and I at home just days before I flew away to brand new places.

 And training has begun! 

 In Lusaka one of the first days in-country.  Lots of paperwork, but luckily we are all still smiles!

A well deserved break! 

Kenny, Mary and I took a Sunday afternoon one of our first weekends of training in the village to rest and relax. 

Appropriate Technology! 

One afternoon of training we all put our minds together and constructed some clay brick ovens.  We used already fired bricks as well as any other metal scraps around the training center.

Laundry in the village! 

The green and blue basins are what I used to wash all my clothes by hand and then hang them up to dry on the line between two trees!  Oh, notice the outside dish drying rack on the left.

Fish Transport! 

This training session we put fingerlings in yellow jerry cans and biked about 2 km to stock two ponds with new fish.  Here we are waiting for the water in the cans to be the same temperature as the pond water in order that the fish will swim out.

 Second Site Visit! 

Matt, Jaime and I are having our Tonga lesson with Ba Fred.

 And this is what Peace Corps is all about! 

Here I am using as much Tonga as I can possibly remember to explain the importance of compost in ponds to the local villagers.

Saying Good-bye!

Second site visit is over and we are all off to visit our own sites which we will call home for the next two years.  Ba Mary, Ba Nelson and Ba Fred are some of our Zambian trainers.

Bataata and Bamaama! 

I had the greatest host family ever and it was super sad to say good-bye.

Tongas!

Most of our Tonga crew, as well as one of the best Zambian trainers, Ba Crispin!

Swearing-In Day!

Kenny and I after the ceremony and saying the oath to become Peace Corps Volunteers.

RAP 2012

One heck of a good looking crew!  Us Rappers ready to go feed Zambia with Fish!

Tomorrow I will head to my village to officially start my two years of service.  I will have three months of community entry in which I am to stay in my village and distict.  This is our time to get to know our community and area and integrate as much as possible in order to prepare ourselves and villagers for working together the next 24 months.  I'm taking each and every day at a time and maybe in three months I'll have another pile of photos to share!

If Only I Could Eat Cheese All Day!

I love cows.  I love milk.  I love yogurt.  And, I SO love cheese!

I’m from a dairy farm in Wisconsin; of course I love these things!

But, I am currently in Zambia.  Not Wisconsin.

Zambia has cows.  There is milk here.  And they do make cheese, too.  However, not all dairy cows are used for milk production.  Also, cheese making is not a priority, nor has it been totally mastered throughout the country.  In addition, here in Tonga-land, they like to drink mabisi.

What is mabisi, you ask?  Sour.  Sour milk!

In the village, mabisi is simply made by setting a jug of fresh milk out in the direct sun all day.  Once it has begun to ferment and coagulate and get that awesome sour smell, it is ready to be consumed.

Here in Southern Province, Tongas like to simply drink sour.  Also, they will make a dish that can be eaten sweet or not, for breakfast or dessert.  After boiling whole kernels of maize, mabisi is poured over the top of these shell-less kernels and sugar is sometimes added.  This can be called Sample.

I have not yet ventured to try sour.  I am quite sure I will not be totally enthralled with the taste!  Maybe some day!

Because refrigeration is not available to everyone in Zambia, milk and meat products are not able to be preserved in the same way as other countries.  Meats are dried or smoked in order to keep them for longer periods of time.  Dried fish is a staple meat or only form of meat consumed for many families.

As stated before, milk is usually consumed in a fermented or cultured state.  As for cheese, if available, it is not refrigerated.  In the village, it is just kept on the counter or shelf like other shelf-safe items.  It still tastes just fine a week later!

While here in Zambia, I hope to make cheese and yogurt myself.  I also hope to help farmers who own cattle to improve upon the productivity of their animals.

Many Tonga families who own animals look upon their livestock as a bank.  Instead of cashing in their cattle and taking money to town to put in an account, the animals remain.  The more cows a family has, the more ‘wealthy’ the family may be.  Also, because the animals are viewed as a bank, they are not utilized to their full potential.  This concept is sometimes difficult for me to understand, but I am certainly learning everyday about the culture here.

When I do have the chance to enjoy some cold milk, fresh cheese, or drinkable yogurt, I fully treasure the rare opportunity.  It is a treat, to say the least, for me! 

Hena Mali Nzi?

When you go out shopping in the States, you get in your car, drive to a store or mall, walk into an air-conditioned or heated building, make your selections and then go pay for all your items. Most places have a wide variety of things to select from and multiples of every item. In addition, the prices are non-negotiable; what the price tag says is the price! 

In Zambia? It’s a bit different to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, there are grocery stores, retail shops and malls. However, these are only in the large cities and can be very expensive.

So, where does everyone shop? Open markets! 

The shops in the markets are manned mostly by women, but some men also are the sellers. The women place their produce on tables or on the ground in front of them in order for shoppers to see all they have. The produce stands are usually in one area outside while the rest of the goods are sold in little stalls within the ‘market area’ along narrow dirt paths. The stalls that the shops are in are put together sometimes with lumber or branches or reed mats or even tall grass fences. 

The produce stands offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes, cabbage and rape (kale) are the most common. However, potatoes, onions, different roots, bananas, oranges, and sometimes apples are also available. It does not get cold enough here in Zambia, so the apples are all from South Africa. They are so tasty! 

The shops in the ‘inside’ market have so many different items! Every stall either seems to have the exact same things as the next person, or completely different. Basins, buckets, jerry cans, metal plates and bowls, silverware, tea kettles, or wooden nshima spoons may be sold at two or three stalls in a row. Then the next place will only have chitenges. Some men or women just sell dry beans or small dried fish, called kapenta. There are also numerous stalls that sell sandals, shoes, and other clothing. It’s amazing to me sometimes how so many places can all sell the exact same items! 

Once you have found what you would like to purchase in the market, it is then time to pay! This can be an experience all on its own. In the states prices are always set, whereas here in Zambia ALL prices can be negotiable! 

When buying an item in Southern Province, you first ask how much, “Mali nzi?” When they say the price, you can say, “Amundipe,” please give me. Or, you can tell them the price is too high and ask if they can lower the price, “Muulo wayuma, amujosye asyoonto.” And then the bargaining begins! The haggling can get pretty intense sometimes, but I must say I am not so good at it and probably give in too early. With time I will develop my skills! 

Shopping in Zambian markets is definitely a one of a kind experience. However, with the reasonable prices comes some jumping of mud puddles and ignoring the persistent calls from some sellers. In addition, being thought as or called “mzungu,” a rich, white person, can add to the stress of buying in markets. Locals may deliberately set prices too high just because they assume a white person or someone not from Zambia has a lot of money. As a Peace Corps volunteer, this is most certainly not the case! 

Besides some of the unfortunate aspects of market shopping, it is really a great place to get produce and/or supplies for just about anything. In addition, there is great opportunity to have conversations in Tonga with the shopkeepers and brush up on the local language. 

This past week I have had my fair share of market time, as well as SPAR and bulk distributors shopping, and am happy to say that I have purchased just about everything I will need for the next three months to make my village house a home. From buckets and basins to chitenges and plastic shelves, I am confident I will have a full house of furnishings to make life in the village comfortable.

A Volunteer At Last

After 11 weeks of long days of walking or biking 6 to 15 km, listening or speaking Tonga, sitting through lectures on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Safety and Security, or Peace Corps policies, and learning all there is to know about Aquaculture and Fish Farming, I am now officially a Peace Corps Volunteer.

On Friday, October 5, 2012, at the home of the U.S. Ambassador of Zambia in Lusaka, 63 Fish and Chip trainees swore in to start their two-year service in Peace Corps Zambia.  We are now all beginning our journey as aquaculture and health volunteers. 

After a quick trip to Manda Hill Mall to purchase certain items for our sites that are only found in Lusaka, we returned last night to the hotel for one final night all together before we took off to different provinces and villages.  Early this morning at 6 AM the cruisers arrived to load all of our gear and luggage and head out on the road for long or short rides across Zambia. 

With one cruiser, one trailer and one SUV, nine Tongas loaded up and we all headed south for the quick 5-hour drive to Choma in Southern Province.  After a quick stop for samosas, foccocia bread and cold drinks in Mazabuka at Bethlehem Bakery, we were welcomed in Choma by other volunteers and enjoyed a restful day at the Provincial House. 

This week will be filled with SHOPPING!  We all much purchase our water tubs and buckets, braziers, pots, pans, utensils, food, and anything else we may need in our villages the next 2 years. 

It is hard to believe I have been in country now for almost three months.  At any given time it can feel like I have been here for a over a year or that I just arrived two weeks ago.  Such a whirlwind of daily activities and events; exciting ones as well as not so happening ones! 

I am excited to get to my village at the end of this week and settle into my thatched-roof brick hut.  Even with the anticipation, however, there is the sadness that comes with saying goodbye to amazing friends whom you've shared every day with for two and a half months.  A lot of changes will happen in such a short period of time. 

The next three months will be a time for me and other volunteers to focus on integrating into our communities and really accessing the development situation.  At the same time that I will be organizing my place and making my hut a home, I will be out chatting with community members, learning the area, and start planning for the next two years of service. 

I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer now.  What adventures will I encounter?  What will I learn?  What will be some challenges?  What will be some successes?  Taking one day at a time, I am stepping forward to start this journey.