Blogs from Zambia, Africa - page 88

Last night was my first night in my new place in Kalomo. The place I am renting has a main room, with three rooms coming off of that, and then a fourth room just out the back door. The shower is outside with no roof and has a showerhead that points sideways. The toilet is an outhouse with walls, but no door, and it’s a squatter. Just behind the house is a servants quarters divided up into four rooms, and as of yet I have no idea how many people are actually staying back there (I have seen at least three women, a teenager, and three kids). I am sharing the house with three people working on the same project as me. Jairos (who works for The Cooperative League of the USA - CLUSA) Steve (Who ... read more

We arrived in Livingstone late, after driving over some of the worlds biggest potholes at about 140 kph! So it was off to bed pretty quickly. The next day I said my good bye's to Sanele with a promise too visit his art sudio in Victoria Falls in couple of days even saying that I would go to Zimbabwe a day early despite my reservations about what I had heard with regard to their attitude towards the British. My intention was to go and visit the falls, however it started raining so I was going no where very quickly. Again. I went the next day instead. I had heard that you get wet, I had heard that it is an awesome sight. I had heard that it really does deserve its reputation as one of the ... read more

I was at the bus station at 8.30 all ready and waiting for the bus to depart at 9, like the timetable said it would. 9 came and went. As did 10. We finally set off at 10.45 headed for Lusaka the capital of Zambia, which in itself is classified as being 'Somewhere in Central Africa'. The first part of the journey I started to talk to a white Zambian who started to explain the problems black Zambians have. The jist of the conversation was that they are lazy and dont plan for the future. At first I put this down to racism however his seat on the bus was taken by a a black Zambian student. On our way up we started talking about what Zambia, and Africa, was actually like too live in. We ... read more

Tonight I’m leaving for Zambia to volunteer as a development worker with Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB)! After two red-eye flights through London and Johannesburg, I’ll land in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. I will be partnered with an international non-governmental organization (NGO) called International Development Enterprises (IDE). IDE focuses on simple irrigation technology for smallholder farmers like the human-powered treadle pump (which looks like a stairmaster and pumps about 1 liter of water per second) and drip irrigation. Unlike other organizations that give away technology and create donor dependency, IDE tries to set up a supply chain for the pumps which involves finding local manufacturers who sell directly to the farmers. They also ensure there is transportation to market for the farmer’s increased crop yields. I will be working on two projects; the firs... read more

I woke early this morning after an extremely comfortable sleep. I was in a small dome tent just big enough to fit me, but I have never had such a ‘lekke’ sleep, the noises and fresh air on the outside was enough to make me feel dreamy. We started the day with a fried breakfast; absolutely yummy before heading over to a spot near the lake where 3 Elephants where waiting with some trainers. We jumped on the Elephants and went walking around the bush for an hour or so looking for game. Game is the term used for African wildlife apparently. Upon returning back to base; the Elephants where led into the river with us still on! To put it in term, for the next 15minutes we swam with Elephants. I’m not sure whether it ... read more