Village Life

Yes, there is a power pole in this picture. They are lined up everywhere, even in the MOST secluded areas. Many Zambians carry around a cell phone, even in the villages (depending on how far away the nearest big town is). Since the rainy season is starting up, we don't see many of these beautiful sunsets where we can see the sun. But, we did get to see these types of sunsets nearly every night for the last 8 weeks!

If there is not a town around, there are these many walking paths that people use to get from place to place. A lot of them are to and from where the Zambians get their water, passing between villages or other people's homes. I have been on these little trails before and have met man-made bridges consisting of car doors over a ditch or stepping stones in wet areas. Most of the stay here, the only thing that was green were the trees because the ground was pure brown dirt and dry grass. And, sadly, the only wildlife around are the normal bugs, spiders, hornets, dassie rats, and dogs.

On a few of our village visits at the end of last week, we helped carry water to the Zambians we were visiting. This picture shows what little water they have - it is about a foot and a half deep. Once it is dry, the Zambians wait for the hole to fill again, either by rain or by some underground spring that slowly seeps water up into the hole. Once collecting the water, a few of the girls from the group carried it on their heads (I watched). I have read that women who carry heavy loads atop their heads for an extended period of time causes their back vertebrae to compress together due to the weight. However, most village girls start learning to carry loads atop their heads as young (or younger) as six years old.

Apart of the village life is the extensive chickens that are running around. Although it seems like there are a lot of squawking, if there were visitors or family members from another village, the chicken population is greatly reduced. But, every village I have been to or driven by has had at least three or four chickens running around. These last few visits, I even saw some kittens and one or two puppies, which is a rare pet to have since they are of no value (except dogs are used for watch dogs, but most are feared due to being wild or having possible rabies). The hut behind the chicken nests in this picture is used as a storage area and to keep the valuables off the ground from animals. Also, most of the people I have met are farmers or work with some sort of beef or crop business - either it be tobacco or maize crops, which are the two biggest crops here in Zambia. Zambians also cell their garden products (if they have a garden), or they are workers for white or Zambian farmers.

The last picture is what a village looks like. The first building on the right is an area where Zambians go to get out of the hot sun as a social place to talk and relax. The other brick buildings on the left are homes. There may be nothing but a few rugs and home-made stools inside to sit on. But, their kitchens are outside with an open fire and great metal cooking pots to cook nshima (made of finely ground maize - looks like flour). They also eat kapenta - a fish that looks like a large minnow, about two or three inches in length that the Zambians usually eat dried like potato chips.

As my time here is coming to a close, I am enjoying every bit of being with the guest house staff (they are like family!), and allowing my experiences here to register and commit to memory. And I still have so many more stories to tell all of you once I get back!

Next stop: Livingstone - Victoria Falls, evening safari, and more exploring!

Disclaimer: None of these pictures are mine - so a lot of the girls are very good with photography!