Notes from Zambia
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December 29, 2008
Action packed adventures
Due to busy schedules, late nights, and lack of power this blog is long over due.
Two weekends ago (during one of the many power outtage in Lusaka) Debby and I traveled to Livingstone in the southern province of Zambia. After a long and bumpy bus ride, we arrived in the Livingstone. I was glad I had listened to my instincts and taken a motion sickness pill prior to boarding the bus-there were pot holes big enough on the dirt road to swallow a Honda Civic. Since we would only be there for 1 full day, we packed all the adventure we could fit into our Saturday.
We started out the early morning with a white water rafting trip down the Zambezi river. For those of you who are familiar with rafting, this was a level 5! Our 1man, 5 woman raft was the only one to make it through all of the first 10 rapids without flipping, or sending a (wo)man overboard-WooHoo. During the calm times, our rafting guide let us get out and swim in the river along side the boat--while they said they were joking about the crocodiles in the river, I was still on the lookout, and positive I saw a pair of eyeballs sitting just at water level. The rafting trip was exciting, extremely fun, and very tiring. But the worst part about it--was the climb out of the gorge after the trip. The only way out for those of us who did a 1/2 day trip was to scale the rocks and make shift ladder up the side of the steep embankment. And of course, I hadn't worn proper foot attire, so I did the mega climb barefoot. I kept challening the energy and strength of the african boys who were running up past me on the twigs bolted together as a ladder, carrying big metal frames barefoot as well. However, it was great fun, and I'm so glad we did it.
Our rafting gear. I'm assuming this is labeled as such just in case we get lost in the river, they'll knowwhere to return us.
After our rafting trip we caught a taxi to Victoria Falls and the intercountry bridge. But along the way we spotted a wild elephant along the roadside having a snack.
Before heading to see the falls upclose and personal, we had to make one detour...the jump of doom! Debby's scary bungee jump. The bridge spans the Zambezi river at 111 meters high between Zambia and Zimbabwe-so we did technically cross into another african country! No passport stamp though. After Debby's bungee jump, we went to see one of the seven wonders of the world! And a truely spectacular site it was. Just amazing!
On the master's project homefront, we had a good week last week of a full focus group. The interviews and focus groups have been conducted in Nynaja-the local language, so I've taken a back seat and let Alisad our interpreter take the lead. The great thing about Alisad, is that not only does he speak the three most popular languages in Zambia, but he's conducted focus groups before so he knows what he's doing. He has made all the difference in the world for our project as he knows the culture of the people so well and can really make them feel comfortable. And! today we met with our transcriptionists and will soon have interviews to review! The hardest part about the trascribing is that finding good typists is hard to come by. But we met with them and Ifeel confident it will all work out just fine.
December 26, 2008
A Very Merry African Christmas
Wishing everyone happy holidays. We hear back home the season has been a white winter wonderland, however here its been a damp, lush-green holiday season. Yesterday we were invited by Jason Paltzer, Debby's former field experience preceptor, to join him and his family at their Christmas day church service. In the afternoon we were invited to the farm of the Dr. whom we work with here. His 10acre farm houses many unofficial foster children and friends so we were glad to be welcomed into this extended family holiday bbq. There was no turkey or ham, but some delicious Zambeef steaks along with stuffing, pasta salad, and gormet tomato salad provided by us! We danced, sang, and had a jolly ole time.
A tasty Christmas cake! yum yum yum!
We found Santa's LIttle Helpers preparing for the big night
Musicians spreading the holiday spirit at Manda Hill
This is for my worrisome mother, so she can see that I had a real christmas while here--it really does exist in Africa! While it wasn't traditional by our usual standards, it was just as pleasant and fun to experience other holiday traditions with new family and friends. We look forward to the next week and another upcoming holiday--Zambian New Years! For those of you back home, we're 8hours ahead so we'll ring in the New Year at 2pm Minnesota time. We'll give you a heads up about how things are in 2009.
Hello family and friends! As you can tell, we had a wonderful Christmas here. I did miss a few of the traditions from back home such as the brunch strata, the family around the fire, the jigsaw puzzle, and the familiar Christmas music playing in the background. But it is always good to experience something new. And the liver stuffing, friends around the balcony overlooking the pool, and the crazy dancing (Dr. Tim and his nshima dance!) were definitely new! I hope you all had (and continue to have) a great holiday back in the Midwest, the East Coast, the Southwest, or wherever else you may be! xoxo
A Very Merry African Christmas
Wishing everyone happy holidays. We hear back home the season has been a white winter wonderland, however here its been a damp, lush-green holiday season. Yesterday we were invited by Jason Paltzer, Debby's former field experience preceptor, to join him and his family at their Christmas day church service. In the afternoon we were invited to the farm of the Dr. whom we work with here. His 10acre farm houses many unofficial foster children and friends so we were glad to be welcomed into this extended family holiday bbq. There was no turkey or ham, but some delicious Zambeef steaks along with stuffing, pasta salad, and gormet tomato salad provided by us! We danced, sang, and had a jolly ole time.
A tasty Christmas cake! yum yum yum!
We found Santa's LIttle Helpers preparing for the big night
Musicians spreading the holiday spirit at Manda Hill
This is for my worrisome mother, so she can see that I had a real christmas while here--it really does exist in Africa! While it wasn't traditional by our usual standards, it was just as pleasant and fun to experience other holiday traditions with new family and friends. We look forward to the next week and another upcoming holiday--Zambian New Years! For those of you back home, we're 8hours ahead so we'll ring in the New Year at 2pm Minnesota time. We'll give you a heads up about how things are in 2009.
Hello family and friends! As you can tell, we had a wonderful Christmas here. I did miss a few of the traditions from back home such as the brunch strata, the family around the fire, the jigsaw puzzle, and the familiar Christmas music playing in the background. But it is always good to experience something new. And the liver stuffing, friends around the balcony overlooking the pool, and the crazy dancing (Dr. Tim and his nshima dance!) were definitely new! I hope you all had (and continue to have) a great holiday back in the Midwest, the East Coast, the Southwest, or wherever else you may be! xoxo
December 23, 2008
Mwaukabwanji (How are you?!)
Dec 11-Dec 16
IN TRANSIT MODE..
Everything in Nairobi was wonderful. We had such a great time there (see blog before). And then Kenyan Airways spoiled it during our departure to Lusaka. Usually, I love flying on international airlines. You receive at least one meal per flight, drinks (including alcoholic), free movies, and friendly staff. But we barely made it on the flight. We had our tickets. We had our passports. We just had too many bags, which some of you might think this is normal for me, but this had not been an issue during our other flights from MSP to Amsterdam to Nairobi. For some reason, we were charged $6/extra kilo. We were fuming. And then, when we were filling out our departure forms for customs, this woman comes and tells me I cannot proceed because I had two carry-ons (again, my same exact carry-ons since MSP). She didn’t understand that my backpack was considered my personal bag. We argued for about 30mins, but instead of missing our flight (or being thrown into jail!), we sucked it up, paid the extra and off we were to a waiting room, where everyone else had two carry-ons, and a plane where half the seats were empty. Go figure. Needless to say, I was not a happy flyer.
On a lighter note, this was the view from the plane while going over the border of Kenya and Tanzania (and it must be noted- Lizz Hutchinson and Sarah Sevcik climbed to the top of this while in Tanzania over the summer!)
ARRIVAL IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY…
It felt so great to be back in Lusaka, especially with what happened in Nairobi airport. Phridae, Tiny Tim and Friends (TTF) project manager, and Moses, a friend of TTF, greeted us at the airport. Everything was so familiar except the foliage. During the rainy season (and Zambian summer), everything is so green! The landscape is much more appealing than when I was here last. There are other differences too between my stay four months ago and now. We are staying at the Lusaka Health Institute, School of Nursing. It is a small campus with one building for the admin and classrooms, and a few apartments for third year nursing students. We have two bedrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen, and a bathroom with hot water. There is no shower, only a tub and no laundry facility. And occasionally there are a few roaches in the kitchen and some little lizards in the sitting room.
Front entrance of Lusaka Health Institute
Steph as a critter killer!
Its extremely hot and humid here, which can be difficult when walking long distances. But as Stephanie says- this is what the rest of the world does. To get into town, we have to walk about 25mins to the bus stop, with a leg of it along the Great East Road. This road is heavily trafficked and the exhaust fumes from trucks and buses are horrendous.
Us trying to protect ourselves- public health would be proud!
On Sunday night we joined Dr. Tim, Tiny Tim, and the rest of the family at the farm. Every Sunday they make homemade pizzas, and they are delicious! We also discussed our project in more detail so it could get underway.
Steph and I with Tiny TIm at the Farm
Projects are going extremely well for only being in Lusaka for 6 days. We have visited a Women’s Group at Rev. Zimba’s Transit Home in an area called John Laing. Here, HIV+ women from Tiny Tim and Friends, come together and make beaded bracelets, knit handbags with plastic bags, and paint notecards.
In action...
Yesterday I was able to interview one child and one guardian for my project. On Tuesday and Thursday, patients come in to TTF for check-ups, medication re-fill, and follow-ups. I was thrilled with the way the interviews were going until during one, the audio machine just stopped. The batteries had failed me. Ah, the first mishap of my project. But I problem-solved and all will be okay. Keep your fingers crossed.
On Dec 16, we visited Our Lady’s Hospice in Kalingalinga. I was expecting a place like Mother Teresa’s Hospice, but that was not the case. Instead, Our Lady’s Hospice has a well-kept landscape, complete with grass, flowers, and tress, an out-patient clinic, five buildings for where all 30 in-patient persons stay, and a laundry facility. They are well staffed with 6 nurses, 25 caregivers (equivalent to a nursing assistant), and one doctor. Many patients are chronically ill with cancer and HIV/AIDS who need rehabilitation or intravenous treatment. We visited with three patients- talked about family, hardships, courage, and things of that they enjoy doing.
The grounds
Makeshift wheelchair at Our Lady’s Hospice
And last but not least, In both Kenya and Zambia, everyone asks about Obama. They love him. This is a pin from Election Day...
Stay tuned for more!
December 22, 2008
Nairobi, Kenya
Dec 7-Dec 11 2008
Stephanie and I arrived in Nairobi after a gazillion hours of travel. However, the flying was more broken up than the last time I came to Africa, which I appreciated. We got into the country on a transit visa, which saved us $30. Yay for our negotiation skills! The time in Nairobi was our extended layover, which I must say was much more eventful than other layovers I have experienced.
Nairobi is not at all like Lusaka; it is very modernized, with taller buildings, parks, large shopping centers, etc. We stayed in a fancy hotel, equipped with a garden, a small gym, and a continental breakfast of omelets, fruits, croissants, cheese, and sandwich meat. Needless to say, I felt as if we were in States. UNTIL….
We came across the animals!
Our first stop was the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage. In Kenya, many baby elephants are found abandoned due to poaching of the mothers. This orphanage rescues the elephants, cares for them, and then reintroduces them to the wild. The orphanage is located in a National Park and so their reintroduction to the wild is not difficult at all. We saw two groups of elephants in the nursery- one was the younger batch, while the other was older. They treat the elephants just like a human infant is cared for. Workers watch for developmental milestones and give them the proper love and care they need.
They love to play in the mud!
Baby elephant getting fed
Next we headed to the Giraffe Center, where we were able to feed giraffes. The highlight: We were kissed by a Giraffe! The giraffes were eager to eat food both from our hands and our lips! His tongue was like sandpaper, so it wasn’t a slimy kiss, but nonetheless, it was very awkward.
MWAAAAAAAH!
And finally, we went on a Nature Walk. We had been under the impression that it was going to be a safari-like hike, but instead we saw animals behind fences. Since Stephanie can’t leave Africa without being on a real safari, we will have to travel to a Park in Zambia. I will not complain! On the nature walk, we saw were albino zebras, a white rhino, a leopard, and a cheetah, which were all new on my list of things to see in Africa. In fact, we were able to pet the cheetah! The animal-keeper lured the cheetah over to us, where we were inside the cheetah’s roaming territory. Slightly frightening at first, but he/she was just like a big lazy house cat, with rougher fur. And he/she runs way faster and eats antelope for dinner.
In addition, we visited Kazuri, which is a bead factory. This factory was started to give women a source of income. Beads are made here- starting from the clay and finishing with millions of beautiful painted and sometimes glossed beads. These beads are exported all over the world, and Kazuri does such a great job, they receive specific orders from their clients.
The clay beads drying before the paint job
Look at all the beautiful designs and colors!
The next day we decided to learn about Kenya’s history. We went to the National Museum, where we saw paintings, artifacts, stuffed animals (by taxonomy), bones from millions of years ago (including famous Lucy’s skeleton), and traditional clothing (including headdresses and crotch covers). We went to the Bomas of Kenya, where we watched traditional dances from all over Kenya. At Bomas of Kenya, they have 37 dances and 11 ethnic groups including Kikuyu, Luhya, Kalenjin, Taita, Maasai, Luo, Kuria, Kisii, Kamba, Mijikenda and Embu. The colors of the clothing, the sound of the music, the movements of the dancers, and the enthusiasm were spectacular. This was the first time Steph and I busted out the video camera! It allowed us to practice our AV skills and we can now share with everyone Kenya’s songs and dances.
XOXO from Africa
December 16, 2008
December 7, 2008
Deb and Steph's African Adventure Begins!
Its that time of year again! Steph and I are heading to Africa!
In about 3 hours we will be on Kenyan Airways, heading to Nairobi, Kenya and then Lusaka, Zambia. We are sad to be missing the holiday season, and the Midwestern wintery weather, and of course all family and friends will be greatly missed, but what can we say, it’s AFRICA! With it being Zambia’s rainy season, we will be sweating in the 90 degree weather and wading through washed-out roads.
PROJECT!
Stephanie and I are heading to Zambia to collect data for our MPH Master’s Projects. We will be there for approximately 5.5 weeks while we complete a program evaluation of Tiny Tim and Friends. I am focusing on the care and treatment of HIV+ orphans and other vulnerable children aspect of the program, while Steph is focusing on the prevention on mother-to–child transmission of HIV. We will be conducting focus groups and interviews with the help of an interpreter.
SHOUT OUTS!
1. My dad for donating supplies such as hospital gowns, cloth diapers, and butt paste. These items will be given to the House of Moses and Mother Teresa’s Hospice, which are two places that I spent time at over this past summer. Many of the infants have severe diaper rash, so hopefully the soft cloths and the butt cream can help out their little bottoms!
2. Claire and Sam for donating their out-grown baby clothes. Its great that little children can help out others who live on the other side of the world. These two are an example for all.
3. Amanda Guay and her 3rd and 4th grade class at Green Lake School in Wisconsin. Amanda is a long-time friend of mine who decided to spread awareness about children who live in resource-poor areas. She conducted a November project where she taught the children about the children’s lives in Africa and the children wrote letters and colored pictures for students in Lusaka. I will be distributing the letters and pictures to schools around the city. It is so great that friendships across the globe can be created. Amanda's project also led to a Mosquito Net fundraiser by the children and their families. I encourage you all to check out Amanda’s classroom webpage to see more info and pictures: http://www.glsd.k12.wi.us/faculty/aguay/november.cfm
Thank you Amanda for being a dedicated and inspiring teacher and thank you to all the students for sharing your creative and compassionate hearts.
4. Stephanie’s mom for donating medical supplies such as vials and specimen containers. These are items that are necessary for proper testing and screening. Thanks Ms. Hengst!!!
And... away we go!
xoxo,
Debby
December 4, 2008
Testing 1, 2...
Thursday. Dec 4, 2008
This is my test run for blogging while in Zambia.
Debby and I leave in 3 days, and I haven't even begun to think about packing or anything else for this trip. Packing will most likely commence on Sat night at the earliest as I still have 5 assignments due for the end of this semester. However, once I get on the plane I'm sure the excitement will set in.
While in Zambia, Deb and I will be blogging rather than emailing. Check here for updates and pictures from our trip, project, and other wild adventures.
So long for now, its Africa or Bust for this pair.
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