UrsulainZambia: July in Mumbwa

I'd been warned by most people that July would be freezing, so I dug my ski socks out of my pack, expecting the worst. In fact, July has been absolutly beautiful, with warm sunny days, blue skies and mild nights. I don't know where all this scare mongering came from.

The past few weeks have seen our programme begin to wind down in preparation for our withdrawal from the school in August. I'm not sure if the school will be having volunteers again next year, so we have to prepare the school, teachers and pupils, to run the programme by themselves. This is pretty ambitious, but I really hope they keep some elements going. One of the ways we're trying to do this is by training a group of students, 50 from grades 5 to 9, to be peer leaders to carry the work of SPW on. As well as information on HIV/AIDS, we also did lots of team building and leadership games with them, which is a novel concept for children who are used to doing anything that is asked of them, without questioning.

Playing 'ground volleyball'

Wheel barrow races - demonstrating working together

I've also now taught my last lesson at Makasa, which is really sad, but we made sure we had lots of fun. I took in crayons to the younger grades to do posters on what they have learnt, seeing their faces light up was magic! Hilariously most of the grade 5s made posters about condoms, and even drew pictures! When I asked how they knew what a condom looked like the answer was 'nikugula ku market' ('we buy them in the market'), haha!

My favourite poster - a condom and the Zambian flag

Me, Mr Mwamba the grade 7 teacher, and Mercy

Grade 8 at Shimbizhi Basic School

Mapalo, umbuya (grandma) and Emmanuel. Umbuya lives at the school, unfortunatly she only speaks vernacular, so our conversations are pretty limited to greetings and me trying out the new words I've picked up that day. Although she looks ancient, she's probably only about 45.

Mapalo (3 years old) and me - we are now best friends, she even came with me to a meeting with the village headmen! Also supporting the hippy chic look with braids - they took 10 hours! It got a lot of respect from everyone here though, who couldn't understand why we don't always braid our hair. Lots of people also though I was a coloured, and it created much confusion. My hair is still recovering from 2 weeks without a wash - ming has reached a whole new level.

This is Mrs Chansa, a teacher, and her new born baby girl and 3 sons. Listening to her traumatic experience of giving birth was a shocking reminder of how undeveloped Mumbwa is. The baby decided to make an appearance late at night, and the family couldn't contact any taxi drivers. They live in a compound the otherside of the boma to the hospital. She had to walk for an hour and a half to the hospital, arriving just in time to deliver. By 4am she was back home, and by 5.30am making breakfast and sweeping the yard. With the family resting entirely on her she has no other choice.

Just last weekend one of the male teachers from school passed away, from what was suspected meningitus. He was just 29 years old. His widow was a volunteer at the school last year (big scandal - another long story), but is only 19. Life expectancy here is 32 years, but many people never reach past their 20s. In true Zambian fashion the screams of the widow and female family members carried on the whole weekend and through the funeral. I think it is my British stiff upper lip showing through, but the panic attacks, wailing, falling over and having to be dragged from home to church to burial of the women was disturbing to say the least. It seems so undignified, and such an unnatural way to grieve, but I guess if there's not that display people will be curious of why you're not following tradition.

On a slightly lighter note, we made a trip with some friends to explore the hot spring of Mumbwa - which is used as a bathing spot for guys. I was impressed though - bath warm water bubbling up in a small stream, and a some nice views of the area too.