06.12.10

With my trip finally booked I felt relieved. As for plans for today, I knew I wanted to go to the orphanage.

It just so happened that one of the Australian guys I was talking with knew a guy called 'Chris' who was volunteering there. As we were talking who should appear, but Chris! He said that I could go along with him straight away as he was working this morning. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth and even though I had not yet touched the coffee I had just bought, I ran to get some water and sunscreen, and we set off! I learned later that he did not work at the orphanage at all, it was a community based project at the Linda Community School, but was such a worthwhile experience anyway!

The scenery quickly became very different to the centre of Livingstone and levels of poverty became apparent. Pot holed roads caused a very bumpy ride (no more complaining about the rods in Hertfordshire!). Corrugated iron roofed buildings and plastic walled shacks became more common, as did litter, dirt and wandering dogs and chickens.

The community school was a non government funded school. This meant that only the head teacher was paid by the government (not sure how they received this funding from the government?). Other teachers worked there, but their pay came from elsewhere. The secondary schools in Zambia are not free and many families cannot afford to send the children they care for there, hence the community school being set up. The majority of the children are being cared for by foster parents or by close family members - most parents having dies from AIDs or other related illness. The school had now broken up for the holidays and they would have 4 weeks off. This is where the organization that Chris organized his volunteering with came in. They would organize for volunteers to go to the school and complete activities there with the children; he was there to coach rugby. He had funded the trip himself and paid 2.5k for 4 weeks. They had organized everything for him, so he said for that part it was worth going through an organization.

We arrived at the community school and was immediately struck with how basic it was. They had a school hall with metal benches, which smelt badly (one of which was urine). There were around 4 other classrooms with a similar seating, desks and concrete walls - mainly bare but for handwritten exam results and a couple of English words for different family members. The school was totally empty and we were told by some of the children that everyone was waiting at the playing fields (in the very loose sense of the word), so the boys took us there. They were very inquisitive and introduced themselves to me. The lanes were muddy and bumpy and the shacks and dirt continued as we walked through. Finally I was introduced to Christabel, a teacher at the school.

This morning we would be going to the market to get food for the children. This was something that Chris was paying for out of his own pocket as wanted to contribute something which he knew was going directly to the children. He was unsure how much of the 2.5k would be going to them. To get the market we needed to catch a little combi bus. It still amazes me how many people they mange to squeeze onto those things! It was 1500kw -about 20pence.

The market was a pretty surreal experience and one which was a first for me. We walked though a double gate into a large walled enclosure (it could be described as a run down dirty courtyard I suppose), where there was row after row of stalls, jammed tightly in. This part of the market sold food fresh mainly but some packet stuff. Walking through a small alleyway I saw more packets of things like plastic bags, batteries, long bars o f soap, matches, bottle of oil and numerous other bits and bobs. They also had fat cakes here and bread. There were so many different smells and plenty of flies swarming around. I just gritted my teeth and got on with things - these people do everyday of their lives.

The first stall we walked to was a fish stall selling dried fish - half whole ones and small ones, almost like anchovies. The fish were stacked in piles and the flies were sitting on the heaps and flying around. The smell was strong but I greeted the two women and one man behind the table with a smile. We bought two large carrier bags and some beans (the same ones I have had before that need soaking overnight). We then walked around and bought 10 cabbages, lots of tomatoes, salt and oil. There was just the three of us to carry this - and the three bags of maize meal (which you will see from the photos, were not at all light!). We got a taxi back and I was surprised with the weight in the back and the boot that we moved at all!

Once back we hired a couple of metal tins, which would be used as cookers and also bought coal. What a quaint way of cooking! We left Christabel to the cooking an walked off to the playing fields where the boys were now playing football. Normally the girls would be joining in but today they did not, so I sat in the shade with them - until Christabel called and said she needed the girls to help with the cooking.

So we left the boys to it -something which is quite commonplace out here, and walked back to the school. It was great to learn about what was eaten and how it was cooked. The seshmi (maize meal) was added to boiling water until it became really thick - imagine flour being poured into boiling water and then the final texture being like thick mashed potato. In another pot, the cabbage was added to oil and tomato and fried. The final dish was the dried fish (which really smelt strong), oil was heated and then the salt added, fish and lastly some chopped tomatoes. The cooking took about 2 hours and hungry children came back from the playing fields, sitting around, waiting for the feast to begin! As they waited, they collected mangoes from the mango trees that were within the school grounds. Apparently these are all around - and are eaten freely. I tried one and although a little stringy, it was very tasty indeed!

Finally the food was ready and it was served in three bowls. The Seshmi was used as a spoon in a way, to pick up the cabbage and fish. The boys sat around in groups on the floor, sharing their food and chatting way. They gobbled it down and many were rubbing their bellies at the end as if showing that they were full. Many had big grins on their faces. Chris and I were also given some bowls to try - the Seshmi was what I had tried the other night (Similar to pap) and again was quite nice. The cabbage was also nice and I tried the fish for the sake of the 'experience' but it very nearly came back up in my mouth!

By now it was almost 2pm so we said our goodbyes and headed back to jollyboys. It had been such an experience and I am glad I got to see the 'other side' of Livingstone. The poverty knocked me for six as I have seen a little of this in Tshesebe but not on this kind of scale. As we waited for the taxi to pick us up, two white doves flew past us - we could not believe it! They were completely white. Looking it up a few days later, there were no doves in Zambia so made for a very memorable moment…..

When I got back to Jollyboys I sat on the edge of the pool, dangling my legs and eating bread and cheese. Bliss!

In the evening Chris invited me out with a couple of others that he had met at Jollyboys. One of which would be going on the safari. We went to a pizza place called 'Olga's' which to be honest sounded awful, but was really nice! The food was scrumptious and what was even better for me was that all profits went to a youth project within Livingstone to help youth get work by training them in certain skills (such as carpentry). It felt very ethical!

After a chat with Carlos when I got back, I went to bed at 10.00. My bag was all packed and I was ready for my 2nd safari adventure! How very exciting indeed!!