Chipolopolo

Sunny regards from Zambia. It is not getting colder here...that's for sure! My skin is pealing off my nose and I consider using sunblocker even at nights.....!
The last days were like a Rollercoaster-ride....Let me start with Wednesday and Thursday. Actually There is not so much to say since I spent most of the day (and night !) in the bathroom. I realized that an upset stomach is part of every journey I made and Zambia would not be an exception. I lost about 3 kilos which I had to gain back on Friday. After a few hours at the office in order to let everybody know that I am alive and that it is NOT Malaria, Marten, Domi, and me went to the mall in order to enjoy a good, american meal. We made it our tradition to meet up on Fridays and get something to eat that contains neither Pasta nor Pasta....Did I mention that I eat a lot of Pasta?!
However, we witnessed an interesting aspect that appeared to be present in many other places in town. The head of the restaurant was an old, american Lady who thought it would be appropriate to criticize and complain about out personal (!) waitress in front of us. This power game was a disturbing picture since it made the whole prejudices we were told come true. A friend of me told me a couple of days earlier that some people still think that authority replaces humanness".

On Saturday we decided to leave for some excursion in order to benefit from the sunny (yes it was sunny again) weather. We headed to Munda Wanga which is an Environmental Park that takes care of all the animals that are too weak to be sent into the wild. We were the only visitors and we enjoyed the 45 minute walk along the compounds with lions,antilopes, and many other animals. It was weird since it felt like a zoo but these animals actually live in this country and have been born here as well. We are though really looking forward to see them in real wilderness. Funny story: Independent from each other, we looked up information about the same camp in Kafue National Park and decided to go the for a long weekend in March!

We spent a couple of hours at Arcades (the big shopping mall) and waited for the kick-off of the quarterfinal between Sambia and Sudan. Lucky enough we were at the bar quiet early so we got seats with good view. The places was crowded and the next two hours should be an experience I will never forget. I have seen many matches in many different places, from Argentinian fanatics to Swedish exctase on the couch with Ralle, but this was just amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing. Ever single person was dancing, singing, shouting, cheering, screaming and everything that you can relate to movement and joy. It was very catching and soon enough we were joining the Zambians on the tables, cheering for the Chipolopolo and having local beers all together. Zambia won by 3 goals and on our way back we witnessed parades of cars, people dancing on driving (!) buses, dancing people on the roofs and not to be missed, the VUVUZELAS. I could still hear them when I got up the next morning.

Sunday was a lazy day...Highlights: Played soccer with the kids outside the gate. I was trying to keep up with the guys but they are quick...way too quick for me who is way out of shape.
I did laundry (hand wash only) and had to witness how our puppy (Sasha) ate up one of my socks that fell down from the rope.

Entering the third week, I feel good.....excited about many things to come and about this week's activities at school. I wish you all a good start in the week and post some pictures later today.

Mulenga Joe

Physical Education with 2nd grade

Here just a few pictures from today's PE lesson with the 2nd grade. Today we were focusing on football drills and the importance of hygene!

Good Morning Coach Joe!

Today I had to get up at 5.45 since I was asked by the head of the Libala High School to be at the weekly assembly. While I was standing next to the teachers in front of circa 800 pupils,  agroup of 8 graders sang the national  anthem and read out the weekly prayer. I was presented as the new "coach" that will assist them to improve the skills and lead them to succesful times on and off the field. I was heartly welcomed by a loud "GOOD MORNING, COACH JOE!!!".

Today we had Physical Education at Burma Basic School, so I finished some paper work before getting to the site with Chenge and Levy. This time I brought my camera and so I was able to take some pictures. We had the 8 graders today so we went for some interesting active games accompanied by a lot of singing and dancing. I am on my way to learn the basic songs that make them stretch and move like the Coach wants them to...it is just not that easy to pronounce this language and my motor function leaves a lot to be desired. However, we had a lot of fun and introduced this week's topic to the kids. Most of the activties and games will be framed withing the topic of HIV/Aids.

Afterwards, we took some minutes to get some snacks and some refreshements on the market and we had a great time joking around, teaching me new expression like "Ey, Chicken....move!" which appears tp be helpful in the crowded busses! :) I dare, however, to make use of it since I haven't learned how to say "Sorry...I did not mean to insult you....My friends told me to say that!" Only then I might use it!

Today is Monday so that means that I am focusing on my studies and some research regarding my thesis-topic. I got in touch with some partner organization as well as journalists who I will meet up next week. I am doing really fine in this country and can't wait to get more and more involved in the activities as well as implement new projects! So far I am trying to get as many people as possible from back home to donate their old, washed-out or small sport jerseys so I can send them to this organization. The reason is simple....For most children, and I experience that every day when going to sport classes, the outfit is an essential and crucial precondition for getting active in sport activities. What we might take for granted is often one of the obstacles to benefit from the many advantages that sport brings with. If you have some jerseys or sport outfits in your closet that you do not need anymore, or you know somebody who might do so, just send me an email and I will set you on the list of potential donations. Further information will be provided!

Have a good start in the week! Regards from Zambia!

Mwauka Bwanji

Mwauka bwanji everybody.

I am sitting in the office on a Monday morning after an eventful and really exciting weekend. But let's start the highlights in order.

1) Since Friday we are 2 more in the SIA-family. Dominique and Marten from Holland joined the SIA-house and are staying for 6 months in Zambia! On Friday we more or less showed them around and went grocery shopping. After 5 days of pasta I felt like mixing it up a bit....so I bought some rice!

2) On Saturday I went to "school games" at Libala High (School). Raul, my collegue at the organization, is the coach of the girls-basketball team at Libala High. The schoolgames turned oput to be a tournment between 5 schools in basketball and football. The football field was more or less an acre with two posts and a bumpy field of grass. It was, thus, eve more impressive how the palyers performed. What was even more impressive was the celebration when somebody scored a goal. Players started to dace, to do backflips and to jump through the air like...yeah like what?!

Another thing that amazed me was the warm-up sessions before the matches. The whole team is jogging in file, dancing, singing and throwing themselves on the ground. It is just catching and so much fun to look at....it is the joy in their face and the passion they have for the game and the music that creates this wonderful picture.

At the same time on the basketball-court (streetball) boys and girls were battling out the prestigefull glory of being the best school on the court. I was surprised by the physical intensity and the partly very spectacular games. Apart from that I met a lot of new people and had some interesting chats about the current performance of the Zambian football team. While Raoul was busy coaching the boys and girls of "his" school, I switched my chair frequently between the two fields, enjoying the games in the sun...oh did I mention that it was sunny again. I heard afterwards that we had 42°C that day! At night I most likely looked like a lobster who just jumped out of boiling water. It was a great day and I took some great pictures from the fields. Too bad that I couldnt join the others out for some drinks...the sun was giving me a hard time.

                                            

On Sunday the two dutch and the two norwegian and me went to the Sunday Market. I could have spent a lot of money since there were lots of amazing handmade stuff and potential souvenirs. I figured, however, that I will have to come back at a later stage. We spent the day walking around the market and taking pictures of our neighbourhood. My personal highlight were two sales women at the street who gave us two fresh Mangos for free when we bought some fruits. Not onyl were the Mangos really really good, but we are now officially their best friends for life. It seems to be quiet easy to get in touch wit the locals here which eases the whole transition process from "being used to your surrounding" to "being the white stranger". Even though one is more than aware of the fact that the colour of skin should not be a matter of concern, it is an interesting process one experiences when people continuesly tell you that you are "white".
The Sunday should not end without two additional highlights.

1) I had my first Zambian beers after I realized that I would never be able to keep my "promise" not to drink for the 10 weeks I am in Zambia. It is just not ME....watching soccer, chilling in the afternoon sun and NOT holding a cold beer in your hands while chatting with your African friends.

2) Zambia vs. Equatorial Guinea....Final match of the group stage..."Colour"-TV, CheeseBalls, and a screaming crowd in front of the screen when OUR captain Katongo scored the important 1:0 for Zambia which meant that we qualified for the quarter-final. Tonight we will know whether we are going to face Angola or the Ivory Coast. But everybody is pretty confident that we can beat any team this year. The spirit that this team brings on the field is accompanied by the touching background of Zambia's participation at the African Cup of Nations. In 1993, the whole Zambian national team died in a plane crash when they left Libreville, Gabon for a FIFA world cup qualificaiton match in Senegal. A resurrected team defied the odds, and displaying an offensive playing style, came second place after losing the final of the Cup 1994 against Nigeria. This year the "Chipolopolo" want the title more than ever since the final will be played in Libreville, Gabon! 

You gotta love it...

After a few days of looking how things work out in Zambia, I am now updating you on the recent events.

Since I can imagine that it is not in everybody's interest to read long texts and jump from one paragraph to the next, I will provide you with the highlights of the week so far

1) 3 days of sunshine make me almost look like a local! Good work of the sunblocker and the moskito spray....Statisitcs so far: Moskitoes killed: 5 Moskito bites: 0.....winner after points: Johannes fran Lönneberga!

2) First days of working at the schools with super cute 6 and 8-years old children. Getting to know the difficulty to manage practice and sportive activties for 120 (!) children at once. Coach Joe together with his friends, jumping and singing in Njanja (one of the 78987552 zambian languages), doing exercises and races and telling the kids about important life skills such as trust, teamwork, honesty. I am wondering if anybody would notice if I just take all of them with me...did I already mention that they are SO cute! Writing the repots at office and studying became routine and makes time passing by quiet fast.

3) Zambia got a draw against Lybia and has good chances to qualify for the final stage of the African Cup of Nations. People are nuts when it comes to their team, the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) and I danced together with my Zambian roommates in front of a not so coulourful Coulour-TV when they scored. Everything is in movement...dancing, singing...I actually never saw a Zambian sleeping. I wonder if they do sleep at all?!

4) I start getting used to be the main attraction in busses, on the streets... I start to wonder whether it as at any time different back in Europe?!

5) Played marbles with two little children who were sitting on a road on the way to office. I lost :(

So far some updates of what I am doing and how I am doing! I will post some pictures this weekend. So stay tuned!

Muzungu Joe

Sun,Sun,Sun

It took me 15 minutes to get first signs of a sunburn when I sat outside in the garden reading my book. The sun  is shining all day long and it is really hard to imagine that just a few days ago I was walking through London freezing like hell.

The weekend was relaxed besides the fact that my luggage haven't arrived as expected. The more exciting I was when I called on Monday and was confirmed that my luggage has arrived. I could sleep much better that night, also due to the fact that the night before Zambia had won against Senegal in the ongoing African Cup. It was a outstanding result and thus was followed by hours of honking the horn and "tooting" the Vuvuzela. When Andy and me took the truck to the office we had to get all stroing boys in the neighbourhood to help push-starting it. It was a funny way of starting the day. On the way to the airport I realized again how beautiful this country is, marked by the extremes of really poor neighbourhoods and shopping malls and Range Rovers.

When I finally got my luggage, I felt how it took a load off my mind. I could take my Malaria-Pill, I finally could get changed, and start feeling like I have eventually arrived in Zambia. On the way back to the office, I got to know real Zambian music, learned about interesting spots in Lusaka, and realized that the streets are full of advertisement warning of and informing aboutn HIV/Aids. Interesting enough that most of the time they highlight that in a relationship it is women who might have other sex partners and thus a couple should get tested. I asked Andy about the dichotomy that Zambia has one of the highest HIV rates despite the seemingly awareness and spead of information. He told me that the awarness is not the problem, but it is the pressure within the communities that make people take the risks. That there is a great difference between changing someone's attitude and changing someone's behavior.

On my way home after hours of studying in the office, it took us 45 instead of 10 minutes since rush hour in Kabawata (the district I am staying in) is ridiculously chaotic. Cars switched from the streets to the fiels, busses used their privilege of picking up poeple to sneak through the traffic jam, and since there are no traffic lights at all, the biggest car always dominates the crossing.Too bad that I was sitting in a damaged compact car that was almost falling apart and also was running out of fuel. I made it home anyway and started to unpack, took a bath and made myself comfortable. A feeling I was longing for during the last 4 days.
I start working with the kids tomorrow, Tuesday, and I am very much looking forward to the first week of getting to know the sites, writing reports about the activities and enjoy the African sun....sun...sun!

My first days....

This morning I met the two Norwegian girls who are staying in the house for a month. It was nice to speak some Swedish after a few weeks. Today I should have my first day at the office, and should meet all the people that I am going to work with. Andy and I took the bus from outside our house. When I say we took the bus, I do not refer to a bus that we might know from the places we grew up in. The busses here are minibuses, mostly produces by Toyota. When I asked Andy why so many people drive Toyota in this country he said that they are the cheapest since they come second hand from Japan.

When we got into the bus, there is place for 6-7 people. But the average number of people in such a bus is 9-10. The driver is the one who decides where to go, when to go and how many people he wants to have in the bus. Since each of the passengers pays 3000 Kwacha (1$) for the trip, he is happy to take as many as possible with him. Then there is a co-worker who sits at the closest seat to the door at an opened window. He yells at the people walking on the street, informing them about where the bus is heading to and how many seats are available. Whenever there is somebody who signals that he wants to get on the bus as well, the driver stops. There are only a few fixed stations, otherwise you have to tell the driver when to get off, give him the money and make 5 people in front of you stand up so you can squeeze out.  Since we are in the middle of the rainy season, the many sidetracks and little streets are flooded or marked by gigantic wholes. It became a bumpy ride and a real adventure trip I will have to get used to.

When we got to the office, I realized that we are in the heart of the communities outside of Lusaka. Andy told me that it is a huge advantage since we can reach people and especially kids more easily. When I entered the office, I finally got to meet Mwape, who was my contact person in Sweden from the first day on, and a lot of the stuff members. One of them, Martha, is from Norway and has been here for already 6 months. After 5 minutes I already forgot most of the names, since they are as difficult to pronounce as “Johannes” is for them. I will get a Zambian nickname very soon, I heard. After checking my mails, and posting my first reports on my blog, I had an introductory meeting with Mwape. I got information regarding safety and health, the work of the organization, and life in Zambia in general. Some interesting points included that whenever I invite somebody to do something, he expects me to pay for him as well. It was a good chat since I realized that they have a lot of experience working with the “muzungu”, the white men. We came to the conclusion that I would work 3 days at the organization and the site, and 2 days I would have for doing schoolwork and studying. Thus, I got together with Chenge and Levy who are in charge for 4 sites in the district closest to the organization and they introduced me to the projects and activities they were doing so far. I am looking forward to get introduces to the sites on Monday.

During my stay at the office we had some incredible rainfall and a few times I thought that we were going to swim home. One can barely imagine how much water is coming down on these already muddy streets. The rain also impacts the work at the sites, since the fields are under water, and children stay at home instead. This will be one part of my work, to establish alternative ways to get access to the kids and spread the message out of the organization during the rainy season.  I am also looking forward to take pictures, write reports and evaluate working days so that one could improve on certain things.

The atmosphere in the organization is really relaxed. Mwape and everybody I talked to is laughing a lot, chatting, and whenever I ask them about how it is like to work at this organization, they refer to it as their “family”, since they are all close to each other and shared so much together. Like many NGOs, a big issue is the funding and the lack of resources. But that does not discourage the organization to engage in many amazing activities, events and cooperation with other organizations. I could tell from the first day, that they put their hearts in the work that they do.
At home I started to make some pasta, which was way too salty in the end but I had to eat something anyway. I also figured that there are apparently 13481 ways of cooking pasta, since I was told that I am doing it all wrong. It was a long day, and I am looking forward to get my luggage soon so I can start living an ordinary life here in the community outside of Lusaka. After a chat with my family back home on the phone, I slowly got to feel the fatigue that this weather and the many new encounters cause. The weekend ahead of me, I will have to time to read through some articles regarding sport and development, finish my book, watch a movie, sit in the sun, and get some rest and take some pictures.