What Has she been Doing!!????
Well i have really been Focusing on Cultural exchange and making friends in my Village. My LIFE (Linking Income Food and the Environment) program work has been slow but with small successes. I have a Lead Farmer and friend named BaTitus. We have planted many conservation agriculture species in the hope to harvest enough seed to create a seed "reserve" or resource within the village. Our goal is to create an available seed resource within our area that farmers can agree to develop as a Seed multiplication program. Meaning; I gave BaTitus 1Kg of a particular seed. He than Plants than Harvests those seeds and returns that same amount back to me so that next season i may do this with another farmer. On top of this he than gives three other active Farmers interested in this program 1Kg, to than plant for next season, continuing our Goal and seed program by three fold each season. This is our idea...we shal see...
I just finished hosting my first Workshop this week in Bee Keeping! I invited the Forestry Department to come to my village and help demonstrate how to keep bees and make Bee Hives. This is one program that i am very excited about. One because Bee Keeping is a great income generating activity, is a source of food, medicine and most importantly supports the idea of planting more local vegetation and tree species to support the Bees food supply. Killing many birds with one stone!
On Monday I have my first Cooking Demo as well! We are really promoting Nutrition and healthy eating with the uses of nitrogen fixing plants. Such as Soya beans, beans, ground nuts and a tree like legume that is called pigeon pea or cajanus cajun.. The demo is on Soya and staring today now also Pigeon peas because a very nice shop owner that is interested in our Peace Corps just gave me a 25Kg bag of seeds for free!!!! love Zambia! I will focus on making soya milk, flower, and a cake like mash that you can make sausage out of!!!! yum! cant wait. I baked cookies for the group while i was here in Choma Today!
Also i just bought a radio/tape player and i and some girl friends are going to start a women's club/aerobic funk class that will reach the topics of HIV, Gender, IGA'S and what ever else we can do....
Little by little i am collecting those Peace Corps marks that makes one seem to be a successful volunteer on paper...i already am succeeding though because i have made some really great friends that will be painful to leave......and i can make them laugh in my Local CiTonga....yeah baby!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
A Little Bit Like Heaven
Zanzibar.........
White beaches......Masai worriers......bright colors..........Live Music...........Rasta......fresh sea food.....sailboats.....Tropical climates.....monkeys........houses made of Coral.......peace
My adventures started in Zambia from Southern to Central Via BUS, than from Kapiri to Dar Selam by TRAIN. The Train took us through a visual Paradise. Seeing the local Villages and Farming Practices to Elephants, Zebra, Wart Hogs, Giraffes and all the "Gizela" like creatures who's names surpass my memory. The Two and a half day Train ride consisted mostly of sight seeing....mingling with the locals on board and card games that resulted in at least 3 injuries..... we arrived in Dar Selam late in the evening....which meant we needed to find a taxi and a place to stay Fast Fast. Traveling with packs...money and not knowing the local language could potentially cause a problem. Fortunately now living in a third world country for almost a year...I'm almost Pro at mitigation and humor when dealing with the "minority" complex in another country. We found a place to stay with the master negotiating skills i have acquired in no time. Unfortunately my misplacing of person property is still a problem and we left my Back Pack in the Taxi while i was dealing with logistics. I had faith that the man was compassionate and would return the bag sometime before we set off for the Island that following morning...and Lo and Behold i was right he returned that next morning...nothing taken and with a smile i thanked him with a hand shake and a cash donation for his troubles... this was day one in Tanzania........
We took a large Cruise boat to the Island that took about 4 hours and stayed at an affordable Indian Hostel that became our haven for the next eight or so days of dancing.....sweating.......swimming......eating.....buying of local arts......and pure relaxation. The music festival consisted of artists from around the Africa continent, from Afro Funk to Traditional. We played and traveled around the Island by day and Danced to the music by night...I traveled to the North to the South and by Far the most spectacular was the East near Paje. Where on one occation we ate lunch with some Masai Worrier boys that ended in us swimming in the Indian Sea and me having to Save one of them From Drowning! They may be tall and have unbelievable jumping abilities but the sea was like quick sand to these boys...... I'm a hero!
There is much more to my adventures than words can express........and time can allow.......
maybe one day I will be able to express what my experiences truly were like...until than bare with me my friends.....
White beaches......Masai worriers......bright colors..........Live Music...........Rasta......fresh sea food.....sailboats.....Tropical climates.....monkeys........houses made of Coral.......peace
My adventures started in Zambia from Southern to Central Via BUS, than from Kapiri to Dar Selam by TRAIN. The Train took us through a visual Paradise. Seeing the local Villages and Farming Practices to Elephants, Zebra, Wart Hogs, Giraffes and all the "Gizela" like creatures who's names surpass my memory. The Two and a half day Train ride consisted mostly of sight seeing....mingling with the locals on board and card games that resulted in at least 3 injuries..... we arrived in Dar Selam late in the evening....which meant we needed to find a taxi and a place to stay Fast Fast. Traveling with packs...money and not knowing the local language could potentially cause a problem. Fortunately now living in a third world country for almost a year...I'm almost Pro at mitigation and humor when dealing with the "minority" complex in another country. We found a place to stay with the master negotiating skills i have acquired in no time. Unfortunately my misplacing of person property is still a problem and we left my Back Pack in the Taxi while i was dealing with logistics. I had faith that the man was compassionate and would return the bag sometime before we set off for the Island that following morning...and Lo and Behold i was right he returned that next morning...nothing taken and with a smile i thanked him with a hand shake and a cash donation for his troubles... this was day one in Tanzania........
We took a large Cruise boat to the Island that took about 4 hours and stayed at an affordable Indian Hostel that became our haven for the next eight or so days of dancing.....sweating.......swimming......eating.....buying of local arts......and pure relaxation. The music festival consisted of artists from around the Africa continent, from Afro Funk to Traditional. We played and traveled around the Island by day and Danced to the music by night...I traveled to the North to the South and by Far the most spectacular was the East near Paje. Where on one occation we ate lunch with some Masai Worrier boys that ended in us swimming in the Indian Sea and me having to Save one of them From Drowning! They may be tall and have unbelievable jumping abilities but the sea was like quick sand to these boys...... I'm a hero!
There is much more to my adventures than words can express........and time can allow.......
maybe one day I will be able to express what my experiences truly were like...until than bare with me my friends.....
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