Botswana

For the first time all trip, the 6:00 wake up alarm was welcome today, as we set out for adventure at Chobe National Park in Botswana. At the border, we had a standoff with another tour car that we met in the midst of a lineup of over 60 semi trucks, many of which have to wait up to a week to get across the border. It was like the old west... the trucks met on a single lane road, the drivers glaring at each other from across glazed windshields. Words were exchanged in a language indecipherable to me, engines were turned off, and agitated gestures flew. It was clear that we would not be reaching Botswana without an epic struggle. As time wore on, our driver gave in, put the truck in reverse, and pulled to the side of the road to let the other truck pass, but not before the other driver cried foul, "Did you come to Africa to start trouble." Resisting the temptation to actually start trouble, were were called to the wilds of Botswana to get on our way.

Inside the park, there was much less drama, though the scene was dramatic. We took a three hour boat ride on the Chobe River where we saw numerous hippos, birds that only Derek can identify, a herd of buffalo, as well as several other creatures that are frequently featured in Pixar movies. The afternoon drive was the highlight, however, as we came across a group of about 50 elephants at VERY close range as they drank from the river and washed themselves in mud. It was a sight that cannot be described, though our hundreds of pictures will try to do the job if you're patient enough to look at them. We'd try to post one, but our luck with internet speed has not been good, so I think we'll skip it for now.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Zambia, and we'll be doing a radio interview about disability issues and meeting Nama's brother, who is the special education inspector for the Ministry of Education office just to the west of Livingstone. If time permits, we'll also go out to a small village that makes crafts to do some final shopping.

We ate springbok stew and fried caterpillars today (with no barf involved!).

See you soon.

-MDK

Hippo Day

Yesterday we took a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River. Sr Nama declared it Hippo Day as we saw countless hippos, along with baby hippos, as we pontooned down the river. We were also fortunate to see many birds (including bee-eaters and kingfish), and also a crocodile. We heard an elephant trumpeting along the banks, but did not catch sight of the little feller. After the pontoon ride we sat around a campfire and had a lesson in drumming. I don't want to brag too much, but let's just say we got the beat. Ohhhh yeeeaaah.
Today we went to an early church service (oh blessed be) and then went off to finally take in the famous Mosi O Tunya aka Victoria Falls. As I cannot do them justice with an explanation, or even a photo, I'll just say they are indescribable. HUGE. HIGH. VERY HIGH. We also practised a little *corruption* and walked over the bridge into Zimbabwe. People were bungee-jumping off the bridge (I was convinced, to their sudden death). None of our group felt compelled to hurl themselves off the bridge; watching was quite enough (though Matt has done this activity in the past; he assured us once was enough).
Tomorrow we are heading into Botswana, to spend the day at Chobe National Park. We are looking forward to more animal sightings--we hope to see them before they see us.
-MDK

photos

Here are a couple photos from our game drive yesterday. Unfortunately the elusive Nord was not available for viewing in any of these, though we do hope to catch a glimpse in the coming days.

Our meetings are wrapping up. We did our final formal training today, and the only work related item remaining on our list is an appearance on a radio show to be interviewed about disability issues, probably on Tuesday. Both Kristin and I have had radio gigs in the past, but this will be going out to a much larger audience... Livingstone and much of Southern Province.

We'll be in touch soon.

Animals!!!

Today was our first full day in Livingstone. We're staying at the Holy Cross Convent, which is a palace compared with the friarys. Hot water, consistent power, an internet signal that we can... um... borrow from the house next door, and a bathroom with no surprises are all included! It is very good to be back with Nama as well. Unfortnuately, Sister Agnes, who was planning to be with us for much of our time in Livingstone is out on bereavement as her fatehr passed away suddenly. She was kind enough to stay in town to greet us at Cheshire homes, and did a lot of work to get tomorrow's meeting set up, but we will not see her again this trip.

Because of some schedule changes along the way with our trip, we had a free day today, and used it to go to the game park on the outside of town. We saw a huge assortment of animals, including many giraffes, a pack of zebras, a couple elephants, some hippos, countless impalas, and a white rhino, which we watch from just about 15 yards away for quite some time, under the watchful eye of an AK-47 toting game warden, who is in charge of tracking the rhinos so that poachers don't shoot them. Will try to get some photos posted.

We have one more training session with a group of teachers and education administrators tomorrow, and will then spend the last couple days with some much needed R & R. We've made some plans to go to Chobe National Park in Botswana on Monday, and will go to the falls, probably on Sunday afternoon. The trip is beginning to wrap up, so we're looking forward to seeing many of you very soon.

Quick update

Not much new to report today. We survived the long drive back to Lusaka from the Copperbelt. We are staying the night here before moving to Livingstone tomorrow. I tried to upload some photos to prove we're alive, but internet sucks here so that's not going to happen today. Looking forward to some exciting experiences (and hopefully blog posts) from Livingstone, where we are heading tomorrow. If anyone knows how to get some beer in the friary, we would appreciate your suggestions.

Ode to nschima, on the eve of Livingstone trip

We eat you in the daytime, we eat you in the nighttime.
You nourish us, you earn your name, thy staple food.
Tonight we shall meet again.

Enough of that poetry--tomorrow we head to Livingstone for training and then some relaxation time. Are we only hours away from seeing an elephant? We are told the chances are 100%.

Mystery of the Giant Deuce

Something is most foul in the Ndola Friary…
After a long day of meetings on the Copperbelt, we returned to our cloister at the friary. Having worked all day, three weary travelers need a little… um… relief. Usually, of course, this poses no (serious) problems, until today. Enter the mystery of the giant deuce. Imagine a Chipotle burrito. Now imagine finding something of that length and girth that in the bathroom of your (“private”) room, when nobody you know left it there this morning. It floated and would not go down. As an uninvited guest, it arrived unannounced and would not leave. Enter a heroic traveler with a stick from the courtyard and a rubber glove, who ushered the deuce to its final resting place, sent to the hell from whence it came without last rites. Photographic evidence of this sordid event does exist, but is not for the faint of heart. We are in a friary. We are deeply disturbed.
We spent today in Kitwe at the Ministry of Education office where we had a good meeting, did a little shopping, before meeting a self advocate and returning to Ndola where the deuce made its appearance. It’s been an entirely different experience on the Copperbelt, partially since we’ve been at (lengthy!!) religious ceremonies most of the time and partially because our guide is not Zambian, despite what she may proclaim. Nama, set up today’s meeting at the spur of the moment, even though she wasn’t even here, otherwise we would have been cloistered all day.
If we are not converted before leaving here, it won’t be for lack of trying; Matt’s faith-based discussions (despite him trying his best to avoid them) have surely traveled through the community, and no doubt he is being feverishly prayed for. Kristin’s barren womb is a constant source of conversation, speculation, perhaps badgering? Derek is getting by on “I’m a Methodist.” It is actually kind of funny, and we are rolling with it (in news of redemption, before leaving Lusaka, Kristin did give her mealtime prayer).
We are off to join our gracious guests for a blessed meal; the friars have treated us and fed us well.
--MDK

at last, internet

We have not had internet in ages, so even though it is not up to date, we are posting. We hope you are all well

Yesterday Kristin threw Derek under the bus, and it was classic. Sister Nama usually eats lunch with us, so we say a prayer before eating. So far, Nama has always said the prayer, but yesterday, she said that Kristin could do the honors. Kristin’s response… “Uhhh… (pause) I’m going to pass to Derek. He’s really… good at this”. Derek, with a WTF look on his face, responded with something along the lines of “Good food, good meat, good god let’s eat!”. It is a moment that will live in infamy. I told Nama the first day that I don’t follow religion, so I think I’m safe for now, but last night we came up of a list of things to pray about just in case.
Kristin here: In my defense, I don’t think I could’ve come up with my own name at that particular moment. Also, I think it was hiiiilllaaaaaarious, so ultimately, no defense needed; but you can all pat me on the back when I get home.
Derek here: First off, that was not the prayer. I was much more civilized, unlike my coworkers here in Zambia…heathens. I wish I could say I am surprised that Kristin would do this but she has thrown me to the bears before (literally in Yellowstone).
Despite the prayer difficulties, things here are going quite well. We have had some great trainings, and some very useful meetings at the country’s main hospital, which takes primary duty for diagnosing autism, hearing impairments, etc., and for training parents to do physical therapy with their children at home. Every child in the country is legally required to visit a nurse once per month for five years! If this can be accomplished in Zambia, I’ve no idea why we can’t get something done in the U.S. We were told that this is actually achieved, for the most part. However, the resources to respond to an issue when it arises are often times not available. Still, this approach has potential for our work down the line, as a possible system for early intervention is apparent.
Today was a very interesting day after our working hours. One of the students here at Bauleni Street Kids, along with the director’s daughter, took us on a walk through the Bauleni compound (photo), where many people from the countryside come to live when they come to Lusaka to try to find work. It was an experience that none of the three of us will soon forget, and is bound to impact our perceptions of living well for quite some time. There was sewage in the streets, trash burning nearly everywhere, and only two communal water faucets for use by thousands of people. The streets are unpassable in the wet season. The student who took us, who has lived in the compound, told us that most families cannot afford to rent an entire house, so they will rent a single room for the family, and often cannot manage to raise the rent (150,000 kwacha/$30 per month) to pay for the room. Nevertheless, the color and energy of the place was largely positive, as was our reception, perhaps because of our local guides. On a personal level, this is likely to be one of the most impactful events of the trip, and will stay with me. It really put into perspective the fact that importance of many things that concern us in the U.S. are not of such great concern if we can look beyond our immediate world. In my travels I have seen and learned this lesson before, but today was far more impactful.
Tomorrow, Aug. 19, is the anniversary of the former president’s death. He was hugely popular for his efforts at fighting corruption and there are public memorials planned in the morning. We’re supposed to be doing a training at this time with a group of teachers, so it will be interesting what kind of attendance we get since this seems to be an unofficial national holiday, and because school is not in session right now, so the teachers have to take time away from their break time. As a side note, we are minor celebrities, as we were on Zambian national television last night. Mikela and Sr. Nama took us to the memorial burial site while the country’s only TV station was there interviewing people about the former president’s legacy. All of us were on TV looking at the memorial while Mikela was being interviewed (hence, she’s the REAL star).
That’s it for now. Peace to our peeps.
-MDK
August 19
It’s getting late-ish, so this will be short. Highlights of today:
1. We had our first encounter with wildlife today (aside from the pigs that squeal all night just outside our cottage, and the occasional stray cat that works its way into the Street Kids complex). Think of all the animals in Africa… lion, giraffe, zebra, baboon, hippo. Well, we didn’t see any of those, but a worker in the field did find a chameleon (photo) for us to look at and it was pretty amazing. It changes color to blend with the environment pretty quickly and the way it can move its eyes in all directions is absolutely creepy (but amazing).
2. We did a training with a group of special education teachers. They seemed to learn a lot, although participation was a little flat compared to other groups we’ve had so far. More about this on the official blog.
3. After work, Sr. Nama and Mikela took us to Dreamworld, a resort and recreation area at the end of the dustiest road in Zambia. The pool was clean looking but untrustable so Kristin took one for the team and went swimming. I couldn’t because of guaziness, and Derek didn’t want to get his sleeping shorts dirty. The grounds of Dreamland, in contrast to the pool, were beautiful, with some varieties of trees I’ve never seen before. It was also nice to be in a relaxing atmosphere where we could sit and read or talk while listening to birds in what was the closest I’ve seen to a typical American city park. Most parks in Lusaka are open dirt areas, maybe with a few trees and a good bit of trash, so the Dreamland atmosphere actually was a dreamy escape from the grind and dustiness of much of Lusaka.
Tomorrow, the plan is to meet with faculty at the University of Zambia’s Department of Education to discuss inclusion of youth with disabilities in schools, and to show them the College of Direct Support. This seems to be the least organized group thus far, so it could be an interesting day. If we wrap up early, we may go to either Hidden Voice School or to a Reptile Farm in the city, depending on how plans go. Flexibility is the name of the game here in Zambia.

out on the town

Hello all--we obviously have limited internet access. Just a quick post to say all is well--very well--we are really enjoying our time. Matt wrote a longer post including our recent work at Bauleni, so check that out. Today, we went to church--heard a nice service made beautiful by the choir. We are at an internet cafe, having just spent some time and kwachas (the money here) at the market. Sister Nama and Mikaela have been as wonderful and helpful as we had heard they would be. We are also lucky enough to have met Mikaela;s daughter, Mooge (sp?). She is great, as well, though we are meeting her under less than ideal circumstances for her, as she, and all students, have been sent home from college due to protests surrounding... well, that is not entirely discernable, but it is clear that the minister of education is not well-respected. She is a new appointee and apparently her credentials include being a news reporter. Kind of like Bush giving a job to his buddy Brownie--we all know how well that worked out. Also, the students have to pay to come back to school when it is opened--scheduled for two weeks away; this will surely keep some students from coming back. Not good.
Brief first impressions--it is as impoverished here as you would imagine; and of course there are the very rich (no middle class, really). We have seen children laboring, breaking up rocks on a huge pile. There are wonderful things happening here as well, as witnessed at the Bauleni school where we are staying. There are beautiful plants here, and the people are really kind. We are making friends with the HUGE pigs (award-winning, we are told; sounds kind of like a state fair competition) outside here at Bauleni--we fall asleep to their squeals : ).
Hope to check in again soon--otherwise, trust that we are in excellent hands and having a great time as we do our work. Tomorrow--meetings at the Ministry of Education with deputies of education; hopefully, though, they may be dealing with the protest situation.
Derek does not have time to post, but signs off on this messaging... : )

Posting.. from Zambia!!

8-14
Zambiaaah! At long last, we have arrived. We’ll be making Bauleni Street Kids, on the outskirts of Lusaka, our home for the next week. It’s an incredible place that offers education to children both with and without disabilities, many of whom are orphans and live here full time. There is a garden (more like a farm) that has several crops, chickens, and a lot of pigs, which are the only source of noise after the sun goes down. During the day, however, quiet has not been an issue. We saw a special dance, song, and drumming show by the kids today in honor of volunteers from Barclays who had been working here for the day and dropping off some donations. At one point, I was invited on stage to dance with one of the kids. For those of you who know of my legendary booty shaking you can probably guess that I was the star of the show. I was just happy not to drop any gauze. Derek also got dragged onstage, but I’m pretty confident that I could take him in a dance-off. I’ve got mad moves!! Somehow Kristin escaped the opportunity for showmanship, but we’ll be sure that another opportunity will be available later, and that will be captured on camera! We also spent a good deal of time taking pictures of the kids, who can’t get enough of seeing themselves on camera.
I’m grappling with some awkward feelings about my the sense of duty here. We have this entire guesthouse to ourselves, a man comes to cook every meal for us, and then a woman comes to do all the dishes. On the one hand, I feel honored to be a guest here, and know that people are doing their assigned jobs and doing them well. On the other hand, it does feel inappropriate that I don’t even wash my own plate. It’s an obvious example of the power of class that comes with you whether you want it to or not, and I don’t feel I can do anything about it except for thank the people who are doing everything for me over and over again. Tonight, the dishes are in the kitchen left undone, but we can’t find any dish detergent because the dishwasher apparrently brings it herself. Certainly this will be an enduring lesson about my own self-awareness that will follow me long after I leave Zambia.
After months of wondering, we also saw an itinerary for the first time today!! My organized and planned mind has trouble with uncertainty at times, so this was a very welcome addition to the day. We’ll be in Lusaka for the first week, meeting with officials at the Ministry of Education, the University of Zambia, and the ZAMISE special education school, along with some trainings with advocates. After all of this, we’ll have a busy schedule split between the Copperbelt Region (mostly Ndola with a stop in Kapiri Mposhi) and Livingstone, with three days for play scheduled for the end of the trip in the Livingstone area.
It’s getting late and our first advocacy training is early tomorrow, so I’ll close for now and post when internet is available.
August 15 Update:
We tried to get an internet card today, but the shop had closed early, so I’ll have to stick to adding to this post until we can find internet… not sure when that will be, but hopefully soon.
Today was our first training day, with a group of what turned out to be about 70 parents and self advocates who came on two different busses from Chawama all the way to Bauleni, on the other side of the Lusaka. We were only expecting about 40 people, so this was a huge turnout. I’d like to believe it’s because my reputation precedes me, but in reality it is because about three quarters of the attendees were attending their first advocacy meeting… a very promising sign. The training went well and the discussion at the end, which was quite impassioned, had some good end results, the many members agreeing to meet again next week to work on really focusing their methods on raising the money to register the group as an official charity group in Zambia. All in all, it was a very successful first day of work in Zambia.
After the training, we went to the shopping center to try to rent an internet card for the duration of the trip but the shop had closed early. So, we went to get some of the local beer, called Mosi, which we have been drinking tonight. The cook tells us that we got the cheap version, made in Zimbabwe, instead of the better version made in Zambia that comes in larger bottles. Although the Zim version tastes fine to me, I’ll make an effort to find the Zam edition next time. Who knew a beer run could turn so complex.
Mikela’s daughter, Moka arrived home from university in Ndola late last night. It sounds like a pretty ugly scene, in which the shooting of a man led to student protests at the university, leading to a road blockade to cut off traffic to the area of the university. Somebody (by the students’ view) arrived at the blockade and tried to drive around, crashing his which burst into flames, which the driver claims destroyed 200,000,000 kwacha inside the car. The police closed the university and forced all students to go home for two weeks in order to disperse the protests. As things now stand, students may return to class on Aug. 30, but they must each bring 200,000 kwacha in order to repay the man who crashed his car, who has sued the school for being unable to control the student protesters.
This most unfortunate and ridiculous turn of events gave us a tour guide for the night, as Moka walked us around outside of Bauleni for the first time to see a church next door, the local soccer field, and a colorful open air market.
Tomorrow we will go to the church service over in Chawama, which I have been told is amazing, with energetic participation from about seven different choirs who all take turns during the ceremony. After then, Mikela and Nama will take us to several markets around Lusaka for some local flavor and shopping. Sunday afternoon is a big market time, so it sounds like it will be a really interesting day, and a nice break before we go for meetings at the Ministry of Education on Monday.
I’m hoping that we will also make a quick internet stop as well so I can get this posted. As for tonight, the jet lag is hitting me hard, so I will sleep… hopefully not with too many of the small lizards that also inhabit our cottage.
-Matt

Away we go... finally

I am writing this from a Delta plane about 33,000 feet above the Eastern Caribbean, not yet even close to the Western Cape of Africa, let alone Jo-burg and Lusaka to follow. The computer tells me that we still have nearly 13 hours of flight before we touch down in Jo-burg, meaning that making our connection to Lusaka tonight is a bit of a longshot. We’ll see what happens. I should really turn off this flight tracker since it doesn’t seem to move, which is very disheartening.
The saving grace is that on a very full flight, Derek and Kristin got their own row, and there is an empty seat between me and my neighbor. We also have fairly well stocked personal video systems, and selected sleep aids to help us along the rough night and day ahead. Delta has really stepped it up with these video systems. I still don’t think they’re up to the standards of Emirates or Korean Air, but you can start and end movies as you wish, and there are quite a few to choose from, which is quite an improvement from the single projected movie (usually some unbearable Disney flick featuring the zany antics of too-cute-for-buttons kids who outsmart the adults and teach us all a valuable lesson about morality and innocence in this harsh world) that used to be the favorite of US-based airlines on long haul flights.
It’s valium time for me so I can get some Zs. Will get this posted when I’m able.
Update from much later that night: It is now August 13 at about 11pm and I am writing this update from a guesthouse in Johannesburg, South Africa. The good news: we’re done with the worst of the journey. The bad news: Because our incoming flight was late and packed to the gills, we were not allowed to board our flight to Lusaka, even though it was still listed as “boarding” on all the monitors. Over the three hours that followed, we were directed to Delta staff who stared at us blankly, refusing to take any responsibility for arriving late, and to dozens of South African Airways staff who, although well meaning, do not place high importance on customer service. After paying about $100 extra, we are all now booked on a flight to Lusaka tomorrow morning. We have no idea where our checked baggage is, and neither does anyone at South African Airways. We can only hope that it will turn up in Lusaka eventually. So, tonight, here we sit in a guesthouse in Jo-burg, hoping for the best tomorrow morning. Thanks to a very nice man at the tourist information booth at the Jo-burg airport, I was able to contact Sandy on the phone. She is off to Zimbabwe tomorrow, so we won’t see her, but she says she will leave some cash, a cell phone, and an itinerary with Sr. Nama, who will be meeting us at the airport tomorrow. Here’s to smoother journeys ahead!
We’re now back at the Jo-burg airport awaiting the departure of our flight to Lusaka. It’s looking hopeful that the next time you hear from us it actually will be from Zambia, where things will be looking up!
-Matt

Away We Go... and here we stay.

We've made it! To Johannesburg. "But, you're going to Lusaka" you say? Well, yes. To borrow a term from the personals ads, we are a "missed connection." We will depart for Lusaka tomorrow morning. For now, we are in the Joburg airport sorting out if are bags are here or have gone on without us (if so--oh, you lucky bags, you). It seems the airport here has been much updated, lots of world cup signage, and... with that, I'll stop. Who wants to read about an airport? Next update will hopefully contain a blissfully written account of our respective reunions with our baggage in Zambia. Or, you know, something like that.

Away we go!

With our departure just two days away, Matt, Derek, and Kristin are launching this blog to share our personal impressions of our time training, traveling, living, and learning in Zambia. We already learned a lot... where to find the cheapest HP 12A copier toner (Officemax), how to pack large, unwieldy printers (wrapped in towels), and that Zambians appreciate pencils... lots and lots of pencils. Derek and Kristin may have a bit of additional packing advice, but we'll leave alone for now (MB: sorry!).

With that said, we're very excited to get underway and to get these bags out of our hands and into the trustworthy (?) hands of the Delta Airlines bagage handlers. We'll post as we can get power and internet. We hope you enjoy following us for the next three weeks.