It was a day of great joy. When we arrived at the project site the men were mixing the cement, scaling the scaffolding, and beginning the final course of brick on the house. Mr. Banda was there as well, supervising the work. We watched as one of the workers used a hand drill, the kind you turn round and round, to make a hole in one of the boards being used for scaffolding.
Incredible! The hole was perfect, and complete in only a few seconds. This house is being built the way our ancestors worked so many years ago, and it is amazing to witness. Hard working, strong men, working together - everything done by hand. There are no machines, no electricity, no battery operated anything - it's 100% manpower.
We walked into George and found Teddy busy working at his pedal sewing machine in front of his home. He was sewing cloth to be used for chairs which we have seen for sale by the roadside. They are known as "lazy man chairs", because they are low to the ground and meant for lounging. He said he would later construct the wood frames as well. So, now we know Teddy as school teacher, child advocate, tailor and carpenter. But we were there to pick him up for another trip to Garneton for another load from the container. It was a very enjoyable ride, talking with Teddy all the way. We were scolded by school teacher Teddy for not studying our Bemba dictionary to learn more words! We also laughed at a few misunderstood words, and the fact that we have difficulty understanding each other's accents. But the best part of our journey was just spending time with Teddy, who has become such a dear friend. Teddy spent a great deal of time educating us on the Zambian culture, especially in regards to marriage. It seems that a young man may choose his own bride. Once the woman consents, the marriage must be approved by both parents, and the maternal uncles. The maternal uncle actually has more authority in family matters, because there is no doubt that he is a blood relative. Once the parents of the groom approve of the potential wife, a negotiator meets with the family of the bride. He must bring 10,000 kwacha (about $2.50) on a white plate with white powder from a tuber (something like a potato). The money shows good faith and the ability to provide for the new bride, and the white plate and powder are symbolic of their trust and purity of heart. The bride's family negotiates for the best "price" for their daughter, listing all of her best qualities - her beauty is great, she is an excellent cook and housekeeper, she is educated, etc. The negotiator's job is to not surrender more of the groom's family assets than necessary. So, maybe they will settle on another 20,000 kwacha and a goat. In the cities, only money is exchanged - no goods or livestock. After a short time, they will then be married, usually in a small ceremony at a church. If after some time, the groom's family decides the marriage is not good, the couple must separate. Maybe the mother-in-law and the bride do not get along. Then the marriage is off, and the groom's family will receive back the initial 10,000 kwacha investment. Whatever else was included in the dowry is kept by the bride's family.
We did make it to Garneton and loaded the truck, with only the steel building and some tools remaining in the container. That will be a project. Too bad the building is longer than the truck! We called Foster as we were passing through Kitwe, and met up with him at the BP Station. There are still mechanical problems with the old vehicle which he has been trying to resolve, but he will be in Ndola tomorrow. It was good to see him after a week.
As we were driving the long road from Kitwe to Ndola, we passed a bus stopped alongside the edge of the road. Not an unusual occurrence, except the driver was hanging out the window and waving like mad. Yes, we recognized this man and pulled over right away. By this time, Lingo, our bus driver while the team was here, was running down the side of the road. He gave us big hugs, and although we could only talk for a minute, it was such a nice surprise to see him again.
Our last stop for the day was at Ndola Central Hospital to check on Bridget. She is still having pain, but is feeling much better. Communication was difficult, as she only speaks Bemba, but one of the nurses translated for us. It was good to see Bridget smile as we were leaving.
One other update I failed to mention last week: baby Frederick was discharged from the malnutrition ward at Children's Hospital last week. His weight was up where it should be, and he went home with Mom. Another happy ending!
Incredible! The hole was perfect, and complete in only a few seconds. This house is being built the way our ancestors worked so many years ago, and it is amazing to witness. Hard working, strong men, working together - everything done by hand. There are no machines, no electricity, no battery operated anything - it's 100% manpower.
We walked into George and found Teddy busy working at his pedal sewing machine in front of his home. He was sewing cloth to be used for chairs which we have seen for sale by the roadside. They are known as "lazy man chairs", because they are low to the ground and meant for lounging. He said he would later construct the wood frames as well. So, now we know Teddy as school teacher, child advocate, tailor and carpenter. But we were there to pick him up for another trip to Garneton for another load from the container. It was a very enjoyable ride, talking with Teddy all the way. We were scolded by school teacher Teddy for not studying our Bemba dictionary to learn more words! We also laughed at a few misunderstood words, and the fact that we have difficulty understanding each other's accents. But the best part of our journey was just spending time with Teddy, who has become such a dear friend. Teddy spent a great deal of time educating us on the Zambian culture, especially in regards to marriage. It seems that a young man may choose his own bride. Once the woman consents, the marriage must be approved by both parents, and the maternal uncles. The maternal uncle actually has more authority in family matters, because there is no doubt that he is a blood relative. Once the parents of the groom approve of the potential wife, a negotiator meets with the family of the bride. He must bring 10,000 kwacha (about $2.50) on a white plate with white powder from a tuber (something like a potato). The money shows good faith and the ability to provide for the new bride, and the white plate and powder are symbolic of their trust and purity of heart. The bride's family negotiates for the best "price" for their daughter, listing all of her best qualities - her beauty is great, she is an excellent cook and housekeeper, she is educated, etc. The negotiator's job is to not surrender more of the groom's family assets than necessary. So, maybe they will settle on another 20,000 kwacha and a goat. In the cities, only money is exchanged - no goods or livestock. After a short time, they will then be married, usually in a small ceremony at a church. If after some time, the groom's family decides the marriage is not good, the couple must separate. Maybe the mother-in-law and the bride do not get along. Then the marriage is off, and the groom's family will receive back the initial 10,000 kwacha investment. Whatever else was included in the dowry is kept by the bride's family.
We did make it to Garneton and loaded the truck, with only the steel building and some tools remaining in the container. That will be a project. Too bad the building is longer than the truck! We called Foster as we were passing through Kitwe, and met up with him at the BP Station. There are still mechanical problems with the old vehicle which he has been trying to resolve, but he will be in Ndola tomorrow. It was good to see him after a week.
As we were driving the long road from Kitwe to Ndola, we passed a bus stopped alongside the edge of the road. Not an unusual occurrence, except the driver was hanging out the window and waving like mad. Yes, we recognized this man and pulled over right away. By this time, Lingo, our bus driver while the team was here, was running down the side of the road. He gave us big hugs, and although we could only talk for a minute, it was such a nice surprise to see him again.
Our last stop for the day was at Ndola Central Hospital to check on Bridget. She is still having pain, but is feeling much better. Communication was difficult, as she only speaks Bemba, but one of the nurses translated for us. It was good to see Bridget smile as we were leaving.
One other update I failed to mention last week: baby Frederick was discharged from the malnutrition ward at Children's Hospital last week. His weight was up where it should be, and he went home with Mom. Another happy ending!
3 comments:
I don't think I could do what you are doing. I think I'm too spoiled. I wish I (all of us) could find the joy and happiness that you find in the people of Zambia. Sometimes it seems like the more we have materially, the less we have of peace, joy, love and happiness. God bless.
I wondered how those upholstered chairs showed up on the roadside for sale!
It is amazing to think of the buildings being constructed as our ancestors did. In fact, it is stunning to realize that we in modern western civilization live with refinements that the majority of humanity has not been exposed to....clean water, plumbing, roads, shelter, immediate access to health care. All these things we take for granted are not possible for much of today's world, much less the people of the past...really - when you think of how few of us have had access to these amenities, it is humbling.
I just took in a week’s worth of your blogs while at work...whew, I'm wiped out for the day. I need to share this blog with as many people as I can. One gets a clearer picture of what it is like in Zambia though your writing. It really seems your extended stay is what OMNI needs to take that next step we were talking about. You guys are in our nightly prayers. It's great to hear my 2 year old say "God bless mom and dad, Ron and Mary Sue, grandma and grandpa..."
God bless you, ""...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:3"
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