Rural Zambia...here we come!

This morning we left Lusaka for Mpika in the Northern district. The drive was roughly nine hours but before we left we had to pack up the two vehicles with an inordinately large amount of equipment including 15 batteries (like large car batteries), 12 sets of solar panels, 2 DC/AC converters, 4 computers and monitors, (more than 30 awaited to be installed us in the various districts), printers, cables wires, tools, suitcases for 7 people for 14 days, and all of our personal laptops and hand luggage. And we had to pack all of this at 5 in the morning.

On the road finally it started to hit me where we were going and what we were going to do. We were heading off into some of the most rural parts of Zambia to bring electricity through solar power and batteries – to bring new computers to people who had never seen or touched computers before – to enable young women across Zambia to learn computer skills, business skills and project management skills so that they could start-up small businesses of their own. And this would allow them to have a career, an income for their families and an improved future for themselves and their communities.

In our vehicle we were Lazarus, the driver; Melody, the group mentor; Fatuma, the IT mentor; and me. The other vehicle contained Albert, the driver; Alice, the group mentor; and Chanda the Camfed representative and coordinator.

British cooking?

I was considering taking cooking lessons, as I try to do wherever I travel too for an extensive period of time. But I am not sure I need a lesson on how to take any type of meat at all and cook the living hell out of it. They simply sear the meat until it could not possibly get up and walk off the table and they serve it with rice, fries or nshima. But if I wanted to learn how to cook the life out of meat I would watch 1960’s British cooking shows. Anyway, chicken seems to be my staple here. I have eaten so much chicken I am sprouting feathers.

I feel so fortunate. I am doing some amazing work here with solar panels and these hyper energy efficient computers. Eventually, these guys might not need the dirty energy sold from the desks of some of my dearest pals back in Geneva. Why these guys asked me of all people to install these solar panels is beyond me. I have no experience doing so, but nevertheless, I am installing them in schools around rural Zambia along side installing small 10-computer networks running Ubuntu (Linux). And how much Linux experience do I have, you might ask? Let’s just say not very much. But I love a challenge and LOVE leaning new things.

Last of Lusaka

Africa is really great. I am busy as hell. They are working me like a dog out here but it keeps me (and my mind) busy so I am loving it. While traveling, I am scheduled to work most weekends, so I have very little free time. Hopefully at the end of the trip I will have some time to take a safari and see some things on my own. But Sunday I leave for rural Zambia for three weeks so I will be very out of touch. I will however get to see lots while I am out there. I will be in the Northern, Luapula and Western districts.

Thus far, Lusaka has been very nice. They seem to take pride in keeping the outlying areas very clean and nicely trimmed trees and lawns...I have to say I was a little surprised. Now what it will look like in the bush is anyone’s guess. The city itself is not pristine European standards, but it is a bustling African city and considered very developed and they seem to be very proud of their city, their country, their culture, their president and their languages (several languages are spoken around Zambia and over 70 dialects - English in the national language and unifies all the other languages).

A little cloudy on the solar panels

This week I have been joined in the Lusaka office by Hawa and Gaby from the UK office, as well as Jane who assists Hawa in the training program. Gaby is here for an audit. Personally, I spent another two days in the Lusaka office assisting and training the office staff. I also met with three suppliers to get quotes for the new office network installation. I was reminded by the second supplier, Netcom that we will need phones. Yes…good thought, I told myself. So already Netcon has won my approval as they saved us from the issue of forgetting to install phones into the new office space.

I was asked to investigate a few problems that were experienced with the new solar panels and batteries for the T1 computers. The larger solar panels seem impractical for the resource centers we have out in the field. The smaller solar panels have a very thin cable that is temperamental and might need vamping up. The batteries it seems can only be either charged or used to run the computers, but cannot both be charged and be used for the computers simultaneously. This seems very impractical as the girls will use the computers during the day (normal office hours), but the only time the batteries can be recharged with the solar panels is during the day. This poses a practical conflict.

Tonight Hawa and Gaby treated Jane and I to a wonderful dinner at a beautiful Indian restaurant called the Taj. It is inside a 5-star hotel and was up to that standard. We had a great time eating, discussing and enjoying the sounds of a great “kitsch” African band that was playing some traditional African music as well as tunes from artists such as Doris Day, Sinatra, Clapton, and even a song from the movie the Godfather. Very entertaining evening accompanied by some really nice South African wine.

Can't bare another beer

Isaac from the office invited me out for a river cruise in Kafue just south of Lusaka. We went with his fiancée, Chana. They are both very nice and were born in Zambia. However, they met each other in Atlanta in the US. So I was bringing them a little “yankee” slice of memory lane. The river area was beautiful. We enjoyed the local specialty, grilled Sea Bream, which was delicious. I also tried the Zambian staple, nshima (also called “pop”). It's a steamed cornmeal mash made from ground maize (corn kernels). It looks like a big ball of mash potatoes but has more of a doughy consistency. You pull off a wad, ball it up in your hands (I was told to “play with it”) and then dip it in a variety of dips including a tomato and onion relish (chutney) and a vegetable sauce.

We enjoyed a few cold Zambian beers with lunch. And more after lunch. And more after we moved over to the bar next to the river to watch the soccer match (football to the non-yanks). And more beer as we sat on the river cruise. And still more after the river cruise as we sat by the river watching the sunset. And even more at the club we went to after the river cruise. And on it went into the night. Needless to say, I had too much beer on this day.

But the cruise boat was beautiful. It was small holding perhaps 7 tables on each of its two decks and everything was made of a gorgeous stained wood. I have to say it was all very polished and felt pretty high class. The tables were fancily set for a posh and refined luncheon, which we philistines turned into more of a liquid luncheon. It was so peaceful out there on the river. I finally felt part of the natural beauty and peace that Zambia has to offer. It was wonderful.

12 hours after we first set off for the day, we headed home. After driving in circles trying to locate the guesthouse (I did remember the name which I was very proud of), we finally located it and after honking the horn several times, awakened some poor soul who scurried over to open the large steel gate that was firmly shut to ward off any potentially troublesome intruders (like us). My bed was heaven that night.

Meeting, greeting, eating and tweeting

Today I went to the Lusaka office for the first time. I met lots of the Lusaka staff...everyone was very nice and accommodating. I met Lazarus who will be my driver while I’m in Africa. He and I will be "trekking" all over rural Africa together. He seems like a great guy and I can only hope that I can rely on him for everything from running menial errands with me to defending me from the unknown “elements” while in the bush. He speaks English as well as Bemba and Nyanja (2 of the widely used languages in Zambia), so he's got us covered on the communications front. He seems to be incredibly patient with all of my ignorant questions and lame attempts at some semblance of “universal humor”.

In the Lusaka office they have just notified me that they will expand the office into a second building. What was potentially going to be a day and a half of meeting, greeting, eating and tweeting is potentially going to turn into a lot of work in Lusaka. We will run underground cables to connect the two buildings, install network wiring in the new building, rewire the old network wiring in the existing building and install a new wireless network that will offer supply wireless network coverage for both buildings. Gulp. Lots to do!

My trip to Samfya scheduled for Tue 16 Feb might have to be postponed!

African Serenity

My flight from the UK to Lusaka last night was great. Very comfortable with seats that actually properly reclined and a touch-screen entertainment center in front of each passenger offering over 200 movies to chose from. I got one last “western” meal on-board which, ironically, was chicken korma. But it was delicious and I acted as if it was my “last supper” and savored every last drop. Breakfast was a box of miscellaneous cold items including 6 grapes, a freezing cold muffin and a yogurt which had leaked all over the little box. At least the coffee was hot.

I arrived in Lusaka on time and had a small issue at customs with my visa. I paid $55 for a 36-month multiple entry visa at the Zambian Mission in Geneva, Switzerland (I live in Geneva). However, upon presenting this to the customs officials at the Lusaka airport, they told me if I were simply "a tourist" I could come and go as I pleased. However, as a volunteer working in Zambia for Camfed, I could only stay for a maximum of 30 days, after which I would have to reapply for another 30-day visa and pay another $200. Honesty will get you very far but it will also cost you an extra $200 !

Patricia met me at the airport. She oversees the admin at the Lusaka office and helps me with everything from expenses to lunch to mobile phones to hotels. She is great and has been very helpful. She is also helping me sort out my visa extension. So far I love Africa, but I am not sure I would want to get stuck here indefinitely with an expired visa.

I checked in to a nice tucked away little guest house aptly named the Serenity Lodge. It is comfy and the staff is warm and more than accommodating. They serve a full English breakfast (hell yea!) and a really nice fresh chicken kebab on a skewer (not the euro trash version) so the food is much better than I expected so far. I have A/C, a hot shower, a mini fridge, Internet access, and CNN and a pretty good movie channel. Hmmmm....does not feel that different than home thus far. I am sure that will change very soon. I leave Lusaka in 5 days and head for rural Africa.