Christmas in Zambia was a refreshing experience, different in many respects from what I am accustomed to.
Imagine this: The Christmas season in Zambia is one week long, and it is almost exclusively a religious festival. There are no reminders broadcast on radio or TV about how many shopping days till Christmas. Santa is unknown, and gift-giving is not a part of most people's celebrations. I heard a medley of Christmas songs only once, during the week before Christmas, in Shoprite, Kitwe's main supermarket. We didn't sing carols, even in church, until Christmas Eve.
Yes, I missed some of the special music and pageantry presented at Christmastime at home, but I didn't miss the materialistic aspect at all. Nor did I miss the hectic pace and stress that sometimes characterizes the holiday season in America. Here life slowed down as our campus closed for a two week break from December 20-January 3.
All the holiday activity took place at church. There was a service each day during Christmas week. These took place in the late afternoon and were filled with joyful congregational singing, choral offerings, and a message about some aspect of Jesus or his life. Christmas Eve the service started later and included candle lighting. On Christmas morning there was a joint service with the English and Bemba-speaking congregations praising together. That service started at 9 am and lasted past noon, ending with communion.
The Mindolo UCZ congregation has several different choirs, and each had prepared special music for the season. The Praise Team is an energetic youth choral group with keyboard accompaniment. They sometimes dance while singing. The Jerusalem Choir sings a cappella, or accompanied by drumming. They wear purple robes and sing parts. Their repertoire ranges from traditional choruses to complex cantatas. The Women's Fellowship has its own choir, as does the Men's Fellowship and the theology students. I sometimes wonder if Zambians are born singing--all of them seem to have strong voices and the ability to pick up a melody after hearing it once. No choir uses sheet music.
After church on Christmas Day, most people went home to a big family dinner. Sharing food and visiting with friends and family seem to be universal features of holiday celebrations around the world. We joined with another Mindolo family for our Christmas dinner.
It was a simple, quiet Christmas made special by the services, the music, and above all by the presence of my daughter and grandchildren with me in Zambia.
Our hope for the new year is that there should be more peace and more love within ourselves and out in the world. May we make this wish a reality by our actions and reactions throughout the coming year!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Family Fun
My daughter Cathy and grandchildren El'ad (age 7), Noa (age 4) and Matan (7 months) arrived this week to spend the Christmas holiday here in Zambia. Thank heavens for Frequent Flyer miles!
We will take a couple of trips while they are here. Just after Christmas, we will visit Victoria Falls and the nearby national park to see monkeys, zebras, giraffes, a white rhino, buffalo, alligators, impala, baboons, and a variety of interesting birds. Cruising the Zambezi River, we will see elephants cross from Zimbabwe to Zambia in the late afternoon. We may take a couple of short trips to interesting sites near Kitwe, and we will spend a few days together in Johannesburg at the end of their trip. Our main activity, however, will be to experience family time at Mindolo.
The local children have been on school break since early November, with little to do. I suggested that Cathy bring along books, sports balls, art supplies, and Legos in great quantity. Except for the Legos, everything else was familiar play material, and welcome. El'ad demonstrated Lego construction, and the kids immediately began to build a variety of structures. What was interesting was the collaborative efforts the Zambian children initiated. They would decide what they were trying to create, and then several would help make it. They built an accurate model of the duplex I live in, complete with doors that opened and closed. They have also built airplanes and various vehicles, as well as a whole city.
In addition to Lego construction activities, art projects, and outdoor games, the local children love to take Matan for walks in his stroller or in their arms or on their backs. They ask if we will let him sit with them while they draw or build on the porch. They talk to him and entertain him with funny faces, songs, and other interactions. He loves it!
The local language is Bemba, and the children are accustomed to speaking Bemba among themselves. Language does not appear to present a barrier to cooperative play, as they find ways to communicate with El'ad and Noa in a mix of English, gestures, and demonstration. So far, most of the heavy rain has fallen at night, so there are many opportunities each day for outdoor universal children's games like hide and seek.
I've been enjoying reading and telling stories with Noa and El'ad, baking cookies together, and playing games like Sorry and Concentration. We have visited the market and acted out dramas. I have gotten to know Matan, who was born while I was here in Zambia.
If only all my children and grandchildren could visit, I would be the happiest grandmother in the world!
We will take a couple of trips while they are here. Just after Christmas, we will visit Victoria Falls and the nearby national park to see monkeys, zebras, giraffes, a white rhino, buffalo, alligators, impala, baboons, and a variety of interesting birds. Cruising the Zambezi River, we will see elephants cross from Zimbabwe to Zambia in the late afternoon. We may take a couple of short trips to interesting sites near Kitwe, and we will spend a few days together in Johannesburg at the end of their trip. Our main activity, however, will be to experience family time at Mindolo.
The local children have been on school break since early November, with little to do. I suggested that Cathy bring along books, sports balls, art supplies, and Legos in great quantity. Except for the Legos, everything else was familiar play material, and welcome. El'ad demonstrated Lego construction, and the kids immediately began to build a variety of structures. What was interesting was the collaborative efforts the Zambian children initiated. They would decide what they were trying to create, and then several would help make it. They built an accurate model of the duplex I live in, complete with doors that opened and closed. They have also built airplanes and various vehicles, as well as a whole city.
In addition to Lego construction activities, art projects, and outdoor games, the local children love to take Matan for walks in his stroller or in their arms or on their backs. They ask if we will let him sit with them while they draw or build on the porch. They talk to him and entertain him with funny faces, songs, and other interactions. He loves it!
The local language is Bemba, and the children are accustomed to speaking Bemba among themselves. Language does not appear to present a barrier to cooperative play, as they find ways to communicate with El'ad and Noa in a mix of English, gestures, and demonstration. So far, most of the heavy rain has fallen at night, so there are many opportunities each day for outdoor universal children's games like hide and seek.
I've been enjoying reading and telling stories with Noa and El'ad, baking cookies together, and playing games like Sorry and Concentration. We have visited the market and acted out dramas. I have gotten to know Matan, who was born while I was here in Zambia.
If only all my children and grandchildren could visit, I would be the happiest grandmother in the world!
Family Fun
My daughter Cathy and grandchildren El'ad (age 7), Noa (age 4) and Matan (7 months) arrived this week to spend the Christmas holiday here in Zambia. Thank heavens for Frequent Flyer miles!
We will take a couple of trips while they are here. Just after Christmas, we will visit Victoria Falls and the nearby national park to see monkeys, zebras, giraffes, a white rhino, buffalo, alligators, impala, baboons, and a variety of interesting birds. Cruising the Zambezi River, we will see elephants cross from Zimbabwe to Zambia in the late afternoon. We may take a couple of short trips to interesting sites near Kitwe, and we will spend a few days together in Johannesburg at the end of their trip. Our main activity, however, will be to experience family time at Mindolo.
The local children have been on school break since early November, with little to do. I suggested that Cathy bring along books, sports balls, art supplies, and Legos in great quantity. Except for the Legos, everything else was familiar play material, and welcome. El'ad demonstrated Lego construction, and the kids immediately began to build a variety of structures. What was interesting was the collaborative efforts the Zambian children initiated. They would decide what they were trying to create, and then several would help make it.
They built an accurate model of the duplex I live in, complete with doors that opened and closed. They have also built airplanes and various vehicles, as well as a whole city.
In addition to Lego construction activities, art projects, and outdoor games, the local children love to take Matan for walks in his stroller or in their arms or on their backs. They ask if we will let him sit with them while they draw or build on the porch. They talk to him and entertain him with funny faces, songs, and other interactions. He loves it!
The local language is Bemba, and the children are accustomed to speaking Bemba among themselves. Language does not appear to present a barrier to cooperative play, as they find ways to communicate with El'ad and Noa in a mix of English, gestures, and demonstration. So far, most of the heavy rain has fallen at night, so there are many opportunities each day for outdoor universal children's games like hide and seek.
I've been enjoying reading and telling stories with Noa and El'ad, baking cookies together, and playing games like Sorry and Concentration. We have visited the market and acted out dramas. I have gotten to know Matan, who was born while I was here in Zambia.
If only all my children and grandchildren could visit, I would be the happiest grandmother in the world!
We will take a couple of trips while they are here. Just after Christmas, we will visit Victoria Falls and the nearby national park to see monkeys, zebras, giraffes, a white rhino, buffalo, alligators, impala, baboons, and a variety of interesting birds. Cruising the Zambezi River, we will see elephants cross from Zimbabwe to Zambia in the late afternoon. We may take a couple of short trips to interesting sites near Kitwe, and we will spend a few days together in Johannesburg at the end of their trip. Our main activity, however, will be to experience family time at Mindolo.
The local children have been on school break since early November, with little to do. I suggested that Cathy bring along books, sports balls, art supplies, and Legos in great quantity. Except for the Legos, everything else was familiar play material, and welcome. El'ad demonstrated Lego construction, and the kids immediately began to build a variety of structures. What was interesting was the collaborative efforts the Zambian children initiated. They would decide what they were trying to create, and then several would help make it.
They built an accurate model of the duplex I live in, complete with doors that opened and closed. They have also built airplanes and various vehicles, as well as a whole city.
In addition to Lego construction activities, art projects, and outdoor games, the local children love to take Matan for walks in his stroller or in their arms or on their backs. They ask if we will let him sit with them while they draw or build on the porch. They talk to him and entertain him with funny faces, songs, and other interactions. He loves it!
The local language is Bemba, and the children are accustomed to speaking Bemba among themselves. Language does not appear to present a barrier to cooperative play, as they find ways to communicate with El'ad and Noa in a mix of English, gestures, and demonstration. So far, most of the heavy rain has fallen at night, so there are many opportunities each day for outdoor universal children's games like hide and seek.
I've been enjoying reading and telling stories with Noa and El'ad, baking cookies together, and playing games like Sorry and Concentration. We have visited the market and acted out dramas. I have gotten to know Matan, who was born while I was here in Zambia.
If only all my children and grandchildren could visit, I would be the happiest grandmother in the world!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Wings, Legs, and More
Every season in Zambia seems to open a new episode of the long-running drama "Living with Bugs." We have just endured the Attack of the Swarming Termites. This followed the Invasion of the Tiny Ants. I am told that I will yearn for the return of the tiny ants when we reach the March of the Fire Ants. They pinch! The Annoyance of the Seasonal Pesky House Flies includes their performance preference for buzzing and dive-bombing around my hair.
Some episodes, like those just mentioned, have a limited time period or life cycle. Others are long-running plays. The Parade of the Medium Black Ants takes place only in the bathroom, around the tub and sink, but it has been continuous since my arrival. Other long-running acts include the High-Jumping Antics of the Grasshoppers/Mantises/and other Long-legged Skinny Green Insects, the Flight of the Giant Beetles, and the Occasional Surprise Appearance of the Spider As Big As My Hand, a horror act if I ever saw one.
It is not only the house where the drama occurs. The eggplant patch in the garden was the scene of the Battle of the Red Spiders v. Moses. The spiders won the first round, but Moses and some secret special spray look to be holding the spiders down for the count at the moment. We welcome the Dance of the Singing Bees and Wasps around the outdoor plants.
When the flying termites swarmed, they covered everything in their path, including us. One neighbor told me she just went to bed under the mosquito net when they appeared in the early evening, and the next morning she swept away the layer of carcasses all over her living room floor. If you leave a light on to attract them and a bowl of water to catch them as they fall, you can take off the wings and fry them for a snack. I chose to bypass this treat.
Zambia does have some beautiful insects, particularly butterflies. There were multitudes of tiny yellow ones for the first few months after I arrived, as well as every other color and size imaginable.
I do my best to appreciate and respect insects as valuable part of God's creation, although it is sometimes hard not to find them annoying. But then I remember the comment of Corrie Ten Boom (in her book The Hiding Place) about the fleas that infested one of the concentration camp dormitories in which she and her sister were held. She initially complained about the hated fleas. Then she noticed that the officers seldom came into that particular dorm, apparently to avoid bites. The prisoners became free to hold meetings and activities there without interference. Eventually she was thankful for fleas. So I guess I can be thankful for the interesting array of critters and creepy-crawlies encountered here in Zambia.
Some episodes, like those just mentioned, have a limited time period or life cycle. Others are long-running plays. The Parade of the Medium Black Ants takes place only in the bathroom, around the tub and sink, but it has been continuous since my arrival. Other long-running acts include the High-Jumping Antics of the Grasshoppers/Mantises/and other Long-legged Skinny Green Insects, the Flight of the Giant Beetles, and the Occasional Surprise Appearance of the Spider As Big As My Hand, a horror act if I ever saw one.
It is not only the house where the drama occurs. The eggplant patch in the garden was the scene of the Battle of the Red Spiders v. Moses. The spiders won the first round, but Moses and some secret special spray look to be holding the spiders down for the count at the moment. We welcome the Dance of the Singing Bees and Wasps around the outdoor plants.
When the flying termites swarmed, they covered everything in their path, including us. One neighbor told me she just went to bed under the mosquito net when they appeared in the early evening, and the next morning she swept away the layer of carcasses all over her living room floor. If you leave a light on to attract them and a bowl of water to catch them as they fall, you can take off the wings and fry them for a snack. I chose to bypass this treat.
Zambia does have some beautiful insects, particularly butterflies. There were multitudes of tiny yellow ones for the first few months after I arrived, as well as every other color and size imaginable.
I do my best to appreciate and respect insects as valuable part of God's creation, although it is sometimes hard not to find them annoying. But then I remember the comment of Corrie Ten Boom (in her book The Hiding Place) about the fleas that infested one of the concentration camp dormitories in which she and her sister were held. She initially complained about the hated fleas. Then she noticed that the officers seldom came into that particular dorm, apparently to avoid bites. The prisoners became free to hold meetings and activities there without interference. Eventually she was thankful for fleas. So I guess I can be thankful for the interesting array of critters and creepy-crawlies encountered here in Zambia.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
World AIDS Day
December 1 was "World AIDS Day". Here at MEF, we observed it with a morning educational workshop on HIV followed by free testing and counseling offered by a community agency and Sister Margaret, the nurse in our clinic. Later in the day, some of the high school students who are participants in projects sponsored by MEF practiced dances, drumming, drama and poetry they had developed. They commemorated the day on Saturday in a youth-oriented event.
One in seven Zambian adults is HIV+, with the highest rates in urban areas. Life expectancy has declined to 39 years. Out of a population of under 12 million, there are at least 700,000 AIDS orphans. The epidemic has created labor shortages in many sectors, including education.
HIV/AIDS is manifested differently in sub-Saharan Africa than in other parts of the world. Here, 60% of the people living with HIV infections are women. Young women, between the ages of 15-24, have a rate four times higher than young men of the same age here in Zambia. Several factors seem to account for this. First, there is little comprehensive sex education, and misinformation about HIV abounds. There is a tendency for teenage girls to begin sexual activity at a young age, and with much older men. Gender violence is common, both within and outside marriage. Women are socialized to believe that they should never say no to their husbands or partners, or ever demand the use of a condom. A cultural norm of men having multiple sexual partners, even after marriage, contributes to the spread of HIV infections among women.
The HIV infection rate within Zambia's prisons is nearly 30%. Official rules state that sexual activity between inmates is prohibited, so condoms are not allowed, despite efforts of various groups to advocate for a change in this policy. When ex-offenders return home, they may spread the infection to their wives and girlfriends.
Even though churches have begun to participate in HIV/AIDS education and many have even encouraged condom use, there is still a high degree of moral judgment and stigma evident. Family members are said to have died from malaria or TB or other conditions, without acknowledging, even to themselves, that HIV/AIDS was the underlying cause. I was surprised to hear so little mention of anyone caring for an infected friend or relative. With over 200 students and probably 40 staff (including security, kitchen, housekeeping, and special projects plus lecturers and administration), there is no support group on campus for those living with HIV. MEF does have an AIDS policy assuring that there will be no discrimination and giving medical leave for treatment.
Zambia has made a commitment to the Millennium Development Goal related to combating HIV/AIDS. How close the country will come to its aspirations is the issue. Prevention and treatment efforts here have been hampered by the inadequate health care system and corruption within the Ministry of Health. Antiretroviral treatment is available to less than 2/3 of those who need it.
Where do we go from here? The medical community, social workers, and the church could mount a strong, visible campaign to get people to talk about HIV/AIDS without shame or judgment. I'm planning to engage in some low-key informal activities at MEF that might lead toward the formation of a support group if there is interest and willingness among the students and staff. Any other suggestions?
One in seven Zambian adults is HIV+, with the highest rates in urban areas. Life expectancy has declined to 39 years. Out of a population of under 12 million, there are at least 700,000 AIDS orphans. The epidemic has created labor shortages in many sectors, including education.
HIV/AIDS is manifested differently in sub-Saharan Africa than in other parts of the world. Here, 60% of the people living with HIV infections are women. Young women, between the ages of 15-24, have a rate four times higher than young men of the same age here in Zambia. Several factors seem to account for this. First, there is little comprehensive sex education, and misinformation about HIV abounds. There is a tendency for teenage girls to begin sexual activity at a young age, and with much older men. Gender violence is common, both within and outside marriage. Women are socialized to believe that they should never say no to their husbands or partners, or ever demand the use of a condom. A cultural norm of men having multiple sexual partners, even after marriage, contributes to the spread of HIV infections among women.
The HIV infection rate within Zambia's prisons is nearly 30%. Official rules state that sexual activity between inmates is prohibited, so condoms are not allowed, despite efforts of various groups to advocate for a change in this policy. When ex-offenders return home, they may spread the infection to their wives and girlfriends.
Even though churches have begun to participate in HIV/AIDS education and many have even encouraged condom use, there is still a high degree of moral judgment and stigma evident. Family members are said to have died from malaria or TB or other conditions, without acknowledging, even to themselves, that HIV/AIDS was the underlying cause. I was surprised to hear so little mention of anyone caring for an infected friend or relative. With over 200 students and probably 40 staff (including security, kitchen, housekeeping, and special projects plus lecturers and administration), there is no support group on campus for those living with HIV. MEF does have an AIDS policy assuring that there will be no discrimination and giving medical leave for treatment.
Zambia has made a commitment to the Millennium Development Goal related to combating HIV/AIDS. How close the country will come to its aspirations is the issue. Prevention and treatment efforts here have been hampered by the inadequate health care system and corruption within the Ministry of Health. Antiretroviral treatment is available to less than 2/3 of those who need it.
Where do we go from here? The medical community, social workers, and the church could mount a strong, visible campaign to get people to talk about HIV/AIDS without shame or judgment. I'm planning to engage in some low-key informal activities at MEF that might lead toward the formation of a support group if there is interest and willingness among the students and staff. Any other suggestions?
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