7 September 2008

As a follow up to Ashlee’s letter about the language she said that another one she is having trouble with is tomorrow = yesterday. How do you figure out when you are doing something when there is no difference between yesterday and tomorrow? Curious. Ashlee asked that we send gum in their care packages because what they have tastes terrible! They now have an internet phone and can receive emails, but still can only respond when they are at the provincial house.

Andy and I are going to work on a Western house design for the village. They are going to start raising and processing pine trees in the region and he would like to show them how to build a wood framed house. This would help to reduce the amount of wood needed for construction as currently it takes a lot of wood to burn to fire the bricks that they use to build. There will be challenges as they do not have the other traditional building materials that we have including treated lumber for sill plates, house wrap and exterior sheathing that we use to protect the wood from rotting. A girl from my office, Charmalee, who is from Sri Lanka, has some experience in this type of work and she and I are teaming up to design and detail a house for them. Andy said that getting a set of metric blueprints would mean the world to the village. He has been working with a local contractor on the bridge projects and with Andy’s extensive construction experience he feels that he could guide them through the construction process. I have already been thinking up ways to make that process smoother by maybe laminating the plans as they do not have a way to reproduce them. We are starting this week to research construction techniques that may be applicable. Maybe by the time we go the Zambia next spring they will be underway.

31 August 2008

When we spoke to Andy and Ashlee they were stuck in Solwezi because the recently deceased president, Levy Mwanawasa, body was making the rounds to the cities and villages for viewing and so all the traffic was coming into Solwezi but not out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7570285.stm So they stayed a few extra days at the provincial house on their way back from a week of training in Lusaka. They were curious to see how the country would react as this is the first elected official to pass away. So far everything has been peaceful. They are very interested to see how the election process works in Zambia. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7607444.stm Ashlee was telling my how the mourning period is 7 days and there is hour upon hour of wailing.

They enjoyed their training where they learned about grafting trees so provide a variety of fruit types. They were grafting oranges on to lemon trees. They also had training in growing bananas and business planning. They will hold weekly classes on business planning with the village.

Ashlee said that she had 7 chickens hatch from her chicken Ethel, but 4 had already been killed by hawks. Hopefully they will be able to keep a couple of them alive. An epidemic has been going around that is killing the chickens so they were going to find out how to get vaccinations for the birds.

Ashlee has started a knitting club and met with the town council to get it approved. That will be a valuable skill to teach the ladies. Ashlee said she has started to work out a lot of different patterns including socks to teach them. Mom’s knitting club has been sending Ashlee needles and yarn to get started, as well as yarn to do the rag rugs. Mom found a pattern online for making a loom out of a cardboard box so they should be able to figure out a way to make that work.

They have befriended a boy from the village whose father lived in Lusaka recently died of TB which is a result of HIV. His family would not let him leave the village to attend the funeral and now he has been left to fend for himself with his education which is nearly complete. Andy and Ashlee are going to sponsor him (10,000 quatra which is only a few dollars) in return for work around their house for this year, but are trying to find a sponsor for him for the next year. He is the cousin of the boy that does quite a bit of work for them now at their house.

Ashlee said that she had received a letter from Christi, her high school friend, who has recently traveled to Russia with her acting group to teach the children about playwriting. They think that it may be possible for her group to visit Africa in the future for a similar program. Ashlee was very excited about this prospect and hopes they can get the details worked out.

Mujy Byepi Mwane

3 August 2008

Well after 2 weeks of diarrhea Ashlee is finally starting to recover. They had to stay at the provincial house for 5 days as she was not able to hitchhike back to their house due to her illness. They planned to stay only for a few days, but it got stretched out. Not a good reason to extend your vacation, but at least they had lots of movies to pass the time. They had been at a going away party for another volunteer and drank some local beverages which maybe the culprit but Andy managed to only be ill for a couple of days. They were tested for malaria but they were clean.

Andy’s bike is now out of commission and since they are American bikes they cannot find parts anywhere nearby so they have to wait until they go to the city this week to get them. Hopefully by now they have what they need. Andy has been riding Ashlee’s bike into town for what they need as he is the better rider. Plus I don’t really like the idea of Ashlee riding around by herself.

Ashlee finally got her chicken. It has laid 12 eggs, but refuses to stay at their house. She came from the neighbor and so she goes back over there to lay her eggs. They decided to let her have a few chicks and plan to take them back to their house after they are born, so hopefully that will keep her close to home. Her name is Ethel (for those of you who don’t know that is our grandmother’s name). Ashlee is also planning to add a duck sometime soon. She said that chickens there are like a bank account you save up what you can so you can trade them when you are in need. They are very valuable. The pigs all got wiped out by an epidemic a while ago and the locals really want to get them back. Ashlee said she is encouraging ducks and that is why she wants to get one. The pigs have parasites called jiggers in their droppings that get into your feet. So she said she does not care to have that to worry about. There are however a lot of predators for the fowl including wild cats, snakes and hawks. They were telling us about watching a hawk catch and kill a chicken the other day. They get a lot of entertainment from watch the local wildlife.

They said things have been a bit strange around the village the last week because the man who used to live in their house died and the village has been in mourning. Approximately every two hours around the clock they start wailing and carry on for a while and then take a break. They are not really sure what they should be doing, but they think they people understand that it is not their culture. They said that the man’s son is an educated man with a degree in science who has travel the world but has now returned to the village to live. What a strange thing that must be. Travel the modern world only to return to a village with no electricity and no running water. But I guess for him it is home. They said it is a common thing. The local school principal actually went to school in Minot, ND and spent 5 years in Germany and is now back in the village.

They are going to buy an internet phone this week when they are in the city, so they should be able to receive email all the time. They won’t be able to reply as it will be very expensive but they will be able to get messages every day. They said they would let us know when that is up and running.

Ashlee is planning to help the ladies build a loom so that they can make rag rugs to sell. They have a lot of brightly colored fabric that will make for beautiful rugs, plus it will give them another source of income. She said they can buy a bag of scraps for 1000 quatra and turn around and sell the rung for 10,000 quatra, so it could be a pretty lucrative project. They have been a bit discourage lately as they haven’t been getting many people to turn out for their meetings, but they said that is common and so they are trying not to get frustrated. Andy has been working with the Kasempa Town Council to design a bridge that will be built. He has been doing blueprints of options and seems to be enjoying that.

13 July 2008

When we spoke to Andy and Ashlee yesterday they were just cuddling up with a cup of hot cocoa. It has been cooler and Ashlee was in long pants and long sleeves. There disagreed about the actual temperature, Ashlee thought 60-70 and Andy thought it was warmer, but the villagers are still wearing their sweaters, so it must still be winter. We talked to them about the food that we sent to see if they still had some left.

They are trying to ration it out, since the “Hungry Season” starts in November and they do not know what to expect. They said it typically runs from November to January. We have been trying to figure out the right time to visit and had been thinking about Christmas, but knowing that it will be rainy and a time of famine, makes us thing that late spring would be a better time. I promised them that we would load them up on food as it gets closer, so they can go ahead and enjoy what we sent now, but I understand that sense of uncertainty.

I asked what meat they have been eating and so far it is mostly beef and chicken. There was recently an illness that came through that killed most the pigs and they have not been replenished. Ashlee said they were offered some warthog recently, and had she not been there she was certain that Andy would have purchased it. She said it was in a burlap sack and not appealing so she turned it down. She said that hippo meat is popular, but only in the rainy season. She thinks it is illegal so it probably won’t be in the shops, but she said they would like to try it some day.

They went on Friday night and stayed with the young American doctor and his family. There was a mission group visiting so there were a lot of Americans. Ashlee said she got to take her first shower in a month and while she couldn’t stay in too long because hot water is limited she did get behind her ears and belly button cleaned out. She said it is hard to get fully clean in a bucket. She also enjoyed being able to lie in bed and read past dark. In the morning they made French toast with the kids.

Ashlee said it is interesting that knitting is now work and not just a hobby, but she is enjoying it. She has been trying to write down patterns for what she knows. If you go to the fabric store she would love to have any of the free crochet or knitting patterns that are available and yarn is always needed. She met a lady that will soon be leave that had a whole box of clothing patterns that she gave to Ashlee so she is hoping there are some good patterns in there, but she has not had a chance to look through them yet. She has also started teaching an English class and Andy is teaching the kids Karate. They started teaching some organic farming techniques to about 10 local farmers. They are technically not supposed to be working yet, but the people are anxious to learn what they have to teach so they have started early. They said some places they have visited when they tell them that they can come back later tell them to do it now or not at all. They said that they other volunteers are in the same boat. They are still struggling with the language, but they can get the point across. They have a lot of English speaking people around so they are not picking it up as fast as some of the volunteers who are in more remote areas.

They are hoping to go to the Provincial House next weekend. They are only allowed to go every so often and they are ready for a break. They were warned that 6 weeks is about the limit before you need to get away for a couple of days and they are just reaching that point and are definitely ready for a weekend of television, electricity and running water.

7 July 2008

I missed reporting last week but we have talked to them pretty much every weekend. They seem to be doing pretty well. They are moving forward with their PC projects and Andy will start teaching some classes very soon. When we spoke to them on 29 June 2008 they had been to the Agriculture Show, which is like a state fair, where they had a booth. People come from all over and bring their best and largest crop items to show off. Andy and Ashlee did some demonstrations on organic farming and composting. They were able to meet people from all over the district that typically would be too far to visit. They told the people that if they want them to come to their villages to do demonstrations and teach to call them and they would make the trip. It seems that there was some good interest.

They are learning about how to acquire different and better food. It is all about who you know. There is a man in the village that can get/grows sweet red onions, and other foods, but he does not sell them at the market. You have to make friends with the guy and then he will let you have his vegetables. They have also made friends with an American couple from Tampa that are living in Kasempa. He is a doctor recently out of school and she is raising their two young boys and is currently 7 months pregnant. They were excited to meet other Americans and have invited Andy and Ashlee to visit any time. They are already making plans to visit with them this next weekend. They have a much more modern house with a decent kitchen. Dad observed last night that the husband will likely have to deliver his own child. That is kinda scary.

They have also found out who to talk to about getting clothes made in their village. Andy have a pair of interesting Capri pants made, which is the best kind to have for bicycle riding. His are green, yellow, blue and black with African shields all over them. They also learned that unless you specify otherwise, they pleat everything, so Andy knows to ask for no pleats next time. Sounds more like coo lots to me. Ashlee is also going to have some clothes made.

Jerry and Wanda sent them some seeds for marigolds that they received from one of their friends in Lithuania, and Ashlee has planted them so now the same marigolds will be on three continents. They received several packages in the last few weeks all of which they are very thankful for. They get so excited to get even the smallest things from home. Ashlee said she is having the hardest time with the food. She really misses food from home so be sure to include food on any packages you send. They also have an old battery operated CD player that I found in my old college stuff, so they would like to receive music too. Anything that is new that sounds good, or a mixed CD you make would be great. Andy is very into music. They said they played some music for the locals and the favorite was the Grateful Dead, but they love anything American.

Ashlee said that it is interesting that they have most everything to make Mexican food, but there is very little cross over. They have the ingredients to make tortillas but they really only use the corn for mush. Ashlee has been making tortillas and is planning to teach some of the villagers how to do so. Very one tracked minded concerning things. She said that one of their neighbors was cleaning out his garden since it is the winter season and there were several green tomatoes still on the vines. She asked is he was going to throw them out and he said he was. She stopped him and taught him how to make fried green tomatoes. The have everything needed, egg, cornmeal and seasoning. And they liked them. So rather than tossing all the tomatoes out he was able to feed his family. Something so simple has stretched their food supply out.

Ashlee said that she finishes her chicken coop, but now she can’t find anyone who will sell her a chicken. I guess they are pretty valuable. At least now she is ready. Andy has been working on a fence for their yard to keep the chickens and goats out of their garden. They learned that the pineapples in their yard will take 2-5 years to develop, but they are still hoping to eat one or two before they leave Zambia.

They have been told that the river that is ½ mile from their house will have crocodiles and hippos come the rainy season, so they are excited to see that. Hippos can be very mean, so they know to be cautious, but would like to get some good photos.

They have been lucky and been fairly healthy since arriving. Their friend Sarah has not been so lucky and has been sick three times since arriving and has a parasite which is common, but not great for the digestive system.

They had company and managed to have a decent American 4^th of July with burgers and beer. They have been put on warning concerning the issues with the Zambian president. He had a stroke on the 29^th while in Egypt and was moved to Paris. Rumors were leaked that he died, but that is not substantiated and the government is investigating how the rumors were released. I believe this is his second stroke so that is not good. It sounds like it is possible that they could be pulled out if government things to do not go smoothly. If you read anything about it text them with what you learn. They had only received a few reports via radio, but not much has been coming out. They are very anxious to know whatever we can tell them. I just sent them a text with what I learned this morning.

1 June 2008

We caught both Andy and Ashlee at home this week. They were reading by candle light as the sun had already gone down. They said it sets around 7pm since it is the winter season. They have both been going through a lot of books since they got there. Next week they are going to the provincial house for a group meeting and they are having a costume party called “Anything but clothes” and Ashlee was telling us about the costumes that she has been working on for them. There were a few large plaid plastic bags left behind by their predecessors that had some holes in them, so she made pleated skirt and halter top for her and shorts and a v-neck tank top with pockets for Andy using only the plastic bags and duct tape and coke bottle tops for the buttons. Two hours of the day are too hot to do anything outside so she has been working on the costumes for a couple of weeks. They had two peace corp. visitors in the last couple of weeks both of whom were very impressed with Ashlee’s ability to make costumes with no pattern. Sara, one of the volunteers, asked if Ashlee would come to visit her village and teach the ladies there some classes on sewing as she does not know how and that was a request from her village. Ashlee said they have a sewing machine already, so she is going to go stay for a few days and teach a few classes. Who knew all the skills we learned at home growing up would turn out to be so valuable?! Thanks Mom! There sure are all kinds of education that are important in life! Ashlee has also been knitting with the yarn Andrea sent to her.

Ashlee was describing the difficulty she has been having keeping ‘decent’ while trying to ride her bike as it is not acceptable to show above the knee, however walking around topless is completely acceptable. She has been wearing a long skirt most of the time but tying in knots on both sides to keep it out of the way. Andy said that they were warned that if you are a boob man the African women will change your mind in no time. They were telling us about a woman one of their friends saw who was actually breastfeeding a child who was riding on her back. I will let your imagination fill in the blanks on that one. Whew! Who needs TV with that kind of entertainment?

Ashlee said that the villagers were quite impressed with her volleyball skills in last week’s tournament. She said that she had served 5-6 aces in a row and one of the men turned to her and said “you are making points with those” and she just smiled and replied, “I know.” She said it was fun to play.

They are getting to know the two boys who live next door and are going to tutor them. She said they are in the 6^th and 7^th grade, but they are behind where they should be. They are really good boys and they enjoy their company and they help them a lot around the house. They are collecting manure for their garden and they have found they can barter with the kids to get manure. The previous people left around 1000 pencils and they pay the kids one pencil for each bag of manure. They have been generating some interest with the project and hope to teach the villagers about natural fertilizer. The cost of these products is also rising there so it is important for them to learn how to help their crops with a renewable resource. They don’t have an understanding of crop rotation or alternating plant types and the soils get tire and don’t produce as well so they are also trying to teach that basic concept. There is one man in particular who is always coming by to see what Andy is working on. Most people are hesitant, but this one guy is very interested so they plan to teach him everything they can and see if it starts to bring more people in as it goes. Andy is also planning to build a chicken coop so they can get a chicken and have fresh eggs and the occasional chicken dinner, but they cannot eat a whole chicken and there is no way to preserve any food so for now they plan to buy half chickens at the market.

They have encountered an issue they are not sure how to deal with. A common practice there is illegal production of charcoal which is made from illegally chopping down trees and treating it. They recently discovered that one of the villagers is doing this at his home. He has been a really friendly guy and they don’t want to make and waves in their village, but since they work for the forestry department they are kind of the enforcers of the rules, but don’t really know how to handles it.

They went to church on Saturday and were able to get a list of things the church needs put together. The pastor, in fact, has 25 churches under his charge. They said that once the church is completed if they build a house the Conference has said they will give the church its own pastor so they are working towards that. They are sending a package of recording and information to the parents to present at their church.

It is the burning season there and they said they burn everything to the ground. Ashlee speculated that it helps with the snakes, but they have never gotten an official reason. She said the smoke is irritating to her and right now it is pretty much every day. If it helps with the snakes that is good because their neighbor killed a 3-1/2’ spitting cobra the other day. These snakes spit poisonous venom at you and it can blind you. The antidote is breast milk and Ashlee said there is always someone around who breastfeeds so that is good. Actually any milk will do, but they told them breast milk is the best.

They did some shopping while in the village. Andy just got a new outfit. It is a LA Laker basketball uniform only in olive green and navy/purple. They said the outfits are available in just about any color but the Lakers purple and gold. The NBA logo has been replaced with SV. Everything there is a knock off. They wanted to get an outfit for Aundre, but they didn’t come large enough. They said they are very lucky because their Boma has so many things. They think it is because of the hospital. There is one store in town that has candy and soda that they get from Lusaka every week so that is nice.

They will be at the provincial house next weekend so they said not to call as they don’t know when they will be home. They are supposed to get a ride home from the peace corp. after the big party Saturday night but don’t know when they will reach their home on Sunday.

Everyone remember that June 14 is Andy’s birthday so you can drop a card in the mail and it will arrive late or you can text him.