Second week in Choma

Rosemary's grandchildren playing

at their home

This week was all about Jane meeting more people with Rhoda while Paul was getting more into the swing of life on the site, or the plot as it  is called. There was a public holiday on the Thursday for International Women's Day, so a short working week.
Since we arrived the weather in Zambia has been very very warm, around 30 degrees Celsius or sometimes more, and we would have rain showers sometimes, and fairly frequent dramatic thunderstorms.  Whether these are connected to the power cuts we are not quite sure, but they were coming three or four times a week, just as dinner had started to cook usually!  

Paul in the crowd  at
International Women's Day

It was my first walk to town on my own on the Monday, just a little scary, not for any good reason though - lots of people selling fruit and vegetables in the street usually with their wares laid out on the ground, but they often approach to try and make a sale - very persistent sometimes!  My visits that day included Barclays Bank, PEP rather like Quality Seconds, and the essential Spar - where would we be without it!  We are trying to get our fruit and veg from the street stalls wherever we can and support them, and they are all pretty inexpensive) but otherwise it's all about Spar, Spar, Spar!!!   Our single allowance means we have to be quite careful, but we are managing well, keeping within our budget each week. Some things we need to buy are more expensive than at home, such as dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt, but the basics such as fruit and vegetables, bread and eggs are not expensive.  Most tinned and packaged foods are a lot though, and fruit juice, from all the fruits around us, is the most expensive at around £1.20 per litre!  There are not convenience foods, and the biscuits etc are not what we are used to (No chocolate digestive here!) so I am baking much more than at home - home made pizza and quiche a lot, and biscuits and cakes too.  The trouble is we eat them all up too fast!

This is as far as we can drive to Rosemary's -
on foot from now

I am taking over the running of Chodort Crafts from Rhoda, which means buying suitable fabric from Choma or Lusaka, getting craft products such as bags, table mats and wall hangings etc made by ex students of Chodort who have set up in business, and then taking them to the Museum Craft Centre to be sold.  Rhoda took me to visit Josephine and Theodora who are the tailors she uses - they work hard on hand sewing machines, and will make anything you want!  No patterns are used, you can just take along an item of clothing and they will make you another one, must try that soon!

Rosemary cooking the nation's favourite - nshima -
made from ground maize flour

On the Tuesday we had a memorable day - Paul and I, Rhoda and the UCZ committee had been invited to lunch by a caregiver called Rosemary who we met the previous week.  She has such a low income, heaps of children to look after (ranging from her own, her grandchildren and several nieces and nephews) and still she put on an enormous lovely lunch for us.  So generous, it was a very special occasion we will always remember.  

This is how you do it

Lusford, 17, shows us the proper way

All our lunch was cooked on the open fire, everything from the fried chicken, Irish potatoes (just potatoes) green beans and the 5kg of rice that Rosemary cooked for us (I think the family followed).  The only thing we couldn't handle was the green vegetable ochre ...

Rhoda's and Mr Mundemba's turn

It was hard to believe that the two delicious sponge cake (with very very bright green icing) was also cooked in that way - ingenious.  I had a lesson in how to cook nshima, ground maize flour mixed with boiling water.  Mmm, all Zambians love it and it is served with every meal for it's stomach filling qualities.  We are not so keen - reminiscent of somewhere between Smash potato (remember that!) and flour glue.  Yum!


Before the guests start their meal they are always offered some water to wash their hands, a tradition that is so welcome.  We were not sure if the water was going to be boiling out of the kettle, but no, it was fine.

Now the Chittys!

I was given a chitenge to wear for this event - Rhoda and Auntie Monica wore one too - part of the tradition when visiting for a meal.   These 2 metre lengths of cotton material are for sale all over Choma, and are worn on top of women's clothing, as well as on the head or to carry babies around on your back - they are everywhere -  babies as well as chitenges.



There was some time for a few photos, these are just a few of them of course...

 Rosemary's house
 where we had our lunch

This is the proper way for the women to say thank you -
 don't ask me!

Auntie Monica, Paul, Rhoda and Lusford

Edward lends a hand for a photo of the visitors

Our turn for lunch

.

Farewell from the children

A memorable day, what a lovely, enormous family.  

Smart polished leather second hand shoes from the
UK and the US

Later that week I went to the market with Rhoda and the rest of the UCZ Orphans and Vulnerable Children's Committee to spend their budget on shoes for some of the children.  They go every week with the sizes they need to buy, and they also provide uniforms, books and mathematical sets to the children, which are all essential items needed to attend school. This was my first market visit and I have made several since, as they need at least three people present to account for the cash which is spent, and also to find the matching shoes!

International Women's Day 8th March

There was a march through the centre of Choma to celebrate International Women's Day, ending with a display of music, dancing and drama held at The Boma, in front of the District Council Offices.  These were performed to large crowds and the singing was tremendous.