The End of my Zambian adventure...

As I think this will be my last post, I'm going to list my top ten points of being in Zambia:

1. The weather - blue sky every day until October.

2. The people. - Very friendly, happy and welcoming people.

3. Drive through green grocers on many main roads - Just buy your fruit and veg while in the car. 

4. The many kinds of fruit that can be grown here. 

5. Lorry drivers indicating if it's safe to overtake them or not

6. Double-decker shopping trolleys in the supermarket.

7. Plastic paper plate holders (not seen them in UK anyway!)

8. Game reserves full of great wildlife

9. Being able to hitch lifts on lorries (and generally get as many people on the truck as possible!)

10. .... well OK, maybe I can't think of 10 things, but 9 is good!

Well, it's the end of my Zambian adventure, and I was kept on my toes right until the end as you'll read further on. I'm in Tanzania now, visiting my friends Neal and Sarah. I had hoped to take the train there, which takes around 2 days (if it doesnt derail - which is a common problem!) to get from Kapiri Mopshi in Zambia to Dar es Salaam. However, you have to have a visa before you travel, which can only be obtained from Lusaka and so in the end this was too difficult to arrange. If you fly, you can just purchase a visa on arrival. So it came to be that I was sat in Ndola airport departure lounge waiting for my plane, when a plane came too close to the building and the wind created by the propeller engines ended up blowing the windows through. Big chunks of glass just missed me by inches, and stuck into a wooden table. I was fortunate that it was not my body instead, which would have been the case if I'd been sitting in the seat to my right. Close shave, but I guess those prayers for safe travel also included just being in the airport itself! Slightly shaken I boarded the plane 15 minutes later. Nobody from the airport staff came to see if I was ok, but plenty of passengers came over and help take shards of glass from my hair and clothes! Anyway I'll write to Zambian airways and see if I can get any compensation, or at least get the pilot a severe warning for his crazy antics! I think he'll probably get some sort of a warning given the fact that the departure lounge was wrecked, and they'll have to replace a lot of glass.

So that's all from this Zambian adventure. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed hearing about the adventure over the past few months.  I look forward to catching up with you soon.

Next time on the blog.... Well maybe there will be another Zambian adventure in the near future, but until then it’s goodbye from the blog. 

Rainy season scuppers plans for the first time

Yesterday Ruth and I were due to go to Kapeshi to visit the school one more time, but unfortunately are attempt was thwarted by the weather. We started off a little later than planned after saying goodbye to Jon and family, as they headed to Lusaka to catch their flight back to London. However on reaching the point where we were due to meet Joel, there was no sign of him. We were 15 minutes late, but he had not arrived yet. This was very unusual, as Joel is never late. I decided that we should go up the dirt road where he will cycle down, thinking we can pick him up and save time. However 10 minutes down the road, we found parts were flooded. Not having a 4x4 vehicle, I decided not to attempt going through the water, as we’d been stuck once before. So I decided to turn the vehicle round in the narrow road, using 10 or 11 point turn (Austin Powers style, if you’ve seen the bit where he turns the car round in the tunnel). Anyway, I put the back tyre slightly off the road into some mud, and immediately it stuck. We got out, and I realised this would need people power. Now in rural Zambia, although breaking down can be a common occurrence, you do at least always seem to have people willing to help who appear out of nowhere. A family came out and the son dug the wheel out, while his father chopped up a log. We then layed the log down so the tyre could grip. After paying them a few kwacha, and the usual long saying goodbye shaking every family members hand, we were off again, well reversing down the track until I found a drier place to complete the turn. On arriving at the main road again, we waited another hour for Joel. His phone appeared to be off (later we discovered it was because it was out of battery) With no electricity in people’s homes in the bush, you have to take it to a mobile phone charging kiosk. They charge the phones from a car battery, which they in turn charge up in the town. This is quite a lucrative business for those who run the mobile phone charging kiosks. We were due in Kepeshi to also see those preparing the land for planting the crops for the school project, and they would only be there in the morning, so with time pressing on, we had to make the decision to go without Joel, and leave a note for him at the roadside shop. – Leaving notes for people is common place, and because Joel is well known in the area, there is no chance he wouldn’t receive it.


So we travelled on without Joel. (Annoyingly he would arrive just 5 minutes after we left. – Joel had suffered his bike chain coming off 3 times, as a result of having to cycle through mud in places. Before this he had to carry his bike as he walked through a river (which by January can mean walking through waist deep in water ). Some time later we started off along the Mibila road, and after 2 minutes Ruth said that it was good so far in terms of lack of surface water on the road. I suggested that we’d be fine until the mibila bridge, but this could be a problem, and where we got stuck back in August. However within 5 minutes we hit water in the road.
Photo: Mibila road filling up with water already



Being a wanabee rally driver, this was no problem! You have to go fast through the water or the tyres will get stuck, however, as the car started to go into skid, followed by skid, and I was only just able to avoid the small trees at the side of the road, it became apparent that we were not going to reach Kepeshi, and had to turn back. The problem again though, was finding a place to turn. Knowing the problem a couple of hours earlier, I needed to find a dryish bit of road that was also wide enough. So some 20 minutes and after going through numerous areas of submerged road, we turned round, and prepared to do it all again! Anyway, we arrived back safe, although a little disappointed not to have got there, but it highlighted to me the problems the people face, and this is after only 1 week of the rainy season proper.

Next time on the blog…. The adventure comes to an end and I'll tell you my Top 10 things about Zambia!

The 4-day rural conference

It was around 2am, rain was battering the tent, which was lit up periodically by the lightning, and loud claps of thunder echoed around the landscape like louder than I've ever heard before, a lorry trundles along the nearby road and a pig grunts as it brushes past my tent, while goats could be heard bleating not too far away. I was camped in Sekela village at our rural conference.

Photos: Piglets arrive at the conference!

The conference seemed to be a success. We had around 50 delegates of which around 40 were from rural areas and 10 from Chingola itself. Jon led sessions talking about the ‘Life’ concept, and we also had a guest speaker Cornelius, from Luapula province. He has been leading the rooted in Jesus discipleship programme in various parts of that province. There were many workshop sessions too, which also resulted in some amusing sketches which each group had to perform - more amusing if you're fluent in Bemba, but roars of laughter came from the delegates, so they seemed to enjoy it! Through what they had learnt many leaders at this conference now felt empowered to do so much more. They now had a new confidence and direction, which they had lacked before

Photo: Group discussions at the conference

Photo: Cornelius involved with one of the workshops

People slept in the church, some in houses in the village and others in tents. Unfortunately on the first night, the heavy downpour caused one of the tents to flood, and some guests woke up to find their bedding soaked. The rainy season began properly on 1st November, and we’ve had thunderstorms and torrential rain each evening/night since. Apart from this though, the thunderstorms did not cause any other problems for the conference.

I took a practical session on how people could help in their villages. I demonstrated how you can make fly-traps out of plastic bottles and also how you can make a tap to wash your hands out of a large milk carton. The people there were really excited about this, and it seemed to catch their imagination, with almost everyone wanting to make them. Unfortunately we ran out of bottles, such was the demand, but at least they know how to make them now.

Photo: Making flytraps from plastic bottles

Jo did well at organising the women who were cooking the food, and people were very happy with the food, which was nshima (ground maize called a different name whereever you go in Africa, but essentially the same thing) and cabbage with either chicken, fish or beans. For breakfast they had rice. This wasn’t Jo’s menu choice of course. However, she’d been tipped off that this food would go down well, and it did!

Photo: One of the women prepares cabbage

With only 4 bathrooms (sorry bamboo and straw fenced cubicals) the washing process took a while, but it gave a good chance to chat while you were queuing up, waiting for the next metal tub of hot water to arrive for you to wash in.

Photo: The openair bathroom!

There were also a lot of children around where we stayed, and the excitement of the conference coming to their village, was too much to miss, so they needed to be entertained too.

Photo: Zambia's future cricketers in the making!

At the end of the conference it was a slightly sad time as we had to say our goodbyes to the pastors, apart from Jo, who will be out here for another few weeks. Ironically it was Jo that was crying though! Of course Jon plans to be back, and I hope to be too, so it's not goodbye forever.

I said I'd mention reaction to the election, well there hasnt been too much. Rupiah Banda came from behind to win in the end, with 40% of the vote to Sata's 39%. Rather close. Sata has claimed that the election was rigged, but the international community seem to be happy that it was carried out ok. Although many in the Copperbelt region where we are voted for Sata, there has not been any trouble over the result. Just some minor trouble in the capital Lusaka.

Next time on the blog…. The rainy season makes for an eventful final road trip into the bush as we attempt to visit the school in Kapeshi.

Planting seeds for success

I write this blog, as the country of Zambia is eagerly awaiting for the result of the presidential elections held 2 days ago. Around three-quarters of the results are in, and so far Michael Sata is some 13,000 votes ahead of Rupiah Banda, so in other words it’s very close, as in a national vote this is hardly anything! It’s likely that the town will get very noisy later on when the final result of who the new president will be is announced.

This week we have bought and distributed fertiliser and cabbage seed for the short term project, which will enable each of the pastors we’ve been working with to support themselves and the "Life" discipleship programme as it goes forward. Fertiliser is very heavy, and after carrying a lot of it this week, we're all quite tired, and there is still no end to the hot weather, as the country awaits the start of the proper rainy season, as apposed to the odd thunder storm which has been it so far this month.

Photo: Vincent and Ponde carry the heavy (50kg) fertiliser bags

Photo: Packing the bags into the car.

Not only did we get all of the fertiliser and seed, we also had to distribute it to them, which took some time, but it was also good to go to their homes and meet their families. Each showed us their houses and gave a tour, extremely short though this was, with only 3 or 4 rooms at most, and all very compact. Children sleep often 4 to a room, and some often dont have a bedroom, but just sleep in the main sitting room. The larger tour however happened, when we were shown their land, which is extensive. It's here that they try to support themselves by growing all sorts of different crops. This is how rural Zambia lives. It's a sustainable existance, where every day is hardwork. Joel showed us his land, where as well as trying to grow crops, he also has tried to rear fish in a dug out pond, which takes water from a nearby river, when the rainy season starts. However, he explained that monitor lizzards ate many of the fish last year, so he is hoping that a tall fence will stop this. I wasnt sure if this would help though, as I'm sure they can climb, but it may deter some preditors. He also keeps goats and pigs. We were introduced to Joel's brother who is a carpenter, blacksmith, and allround craftsman. He showed us how he makes wooden cups, egg cups and many other high quality items using lathes and other crafting machines powered by riding a bicycle. Genius!

Photo: Ranger Selelah with 2 of his 12 children (he has 4 sets of twins!)

Photo: Joel Mwanza with his wife Catherine and his children


Photo: Joel talks with his brother surrounded by goats

We also had the chance to take some maize seed to Kepeshi school, as they look to start an agricultural project for the community, which will fund the school over the coming years. The head teacher Alice was delighted to see the seed arrive, and said the local men in the village will continue to work on the land next week, and plant the seeds in the coming weeks in time for the rains.

We also visited a couple of friends Moses and Sunday, who together with their families are busy getting ready for the rains, and preparing their land for planting.

Tomorrow (sunday), marks my final week in Zambia as we head to a rural village called Sekela, where we'll be putting on a conference for rural leaders and Jon will explain the life discipleship programme. There will also be a number of practical workshops and we hope the 4 day conference will be a real encouragement to the people. We'll also have a number of people attending from Chingola, who felt that they may be called to rural ministry, and it will be a good chance for them to visit the rural communities, which many rarely get to see. So please pray this conference goes well, and people get a lot out of it, and are encouraged greatly. We hope that like the cabbage and maize seeds that will be planted, the conference will also plant many seeds in people which will help them and their communities to grow.

Next time on the blog.... News from the conference and reaction to the Presidential election results.

Orange is the new purple

I thought I cannot be in Africa, and not mention something about nature, as certainly when it comes to flora and fauna, this part of Africa certainly has its fair share. At one time many of the villages had elephants, lions and many other larger animals roaming alongside people. However many were killed or driven out man’s occupation of the land and just hunted. There was also the large movement of elephants and other larger animals by the authorities during the late 1980s and early 1990’s from the populated rural areas to the game reserves, in order to protect man and the animals from each other, as well as to enable increased tourism by creating themany game reserves (Zambia has around 20 in all). However, there are still many animals living alongside the people in this area such as snakes, crocodiles, many spiders and free range pigs! Yes pigs will wander through some villages here, as well as goats.

In the urban areas too though there are also many creatures to be seen. As the season changes and the humidity continues to rise, the colour of Chingola is changing. The skies are still blue, albeit some clouds now too, but the predominance of purple in the tree lined avenues has now changed to orange, as another tree blossoms in the place of the Jacaranda tree. This too will probably only be in flower for a short while before the season changes again.


Photo: Orange trees take over from purple trees!

There is also an avacado tree outside our flat, and it is the time of year for the fruit to rippen and drop off. These things are heavy, and can hit the ground with some force, so it's best not to stand under these trees at the moment.

Photo: Avacado tree in our shared garden

The number of insects and other creatures has increased too, including unfortunately the mosquito, which until now, we have seen very few of. We are also seeing many different creatures including a myriad of geckos and lizards, in all shapes, sizes and colours. Then there is the insect life – generally they are much bigger than anything we have in the UK, and you’re just not quite sure which ones are harmless and which ones will bite you. They are also fast. If you think you can catch them you’ll be mistaken too, as like many of the African sprinters, these things can also run!

Anyway, here's a selection of photos....

Photo: Blue headed lizzard (probably has a latin name too?!)

Photo: Ghecko

Photo: Praying mantis

Photo: Large spider!

Like the change of fauna and flora, we also seem to change by the season too. We might not change in appearance much, but the way we think about things certainly can do. As we experience more of life, and meet different people, our thoughts and views often change too. Every time I visit Africa, I seem to be challenged in my thinking and outlook on life. I guess it’s when we start to venture out of our own comfort zone of the things we are used to, that is when the Potter is best able to start doing the work of moulding us into what we were created to be, and in reaching our full potential.

Next time on the blog.... We go to buy cabbage seed and fertiliser, we visit Kapeshi school to plant the maize, and presidential election fever hits Chingola. - In the last couple of days the 2 major candidates Rupiah Banda and Michael Sata have had their election rallys here in Chingola.

Who is poor in comparison to whom?

Sylvester Malunga is a 40 year old artist, and a couple of days ago we caught up with him at his small house in Chiwempala, (one of the poorer districts of Chingola). Sylvester was just starting to make some Christmas cards using banana twine. As well as a range of paintings, he also makes many types of cards both painted and crafted. He then tries to sell them in the town centre where we first met him, and purchased some of his cards. Of course for most people buying Christmas cards or any type of card, is hardly a priority, so he was glad of our custom, as often he can be in town a whole day without a sale. His beautiful cards and paintings were in stark contrast to the rubbish filled streets of Chiwempala. There’s no refuse collection here, so all the rubbish just gets thrown into the street. This is not dissimilar to many of the poorer districts in this town, and yet despite the mess, there is also a happy vibrant feeling amongst the people as we walked through with the sun beating down on us. We were happy to take shelter from the oppressive sun, in the shelter of Sylvester’s house. He is also helped by his friend Bernard, who has started to make the cards too. Opposite, a few children play in the dirt, and a lady sells tomatoes at her stall. The tomatoes are built up into tomato pyramids, as is the norm here in Zambia. (They just don’t put the effort into their displays back home at Tesco and Sainsburys!) In the distance the hustle and bustle of the main large market can be heard. Here you can buy anything from fruit and veg, meat, dried fish, to clothes, tools and kitchen utensils, and one thing is certain here, it is always very busy.

Photo: Sylvester (left) and Bernard, outside Sylvester's house in Chiwempala

We bought some cards off Sylvester and then made our way by taxi to a fairly new compound that is being built to meet a man named Chimbala. In Zambia you pay per person for the taxi, so you’ll share with whoever else is going in the same direction so the driver can make it worth his while. He gave up a job in the mine to lead a church, but is interested in working in the rural areas and the work we’ve been involved setting up. His house was built around a year ago. Everyone builds their own houses, once they have been assigned a plot by the council. Chimbala's house is very basic inside, although he does have a TV and DVD player, which the people he has an interest in helping in the villages, would not be able to afford in a million years, even if they did have electricity, which they don’t. I guess there are so many levels of wealth. Compared to the people in the villages we’ve seen, Chimbala and Sylvester are so rich, but compared to us they are very poor, and yet in Britain I don’t feel like I’m that rich, because of those that have so much more, but in the world picture I am very rich.

Earlier in the week, Ponde and I went to look at prices of cabbage seed and fertilisers in Chingola, for the support project we want to start with the pastors. Where so many people rely on growing vegetables and other crops themselves, even those living in Chingola itself, it’s not surprising that there were many shops selling seed etc. We also looked at the costs of chicken rearing, as this is another option in the support plan. We saw lots of 1 or 2 day old chicks in cardboard boxes (25 to a box) standing on top of each other making a lot of noise.

Ruth and Jo went with Joel to visit Kapeshi School to see how they were getting on with preparing the fields for the crops they will grow to make the school financially sustaining over the coming years. They took Alice and Patrick through a 5 year plan to see the school being able to support itself.

Photo: Joel (left) and Patrick look at the field the school can use to grow crops

On Tuesday Ruth and I went with Joel to Kanawabatami, one of the villages we visited back in August. This village is some 15 minutes drive from the main road, and goes through a deserted wilderness. – Deserted apart from 1 or 2 goats that is. When we arrived we met one of the leaders who will be coming to the training conference we’re holding at the beginning of November.

Photos: Winding road to Kanawabatami

Photo: Chicken house in Kanawabatami - High up to prevent disease of chickens

Last week the first discipleship courses started in Ipafu with Joel and Ranger, in Sekela with Ponde, and in Kallilo with Vincent and Meshach. In Ipafu 12 people turned up from different churches in the community. After some lengthy introductions (as is the Zambian way) Joel began the session. The next day in Sekela, Ponde led a larger group of 25 people who really enjoyed the first week. Meanwhile around 50 kids played with a football outside, which got a bit too noisy at some points. Caspa started a group this Wednesday in his village of Kameter. We had hoped to go, but with the car out of action we were unable to get there. Hopefully we can visit his group next week.

Photo: Ponde talks to some of his group at Sekela village

Photo: Meanwhile, children play with a football outside (There is a football in there, honest!)

Next time on the blog… The onset of the rainy season brings with it many new insects and other creepy crawlies!

Waiting for the train

It's been a while since the last blog, as there have been some problems with the internet and the downloading the blog. The team are well, the weather is very hot now, and the thought that rains coming would cool things down certainly hasnt happened. Indeed at the moment we're just getting one big thunder storm every 3 or 4 days and then just for a few hours, so the locals are not treating this as the start of the rainy season yet! In other news political campaigning is happening in earnest as Rupiah Banda (acting president, since the late president's death) has had a pop video produced with all his policies sung on it! He is up against Sata - who is planning to change lots of things, and there is mixed feelings about him with some strong support, but others somewhat fearful of what he might do. Although there is no 'n' in his name people are still worried! Another candidate Haikeinda - is also running although people are not expecting him to do well, as they think he is too young and inexperienced, and he's from a tribe in the south, so will only get their votes. Banda also seems to have stopped all the power cuts (or load shedding as they call it) presumably to win support with the election on 30th October, and also because Sata has said that he will give people electricity all the time. Anyway there's your weather and political report from Zambia, now here's the main blog...


....Chingola railway station is not easy to find. Last week I wanted to find out about potential train trips, and the travel agent in town had pointed me in the direction of the station. Although we were given a street name for the station, this was not that helpful, as the streets are mostly unnamed these days, and people don’t even know what they are called anyway. We then found another street which was named ‘railway street’. This seemed promising, and indeed the train station could be spotted for the first time, but a long way over much wasteground and many tracks. So clearly it needed to be approached from a road on the other side of the railway.


On reaching the other side however, trying a number of suggested roads, just took me to the railway track and not anywhere near the building. After trying many roads, and various differing advice, I arrived at the train station. Chingola Station in big letters above the building, and a layby drop off area, and it looked like at one time it had been quite a busy place. It even had a ticket office with a couple of ticket windows, but it was clear by the boarded up windows that no tickets had been sold here for a long time. Then I wandered out onto the platform, which had some old weighing scales, toilets, and various offices and waiting rooms, but no track next to the platform!




Photo: Train station





Photo: Platform and building






Photo: Ticket office


There were tracks further out though and a few wagons on the line, but again I’m not sure when these last moved.






It was very quiet indeed, and a far cry from the frenetic activity of Chingola central bus station. One man was sitting in an office and came out to see me. It turned out that he was the ‘flag man’. His job was one of health and safety it seemed. When a train was approaching he would have to ensure that no people were walking across the tracks, and a great many people did cross the tracks each day. I asked him if many trains came through. He told me, that there was one the day before, but he wasn’t sure if there would be one today, but he would receive a call if there was. So I asked if anyone else worked here. A lady called Mary was the ‘incharge’ and had a large office, but she was at home as only worked a few hours per day and lived just some 2 minutes walk away. She arrived some moments later, and invited us into her office so that I could ask her about the information I wanted. Her office had a number of large armchairs, a sofa, and a large desk, which was extremely tidy, and clear, which indicated to me the lack of work that she had to do there. No passenger trains had run for over 10 years, and freight trains were few and far between. I mused on the fact that in Britain the lack of trains, might have meant closing the station, knocking it down, selling land, and certainly not having people working there, but here there seems to be almost a loyalty to the things built and started by the British, and to keep traditions, institutions etc going whether it makes any sense or not. It made me think about how sometimes we can often find ourselves being too sentimental by holding onto past memories or things, and sometimes not moving on. I know I often keep things in case they will be useful sometime. As I left, I asked whether passenger trains will run in Chingola again, and the answer came back “Yes, I should think so, but we don’t know when”.

Next time on the blog…. Discipleship courses in 3 villages, Ponde and I go in search of cabbage seeds, and we visit Sylvester Malunga, a local painter.