From the Black Proboscis to Zambian Bicycles

An update my first month in Milenge July 1, 2008

Here is a short dialogue I had on my first day of work at the health clinic in Milenge:

Doctor: “You have Malaria.”

Me: “Haha, okay where do I go to get the treatment?”

So starting work in Milenge was delayed about a week and a half for me because I got Malaria. I am trying to avoid the black proboscis (aka the mosquito) with a mosquito net at night, mosquito repellent, and covering as much skin as possible! I guess the mosquitoes in Milenge are really sneaky!

In Milenge, I am living with a woman named Charity who is a secretary at the Ministry of Education office. Charity’s niece and cousin (Cathrine and Penlope) also live in the house. Cathrine is 17 and Penlope is about 15. They both go to school in Milenge. They were awesome help when I was sick and, when I was healthy, introduced me to a lot of Zambian culture! For example, they taught me how to cook nshima – the staple food in Zambia – and I made my first pot of nshima on June 22! They said it tasted great. Until that point my arms weren’t strong enough to stir the nshima until it was done, so the girls would always finish preparing it.

Penlope

The chicken that sometimes sleeps in my room

Her eggs, which are taking a long time to hatch!

I have actually only lived with Charity and the girls for about two weeks because I’ve been traveling around Milenge. For one week I lived in Kapalala ward with Mr. Anthony Mumba, a hygiene promoter, and his family. Another week I stayed with Ms. Hennedy Mwewa Perfecta and her family in Mumbotuta ward. I have been living in the wards to learn as much as possible about the projects in my first month here. The project officer for the Milenge WaterAid project has not been so there wouldn’t be much to do alone in the office.

Hennedy (top left) and her family

Hennedy and her son, Steward, at Mumbotuta falls

Me, grinding sorghum. Hennedy makes nshima from sorghum flour.

I received my bicycle before leaving for Hennedy’s home. But I had some bike problems in Mumbotuta. My front tire punctured the first day with Hennedy. After a group of village men tried to repair it, justified that I was “so very fat”, and the tire punctured again, everyone agreed I needed a new tire. (Here it’s a compliment to be called fat) The next day my other tire punctured but we replaced it immediately.

I am on my way to the middle-of-term retreat with the other JFs. I will return to Milenge, the land without internet or chocolate, on July 12!