The uncollected

Mr. Mwalusaka is a very jovial and present member of my community. People call him 'Doc' for no explainable reason. Every time I see him he greets me by my village name 'Mutinta!' and then invariably says 'hallo hallo hallo hallo hallo' in a quick decrescendo. I run past Mr. Mwalusaka's house everyday - or everyday I run and he always waves and yells 'Kuyumyuna!' meaning to stay or be strong. This word is invariable coupled with a brief holk hogan-esq double fisted muscle flex. Many a times I go running someone will ask if my bike is broken and I use to just say 'I am just running' which was met with a look of confusion. Now when someone thinks I am just trying to get somewhere fast without a machine to carry me I say, 'kuyumyuma!' and then we both do the little double fisted muscle flex and they nod in understanding.

Yesterday on my way to run I passed some boys in a field watching their goats. One of the little boys was wearing a dirty pink hearted shirt and gumboots. As I passed he picked up a baby goat, a tiny brand new, gleaming jet black baby goat, and carried it tucked at his side, the goats little knobby legs swinging. It was very pastoral. Very picturesque.

Two weeks ago a passed boys doing flips into piles of cut grass. Running up a sack full of dirt as a jumping board and doing full head over heal flips.

I often see toddler perched on the cross bars of bikes in between their father's arms. The sit holding tightly to the handle bars seemingly in no distress about their situation in the least. Sometimes people make little improvised seats attached to the carriers on the back of their bike. Last week while I was running a man passed me with his little daughter on the back of his bike in one such arrangement only this was the best I have ever seen. He had tied a chair upside down, the seat flat against the carrier the legs sticking straight up, the chair back alongside the back wheel. The daughter was placed in the middle of the upside down chair, protected by the horizontal support bars of the chair that made 3/4 of a box around her. The fourth side of the box was closed off by a fastened piece of wood. It looked relatively safe.

Yesterday I also passed Betty and her small sisters foraging in the grass beside the road with officer's packets in their hands. Officer's packets are a single shot of cheap vodka sold in convenient plastic pouches. You can imagine their popularity. When they passed by my house later I stopped them to ask about the packets, preparing my best 'Vodka is not for children, children' speech. Which in chisoli would have amounted to 'Bad. Don't. Children don't drink. Death in future." Though given the similarities between 'kutangu' and 'kutunga' and my tendency to confuse them would have actually amounted to 'death to sew.' But alas it was unnecessary. The girls were simply packing their fat green grasshoppers in them to carry home for frying.

All these things I wish I had pictures of. These and a chicken in a bag. There are lots of ways to carry a chicken, just loose, in a basket, in a cage made of sticks, in a chitenge like a baby, or in a plastic bag with the chickens head poked out of a hole. This last is my favorite. A few weeks ago I saw a man with a big bag with three chicken heads poking out at various points. The bag was twirling as he walked making the scene all the more mesmerizing.

These are also the things I will miss so much. Random beautiful things. Maybe they are there in America but not so unabashedly.

_________________________________________

Selected moments from the library process:

K: Mr. Mpatisha look at this neat book on bugs. SO awesome!

K: No way! Seriously!

Mr.L: What is it?

K: Dostoevsky!

K: Mr. Lungu, look at these huge books Room to Read brought!

Mr.L: Oh, yes.

K: Mr Lungu, look! A book on radiation!

Mr.L: Oh, yes.

K: Mr Lungu, Look! Fires of the Heart! In america we call this a trashy romance novel!

Mr.L: Oh, no.

K: Oh I read this as a child...

If you want to know what this really sounds like, imagine my mother coming across any well loved artifact from our childhood. Sighs of nostalgia. It sounds just the same.

This is a really good library. Yesterday we found a nice new atlas and after we all admired it Mr. Lungu said now we have everything. Which isn't quite true, but we have a lot. It is amazing. AND an amazing amount of work. Work that will not get done before I leave which is heartbreaking since I won't be able to go through all the boxes. But we are off to a good start, probably will be operational if not complete before I leave. And I am leaving them in the very capable and dedicated hands of Mr. Lungu and our new Librarian Assistance.

_________________________________________________

For those of you who still don't really know what I have been doing - here is my Description of Service - in process:

Ms. Campbell was a member of the fourth group of volunteers to be placed in Zambia to work on the RED Project. Ms. Campbell’s primary efforts in the village included:

• Assisted Zonal In-Service Coordinator (ZIC) with planning and facilitation of 4 GRACE meetings (termly zone wide in-service by grade)


• Trained 32 teachers at 4 separate Interactive Radio Instruction trainings
  Advised 8 community school PTAs on needs assessment, goal setting, project planning, and initiating IGAs


• Conducted a core teaching skills training for 17 untrained teachers from 9 community schools along with ZIC


• Co-planned and facilitated 2 day library training for CHANGES 2 (USAID)at Provincial level for 15 ZICs and District Resource Center Coordinators,
  Monitored 2 schools on library set up for CHANGES 2


• Co-planned and facilitated 2 day library training for Room to Read at District level for 50 Head Teachers


• Monitored and served as support person for 2 community schools participating in the QUESTT (USAID) IRIpod pilot project


• Coached Musolokeni Community School in proposal writing and budgeting, resulting in a $2,300.00 USD grant awarded by QUESTT for building supplies


• Trained and supported Musolokeni on grant management and record keeping
  Initiated and developed adult education program and directed student committee in program management and expansion


• Assisted Lwimba Adult Education Student Committee in proposal writing resulting in a $700.00 USD grant for income generation from the US Embassy’s Ambassador’s Self Help Fund.

To encourage professional development of teachers, improve literacy, and improve access to information for the community, Ms. Campbell assisted Lwimba Zone in constructing a two room building to be used as a Zone Resource Center and library. Her responsibilities included

• Wrote Peace Corps Partnership Proposal with the community, approved by Peace Corps Zambia.


• Collaborated with Zonal Head Teacher and Library Committee in sensitization and mobilization of surrounding schools and villages to support the project and to contribute burnt bricks, sand, and crushed stones.


• Developed fundraising material to inform donors about the project, ultimately raising $20,000.00 USD


• Coordinated interviews, hiring, and contract signing with construction contractors
  Spearheaded construction management along with Head Teacher


• Budgeted funds and maintained all financial records


• Directed school librarian with set up and organization of library system for over 3,000 books.

Secondary Projects

During Ms. Campbell’s two year service she also engaged in projects beyond the scope of the RED program. These projects included:

HIV/AIDS Education Through Sport at Twikatane Basic School:

• Coached committee in project planning and proposal writing resulting in a $1,600.00 USD grant from Peace Corps (VAST) Fund


• Guided committee in grant management


• Co-facilitated a 3 day TOT with Sport in Action for 17 local coaches


• Assisted committee with planning and orchestrating futbol tournament with a focus on HIV/AIDS education and Voluntary Counseling and Testing facilities.

Lwimba Anti-AIDS club and Lwimba Area Women’s Association (LAWA):

• Facilitated HIV education and life skill development activities at regular Anti-Aids Club meetings and planned various peer and community education events with club members


• Planned and orchestrated Women’s Day 2008 Celebration with Women’s Group and Anti-Aids Club


• Conducted regular business skill sessions and craft making workshops for LAWA


• Taught weekly English classes for adults in women’s group.

Tertiary Projects

Beyond the scope of official Peace Corps duties, Ms. Campbell also took on the folloing responsibilities:

• Enticed strangers to pick her from the side of the road, endeared them to her cause through chit chat
• Effectively balanced large quantities of water on her head
• Developed expertise in waiting
• Learned proficiency in navigating downtown Lusaka with efficiency
• Managing financial negotiation tactics on various levels of society
• Well versed in making do

I will be done in 5 weeks. I will be home 11 weeks. I will be broke in 13 weeks and looking for a job. I think you can see how qualified I am for everything - I am very willing to work regular hours for decent pay. and benefits. So put that in your oven and bake it...

Oh decisions to be made.