One of the things that worries me about returning to Canada is the sense of isolation that comes with knowing another world unfamiliar to those closest to you. But I’m a lucky girl. Just last week, two extremely close friends, Mike Gallant and Jason McKenzie, had the opportunity to spend a week with me in Zambia. This post is the story of our time together…..
Tuesday, Feb. 6th: I pick the boys up from the airport at 7am. We rush to the bus station hoping to catch a ride that’s leaving for Monze as quickly as possible. Fortunately, we get a ticket for the 9:30am bus. The man in charge tells me that the bus will leave between 9:30 and 10:00. Unfortunately, between watching a fight break out, using the washrooms, and lack of trust in bus line punctuality, we ended up watching our bus drive past us. Embarrassed and angry, I told the bus company I wanted my money back and that they would be my last option. One and a half hours later, we boarded the same bus company (I got Mike to repurchase the tickets) and we started our journey to the rural areas of Zambia.
Wednesday, Feb.7th: We spent most of the day in Monze, preparing to travel to Chipembele village where we would be spending 2 nights. We left Monze around 6pm in a taxi, excited, looking forward to our time in the village. Due to the heavy rains and flooding, we had to take a different route which no one had travelled before. The sun left us after we reached the dirt road and we had to get out of the car at each puddle to measure the depth with a stick. Of course, it was inevitable that we would get stuck and we spent half an hour digging the dirt out from under the cab. After 3 hours (only moving 40km), we arrived at Listene Hamalengwa’s house. Listene is in an interesting position in the village. Not only is he the Councillor (an elected post under local government), his brother is a lawyer living in Toronto, and he has two wives. Polygamy is somewhat common among the Tongas, especially in the rural areas. When we arrived at 10:00pm (very late by village standards), it was his very pregnant first wife, Testina, who welcomed us. This would be her seventh child and she looked as though she might just give birth any minute. Unfortunately, Listene was still attending a funeral and had the keys to his borther’s house where we would be staying. This caused Testina much stress since she felt we were tired and wanted to sleep. She looked exhausted, but was more concerned with us being comfortable and our bellies being full. By 11pm, Listene still hadn’t arrived, so this lovely lady started preparing beds for us in the sitting room with the help of the 10 or so children also spending the night (some were family, others were neighbours). Luckily soon after, Listene entered the yard with a punctured bike tire, tired and embarrassed. He and Testina prepared our rooms and put us to bed. Since I had a phone call scheduled with UNB that morning at 1am, Mike, Jay and I made our way to a spot where I could get phone reception. This spot happened to be the middle of a maize field, under a huge clear sky full of stars. We slept at 2:30am, exhausted from our long day. The next morning, we woke around 7am only to discover that Testina had delivered a baby girl just hours before in her room with the help of a midwife. She named her Jennifer.
None of us could believe that this lady had concealed her discomfort so effectively and had worried so much about us, her visitors, while she was obviously in pain. I admired her strength. But I also wondered about the extent to which women, not only in Zambia, are expected to conceal their true feelings for the sake of appearing strong and pleasing….
Part 2 of this post involves us weeding maize fields, girl talk, and a bus ride home with chickens ;)
Until next time, please stay healthy and peaceful.
Lv,
Jenn
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Too Much Rains!
Rain. People love it. People hate it. It is essential for life. It can destroy people’s livelihoods.
Last year in Monze at this time, rains were a scarce commodity. They had started late (mid-December) and were infrequent. This year, the opposite has happened. Even though farmers lost some of their crops with the inadequate rains in 2007, many were still able to sell excess maize to the Food Reserve Agency (a government organization in Zambia that buys maize from farmers to store and distribute in the event of a food shortage or sell to foreign buyers). This year, though, the rains are ‘too much’. Maize plants are turning yellow even before the maize cob has started to grow. Fields are under water and fertilizer has been washed away. The flooding has made national and international headlines. Just last week, Zambia’s President Mwanawasa came by helicopter to visit our district to assess the damage caused by the daily downpours. Besides ruined fields, he saw fallen houses, bridges washed away and schools that have been closed in order to provide refuge to the homeless. Unfortunately, it is the vulnerable who suffer the most from this destruction. They are the ones whose houses are built from soil and grass. They are the ones who rely completely on their maize crops for food and income.
So what happens when your house has been washed away and your fields submerged under a metre of water? Stories of people sleeping on the side of roads, being squeezed into schools and health centers, migrating toward town have become common. Our district has organized a disaster management team comprised of representatives from NGOs, government, religious groups, and businesses in Monze, WaterAid Zambia included. The floods have become a cross cutting issue, affecting many sectors. Latrines have collapsed and pits have overflowed, increasing potential for cholera and diarrhea outbreaks. Children’s education has been put on hold due to closed schools and people living with HIV/AIDS are unable to access their medication due to washed out bridges. The disaster management team collects reports from the different sectors and then allocates resources they’ve received from the central government accordingly. The whole process is bureaucratic and slow, but there are committed and determined people who will work to ensure that as many people as possible receive the support they need. The government has even suspended their fertilizer subsidy programme in order to redirect those funds toward disaster relief. It will take a lot of time, and the effects of the floods will last long after the media attention has disappeared and the government’s priority shifts to other issues. It’s the responsibility of the local authorities and the people on the ground to continue advocating for those who have been forgotten but still need support.
Until next time,
Lv Jenn
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
World Toilet Day!!
Happy Belated World Toilet Day!!!
You’ve heard of World AIDS day, World Women’s day, but World Toilet day?? I’m sure you’re wondering, ‘What would someone celebrate on World Toilet day?’ The toilet is a very underappreciated, and in my line of work, a very important structure. In order to achieve WaterAid Zambia’s goal of reducing the incidence of diarrhoeal disease, people have to have access to clean, adequate water, practice good hygiene, and yes, use a toilet/latrine. If one of these 3 components is missing, the benefits of the other two can not be realized. Therefore, a toilet IS as important as access to water, according to WaterAid. And since there’s a World Water day, why shouldn’t there be a World Toilet day?
In Monze, World Toilet day was celebrated in a village called Mavwili. We have been implementing our programme through the District Council in Mavwili since 2006. Up until last year, the people of Mavwili were drinking water from a nearby stream (the same one used by livestock and people washing their clothes) and defecating in the open bush. By the end of 2006, they were collecting water from a newly constructed borehole and their village had achieved 100% sanitation coverage – a huge feat. It was decided that Mavwili should be the location for our World Toilet Day celebrations since it represents a model situation for other villages.
The Monze District Council coordinated the day with the support of other WaterAid partners. I travelled to the site in the back of a 4x4 over some rough terrain. By the time we reached Mavwili, my whole backside was aching, but I was happy to see the preparations made by the village. They had erected a tent, plastered the brick fencing around the new hand pump, and even painted their latrines, inside and out. Unfortunately, as often happens in the field, the events started about 3 hours late. Before the main speakers arrived, though, we were lucky enough to have a famous local band provide us with some entertainment, complete with live dancing.
The rest of the day went something like this: a visit to some nearby households to look at their latrines, speeches by members of Council, WaterAid, Headmen and the Paramount Chief of Monze, and skits performed by local drama clubs about the importance of sanitation. Everyone was treated to lunch prepared by local people from the area. The pots used for the nshima were enormous. It took 3 people to properly stir, and they even had to do it in shifts! I tried, but failed horribly. The nshima in the village is my favourite. The maize is less refined, and therefore healthier than the ‘white’ mealie meal you buy in town. I asked to buy some of this mealie meal from the people. They looked at me as though I was crazy. I was a visitor to their home, and there was no way they would accept money from me for something like mealie meal! Many of the most generous people I’ve met are from the villages where I’ve worked, people that could have actually really used money for their products. But in Tongan culture, a guest will be treated as a guest for as long as they stay, and they will never be asked to contribute or to leave. It’s a way of life I’ve become accustomed to, although it took some time.
World Toilet Day was celebrated November 19th. If you’re curious, there’s even a World Toilet Organization – the same people responsible for creating this day.
You’ve heard of World AIDS day, World Women’s day, but World Toilet day?? I’m sure you’re wondering, ‘What would someone celebrate on World Toilet day?’ The toilet is a very underappreciated, and in my line of work, a very important structure. In order to achieve WaterAid Zambia’s goal of reducing the incidence of diarrhoeal disease, people have to have access to clean, adequate water, practice good hygiene, and yes, use a toilet/latrine. If one of these 3 components is missing, the benefits of the other two can not be realized. Therefore, a toilet IS as important as access to water, according to WaterAid. And since there’s a World Water day, why shouldn’t there be a World Toilet day?
In Monze, World Toilet day was celebrated in a village called Mavwili. We have been implementing our programme through the District Council in Mavwili since 2006. Up until last year, the people of Mavwili were drinking water from a nearby stream (the same one used by livestock and people washing their clothes) and defecating in the open bush. By the end of 2006, they were collecting water from a newly constructed borehole and their village had achieved 100% sanitation coverage – a huge feat. It was decided that Mavwili should be the location for our World Toilet Day celebrations since it represents a model situation for other villages.
The Monze District Council coordinated the day with the support of other WaterAid partners. I travelled to the site in the back of a 4x4 over some rough terrain. By the time we reached Mavwili, my whole backside was aching, but I was happy to see the preparations made by the village. They had erected a tent, plastered the brick fencing around the new hand pump, and even painted their latrines, inside and out. Unfortunately, as often happens in the field, the events started about 3 hours late. Before the main speakers arrived, though, we were lucky enough to have a famous local band provide us with some entertainment, complete with live dancing.
The rest of the day went something like this: a visit to some nearby households to look at their latrines, speeches by members of Council, WaterAid, Headmen and the Paramount Chief of Monze, and skits performed by local drama clubs about the importance of sanitation. Everyone was treated to lunch prepared by local people from the area. The pots used for the nshima were enormous. It took 3 people to properly stir, and they even had to do it in shifts! I tried, but failed horribly. The nshima in the village is my favourite. The maize is less refined, and therefore healthier than the ‘white’ mealie meal you buy in town. I asked to buy some of this mealie meal from the people. They looked at me as though I was crazy. I was a visitor to their home, and there was no way they would accept money from me for something like mealie meal! Many of the most generous people I’ve met are from the villages where I’ve worked, people that could have actually really used money for their products. But in Tongan culture, a guest will be treated as a guest for as long as they stay, and they will never be asked to contribute or to leave. It’s a way of life I’ve become accustomed to, although it took some time.
World Toilet Day was celebrated November 19th. If you’re curious, there’s even a World Toilet Organization – the same people responsible for creating this day.
Hope this finds you healthy and thoughful. Lots of love.
Jenn
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Training with a Headman
Good afternoon all,
A few weeks ago, I was running on my usual route away from town when I noticed that someone had started running with me. I turned my head to see who this bold character could be, only to come face to face with a huge, nearly toothless, grin from a very old man. A week earlier, I had travelled to a village called Sinyendeende to make an appointment with the headman to conduct our research. It seemed that headman Sinyendeende and I had met again before I expected. He was wearing a dress shirt and vest, dress pants, and white dress shoes. He smiled the whole time and refused me to slow my pace. Everyone we passed cheered and gave him some words of encouragement. I think he enjoyed the attention. Starting the climb up the small hill, he started to breathe heavily, and I worried that he was pushing himself too hard. I’m sure that he’s above 70 years old, but he was determined so I kept my lips closed. At the top of the incline, he finally slowed and waved me on my way, still smiling. Tonight he would have a story to tell the family!
Visiting Sinyendeende village, although it was in the same area as Simweete and Dick Chilapula villages, was like going to a different planet. Sinyendeende had been supported by WaterAid with a deep well equipped with a handpump. Many of the households used the water from the pump to make bricks, grow gardens, and water their animals (including cows, which require a substantial amount compared to goats or chickens). It was unbelievable. And when we asked people if they thought using the water for productive activities affected the amount available for them to drink, all answered ‘no’. Noone asked us how to improve their waterpoint, or how they could get a new one. They also had access to a small dam where many would take their cattle, so people were generally happy with their water situation. One question we asked them, though, was if they had plans for when this water point stopped producing water, which it eventually would. They all agreed that they hadn’t considered that far ahead in terms of water. But now, since they were making money from their water point, they decided that it would be the best time to start planning while they still had the opportunity.
A few weeks ago, I was running on my usual route away from town when I noticed that someone had started running with me. I turned my head to see who this bold character could be, only to come face to face with a huge, nearly toothless, grin from a very old man. A week earlier, I had travelled to a village called Sinyendeende to make an appointment with the headman to conduct our research. It seemed that headman Sinyendeende and I had met again before I expected. He was wearing a dress shirt and vest, dress pants, and white dress shoes. He smiled the whole time and refused me to slow my pace. Everyone we passed cheered and gave him some words of encouragement. I think he enjoyed the attention. Starting the climb up the small hill, he started to breathe heavily, and I worried that he was pushing himself too hard. I’m sure that he’s above 70 years old, but he was determined so I kept my lips closed. At the top of the incline, he finally slowed and waved me on my way, still smiling. Tonight he would have a story to tell the family!
Visiting Sinyendeende village, although it was in the same area as Simweete and Dick Chilapula villages, was like going to a different planet. Sinyendeende had been supported by WaterAid with a deep well equipped with a handpump. Many of the households used the water from the pump to make bricks, grow gardens, and water their animals (including cows, which require a substantial amount compared to goats or chickens). It was unbelievable. And when we asked people if they thought using the water for productive activities affected the amount available for them to drink, all answered ‘no’. Noone asked us how to improve their waterpoint, or how they could get a new one. They also had access to a small dam where many would take their cattle, so people were generally happy with their water situation. One question we asked them, though, was if they had plans for when this water point stopped producing water, which it eventually would. They all agreed that they hadn’t considered that far ahead in terms of water. But now, since they were making money from their water point, they decided that it would be the best time to start planning while they still had the opportunity.
As a side story to our visit to Sinyendeende village, I wanted to tell you about a man with a vision. Everyone calls him Rasta, since he has dreads, and he is currently building a home in a tree. This is not your average tree house up in the branches. He’s decided to dig out beneath the tree and have it act as his roof. He’s also bored out the bottom section to give him a higher ceiling, and now there’s a big bee hive attached to the top. He works in town, about 7km away, and spends his spare time on his project. He actually lived there last rainy season. He has a large piece of land which he’s also developing into a field/reservoir. The land is on a slope and he wants to dam the run off water to eventually irrigate his maize fields. It’s rare to find someone trying something so different in the village. He does has the luxury of a salaried job and he’s not yet married with a family. The rest of the community are very supportive and he pays them for clearing his property with chitenges (material used by the women for skirts). He hopes that someday, his home in the tree will be a small tourist attraction. Let me know what you think!
Hoping this finds you peaceful with a purpose.
Lv,
Jenn
Hoping this finds you peaceful with a purpose.
Lv,
Jenn
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Week 1 of data collection (Sept.4th-7th): Simweete and Dick Chilapula villages
The first thing I learned, even before I left my yard Tuesday morning, was not to have my motorbike serviced the day before I needed it. For some reason, after installing a new battery, the mechanic returned my motorbike to me after having to jump start it to bring it home. For the next two days of field work, we had to jump start the bike each and every time we wanted to move. And jump starting did not occur on a flat, paved road that would have made our lives easier. The 'roads' we were using were either covered with sand or no wider than a foot path. My research partner, Mercy Zulu, and I learned that most men in the village were eager to help, so she only had to push me once before we took advantage of their offers. Ufortunately, I didn't get any video footage of this. We were always so focused on the task at hand that we never thought of it until it was too late! The icing on the cake occurred when Mercy and I were about 200m from our homes. She lives nearby, and as I was pulling over to drop her off, the bike stalled. It was too unbelievable. Instead of jump starting it that one last time in front of everyone on the street, I decided to just push it to my yard. One passerby asked me 'Did you run out of fuel?' I just shook my head 'no' (wishing that was the case!) and continued on my way. It was now after 6pm and all the shops and mechanics had closed for the day. Our adventure would continue into the following day!
Our data collection schedule consists of spending 2 days in each village, 2 villages per week. My partner, Mercy, has a certificate in social development and is an incredibly confident, hard working woman. She's also a highly qualified football (soccer) referee and is able to ref matches at the second highest tier (the one before national level). The first day of our research exercise consists of conducting 10 household interviews. We go from house to house, talking with the residents using a prepared questionnaire. The second day involves holding group discussions, first with the women, and then with the men. By separating the groups by gender, it allows for a more open environment to share one's views, especially for the women. The first village, Simweete, is located about 20km from town. They have a hand dug well with a hand pump. When I had come the previous week to make the appointment with the Headman, we had actually gone to the village across the road and spoke with the headman of a different village. Luckily, I had sent a letter addressed to Simweete and they were ready for us. The first home we visited had a large garden with tomato plants. Unfortunately, due to lack of water, most of the plants were dying. Selling tomatoes is a good source of income, but due to the low yield from the water point, people are not able to use it for productive purposes (except the headman's family, which is located about 100m from the well). During the rainy season, people will dig holes to find water for their gardens. The well is used mainly for domestic activities, such as drinking, washing, and cooking. The people of Simweete were so eager to learn how to improve their water source after the discussions had been conducted. Unfortunately, they had not been collecting maintenance funds on a regular basis, and it would take some time before they would be able to improve the well on their own.
At each village, we explain to them that we're not there to provide any handouts. Once people see a mukuwa (Westerner) or non-governmental organization in their village, there is a tendency to believe that they have come to give them something. This may potentially affect our data since people may not provide us with the complete truth about their livelihood status. They may think that if they protray themselves as living well, they won't benefit from what we're offering. This is why it's so important to try to build trust with the people and be straight with them from the beginning.
Hope this finds you happy and peaceful,
Jenn
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Field work
Hey from HOT Monze...
I’ve been an office worker for the past few months. Sure, I’d get out to the field every now and then, but nothing to write home about. This week, though, has changed that. Starting the field work for my research projects has made me remember why I love my job so much. On Monday, I travelled with my colleague, Pederson, to an area called Chona. Chona is characterized by hills, impassable roads, and scattered households. Our assignment for the day: visit 4 villages where water points had been constructed by WaterAid and make appointments through the head person to hold interviews and community meetings the following week. This turned into quite an adventure.
Immediately from the health clinic, we started down a rocky, steep ‘road’. Stopping along the way to ask for directions was easy at this point – there were still houses to be seen. As we moved farther and farther into the bush, the roads became less obvious. They had turned into footpaths through the tall grass or had eroded away into pits. Some of the hills were so steep that you felt as though the motorbike would just tip over backwards! There was actually a moment when we had been riding for a while without seeing another soul that I thought ‘this is the only place in Monze where I wouldn’t be surprised to find a lion’. It made me wonder how the road system had affected the development of Chona over the years. A vehicle would not be able to pass through most of the area, let alone a drilling machine for boreholes or a truck transporting cement. Doing anything in Chona was just that much more difficult. I’m sure that many funding agencies had become discouraged by the rough terrain and moved on to more accessible villages within which to inject their efforts. It never struck me as starkly as it did today the importance of basic infrastructure to a community’s fight against poverty.
The people I met that day were helpful and happy to see some new faces. I admired them, these people who farmed on inclined fields and seemed to have just a little more stacked against them. Some lived atop mountains and had aerial views of landscape for which others would pay thousands of dollars. I swear, at one point, we were actually higher than the setting sun. Magnificent. Along the way, we came across a large banana and orange tree orchard. I was in awe at its unexpectedness. Some people were making progress. This type of battle would require a little more creativity and perseverance. But it wasn’t impossible. Even without a lot of outside support, people were still managing to move forward.
Lots of love,
Jenn
I’ve been an office worker for the past few months. Sure, I’d get out to the field every now and then, but nothing to write home about. This week, though, has changed that. Starting the field work for my research projects has made me remember why I love my job so much. On Monday, I travelled with my colleague, Pederson, to an area called Chona. Chona is characterized by hills, impassable roads, and scattered households. Our assignment for the day: visit 4 villages where water points had been constructed by WaterAid and make appointments through the head person to hold interviews and community meetings the following week. This turned into quite an adventure.
Immediately from the health clinic, we started down a rocky, steep ‘road’. Stopping along the way to ask for directions was easy at this point – there were still houses to be seen. As we moved farther and farther into the bush, the roads became less obvious. They had turned into footpaths through the tall grass or had eroded away into pits. Some of the hills were so steep that you felt as though the motorbike would just tip over backwards! There was actually a moment when we had been riding for a while without seeing another soul that I thought ‘this is the only place in Monze where I wouldn’t be surprised to find a lion’. It made me wonder how the road system had affected the development of Chona over the years. A vehicle would not be able to pass through most of the area, let alone a drilling machine for boreholes or a truck transporting cement. Doing anything in Chona was just that much more difficult. I’m sure that many funding agencies had become discouraged by the rough terrain and moved on to more accessible villages within which to inject their efforts. It never struck me as starkly as it did today the importance of basic infrastructure to a community’s fight against poverty.
The people I met that day were helpful and happy to see some new faces. I admired them, these people who farmed on inclined fields and seemed to have just a little more stacked against them. Some lived atop mountains and had aerial views of landscape for which others would pay thousands of dollars. I swear, at one point, we were actually higher than the setting sun. Magnificent. Along the way, we came across a large banana and orange tree orchard. I was in awe at its unexpectedness. Some people were making progress. This type of battle would require a little more creativity and perseverance. But it wasn’t impossible. Even without a lot of outside support, people were still managing to move forward.
Lots of love,
Jenn
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
A summary
Mwalibiya buti!!
Since this is my first blog entry, I wanted to start with a short summary of my time in Zambia so that subsequent entries will flow a bit easier…
August, 2005: I arrived in this beautiful country in the middle of the night, landing in the capital city, Lusaka. I would be working with WaterAid Zambia, a UK based non-governmental organization whose vision is to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to the most vulnerable of people. If anyone’s interested in learning more about WA, their website is www.wateraid.org. We are one of 15 country programmes around the world.
*Major lessons learned: Don’t give your phone number to everyone that you meet the first week in a new country!
August-Sept., 2005: For the first two months of my placement, I was based at the WaterAid’s head office in Lusaka. I lived in a middle class compound called Libala with a widow named Rose. No one called her Rose though. Her name to most was ‘Mommy’, and this is what I call her to this day. My tasks at work during this time involved learning as much as possible about WaterAid, forming relationships with my colleagues, and helping develop my placement for the upcoming months. I’m not a big city girl, and by the end of September, I was ready to move to the village.
*Major lessons learned: Ensuring you’re present and involved in the daily activities of your workplace builds trust faster
Oct.-Nov., 2005: I was sent to Luyaba, a village about 25km from a small town called Monze in Southern Province. WaterAid had hired a community development worker, Rue Simoonga, to work and live with me. We stayed in a house near the rural clinic with a bachelor named Saul. He worked at the clinic as an environmental health technician (EHT) and had stayed in Luyaba for 3 years. I was exposed to village life – fetching water from the hand pump, using a latrine, cooking on the fire, going to bed at 8pm, and being woken at 5:30am by the neighbour’s roosters. I met some inspiring people and learned much about the social dynamics of living in Luyaba. These two months were spent working with Rue holding village meetings and encouraging/monitoring latrine construction at the household level.
*Major lessons learned: Don’t assume that I understand why people do the things they do. I’m probably wrong
Dec. 2005: Due to a shift in my placement strategy, I moved from the village to Monze town to work at the WaterAid field office with the programme officer. I lived with a Japanese volunteer named Satoko in a small 2 bedroom house on the outskirts of town and was provided with a motorbike to conduct my field work. Field work involved Rue and I visiting various villages, monitoring their progress, educating people on proper hygiene practices, collaborating with local leaders, and relaying the observations made on the ground back to WA head office. I spent Christmas with a family in Livingstone – home of the famous Livingstone falls – and found my little dog, Mwayi, who is still with me today.
*Major lessons learned: In order to truly be effective, I needed to find a balance between building trust with people in the field and building trust with people in my office.
Jan.- May, 2006: I moved to a new home with a high school teacher named Barbara and her 2 year old son, Andrew. Our house was in a compound called Site and Service, much closer to town. At work, I was busy conducting an analysis on dams and water points constructed by WaterAid in Monze District. We were also assessing different organizations in town to determine if there were any with whom we could engage as implementing partners (WAZ doesn’t actually implement the water and sanitation programmes. They support local organizations with funding and guidance to do this. This will, hopefully, increase sustainability). In early May, I had an accident with my motorbike (and a stealthy local cyclist) that required a week in the hospital, 24 stitches in my knee, and about one and a half months of walking like a pirate. I have since healed.
*Major lessons learned: 1) Don’t swerve
2) Don’t take people for granted. There will be a moment in time when you’re going to need them
June 2006 – April 2007: A new programme officer was assigned to Monze – Febby Busiku. This lady has taught me an immeasurable amount about how to deal with people to achieve your goals. I was also given a new assignment at WaterAid Zambia. We had received some unexpected funding that needed to be used that fiscal year. It was decided that the Monze District Council would be engaged as a new partner and I would be given the opportunity to act as project manager. We would be working in Chipembele ward, an area comprised of 33 villages and 13,000 people. Rue was again asked to act as the community development worker, along with another man, Justice Shilumwemwe. Over the next 10 months, we worked closely together implementing the water, sanitation, and hygiene education (WASHE) programme. By March, 500 latrines and 12 boreholes had been constructed, and 2 wells had been rehabilitated. All villages had been instructed in proper hygiene practices and committees had been organized to ensure that the programme would last after we left. I had gained a vast amount of knowledgeable in project management, bureaucracy, and myself.
In December, I returned to Canada for Christmas and the conference. It was wonderful seeing my family, friends and colleagues. I had missed them so much. It was really difficult, though, experiencing the differences between the world I had known for the past year and a half and the world in which I had grown up. It took a conscious intervention to overcome these emotions and truly enjoy my time at home.
*Major lessons learned: Being a ‘people person’ does not automatically guarantee that you’ll be a good manager. I learned this lesson after several frustrating months
May – present, 2007: After much consideration, I decided (along with the country director) that my skills would be best suited to conducting research on recurring issues within WAZ. These took the form of essentially 3 topics: Productive uses of water, Rope pumps, and MDG gap analysis.
Productive uses of water (PUW) is a topic that I feel could contribute toward hand pump sustainability if properly understood and considered when designing our programmes. If people are generating income from the water in the pump (ie. gardening, brick making, etc.), they may be more likely to contribute toward its repair when it malfunctions. It also has to be ensured, though, that the water used for productive uses is not compromising that which is needed for drinking and washing.
Rope pumps are a new, low cost technology currently being piloted by WAZ. They can be made from local materials by local artisans, and are able to provide a fairly good yield. Unfortunately, there are concerns over its durability and ability to extract water from the lowering water table in Southern Province. Contamination may also be a problem.
The MDG gap analysis is a system used to measure a partner’s progress over time against what is required to meet the MDGs by the end of their programme. I developed this so that the partners can have a more logical way of identifying need in their respective operational areas.
As for my living situation, I moved into a new home in February with 3 friends, Slady, Kebby, and Claire, a one month old baby, Chipo, and 2 dogs, Mwayi and Porcha. I love this new arrangement and I’m crossing my fingers this is my last house in Zambia before I return to Canada next year.
*Major lessons learned: There will be an instant in everything you do when you feel as though you’ve really grasped the concept. That moment gave me the confidence to think about my work at a 30,000 foot level
This is a VERY brief skim of the past 2 years of my life. I wanted to present this to you so that (hopefully!) most of what I write in the months to come will already have a context.
Since this is my first blog entry, I wanted to start with a short summary of my time in Zambia so that subsequent entries will flow a bit easier…
August, 2005: I arrived in this beautiful country in the middle of the night, landing in the capital city, Lusaka. I would be working with WaterAid Zambia, a UK based non-governmental organization whose vision is to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to the most vulnerable of people. If anyone’s interested in learning more about WA, their website is www.wateraid.org. We are one of 15 country programmes around the world.
*Major lessons learned: Don’t give your phone number to everyone that you meet the first week in a new country!
August-Sept., 2005: For the first two months of my placement, I was based at the WaterAid’s head office in Lusaka. I lived in a middle class compound called Libala with a widow named Rose. No one called her Rose though. Her name to most was ‘Mommy’, and this is what I call her to this day. My tasks at work during this time involved learning as much as possible about WaterAid, forming relationships with my colleagues, and helping develop my placement for the upcoming months. I’m not a big city girl, and by the end of September, I was ready to move to the village.
*Major lessons learned: Ensuring you’re present and involved in the daily activities of your workplace builds trust faster
Oct.-Nov., 2005: I was sent to Luyaba, a village about 25km from a small town called Monze in Southern Province. WaterAid had hired a community development worker, Rue Simoonga, to work and live with me. We stayed in a house near the rural clinic with a bachelor named Saul. He worked at the clinic as an environmental health technician (EHT) and had stayed in Luyaba for 3 years. I was exposed to village life – fetching water from the hand pump, using a latrine, cooking on the fire, going to bed at 8pm, and being woken at 5:30am by the neighbour’s roosters. I met some inspiring people and learned much about the social dynamics of living in Luyaba. These two months were spent working with Rue holding village meetings and encouraging/monitoring latrine construction at the household level.
*Major lessons learned: Don’t assume that I understand why people do the things they do. I’m probably wrong
Dec. 2005: Due to a shift in my placement strategy, I moved from the village to Monze town to work at the WaterAid field office with the programme officer. I lived with a Japanese volunteer named Satoko in a small 2 bedroom house on the outskirts of town and was provided with a motorbike to conduct my field work. Field work involved Rue and I visiting various villages, monitoring their progress, educating people on proper hygiene practices, collaborating with local leaders, and relaying the observations made on the ground back to WA head office. I spent Christmas with a family in Livingstone – home of the famous Livingstone falls – and found my little dog, Mwayi, who is still with me today.
*Major lessons learned: In order to truly be effective, I needed to find a balance between building trust with people in the field and building trust with people in my office.
Jan.- May, 2006: I moved to a new home with a high school teacher named Barbara and her 2 year old son, Andrew. Our house was in a compound called Site and Service, much closer to town. At work, I was busy conducting an analysis on dams and water points constructed by WaterAid in Monze District. We were also assessing different organizations in town to determine if there were any with whom we could engage as implementing partners (WAZ doesn’t actually implement the water and sanitation programmes. They support local organizations with funding and guidance to do this. This will, hopefully, increase sustainability). In early May, I had an accident with my motorbike (and a stealthy local cyclist) that required a week in the hospital, 24 stitches in my knee, and about one and a half months of walking like a pirate. I have since healed.
*Major lessons learned: 1) Don’t swerve
2) Don’t take people for granted. There will be a moment in time when you’re going to need them
June 2006 – April 2007: A new programme officer was assigned to Monze – Febby Busiku. This lady has taught me an immeasurable amount about how to deal with people to achieve your goals. I was also given a new assignment at WaterAid Zambia. We had received some unexpected funding that needed to be used that fiscal year. It was decided that the Monze District Council would be engaged as a new partner and I would be given the opportunity to act as project manager. We would be working in Chipembele ward, an area comprised of 33 villages and 13,000 people. Rue was again asked to act as the community development worker, along with another man, Justice Shilumwemwe. Over the next 10 months, we worked closely together implementing the water, sanitation, and hygiene education (WASHE) programme. By March, 500 latrines and 12 boreholes had been constructed, and 2 wells had been rehabilitated. All villages had been instructed in proper hygiene practices and committees had been organized to ensure that the programme would last after we left. I had gained a vast amount of knowledgeable in project management, bureaucracy, and myself.
In December, I returned to Canada for Christmas and the conference. It was wonderful seeing my family, friends and colleagues. I had missed them so much. It was really difficult, though, experiencing the differences between the world I had known for the past year and a half and the world in which I had grown up. It took a conscious intervention to overcome these emotions and truly enjoy my time at home.
*Major lessons learned: Being a ‘people person’ does not automatically guarantee that you’ll be a good manager. I learned this lesson after several frustrating months
May – present, 2007: After much consideration, I decided (along with the country director) that my skills would be best suited to conducting research on recurring issues within WAZ. These took the form of essentially 3 topics: Productive uses of water, Rope pumps, and MDG gap analysis.
Productive uses of water (PUW) is a topic that I feel could contribute toward hand pump sustainability if properly understood and considered when designing our programmes. If people are generating income from the water in the pump (ie. gardening, brick making, etc.), they may be more likely to contribute toward its repair when it malfunctions. It also has to be ensured, though, that the water used for productive uses is not compromising that which is needed for drinking and washing.
Rope pumps are a new, low cost technology currently being piloted by WAZ. They can be made from local materials by local artisans, and are able to provide a fairly good yield. Unfortunately, there are concerns over its durability and ability to extract water from the lowering water table in Southern Province. Contamination may also be a problem.
The MDG gap analysis is a system used to measure a partner’s progress over time against what is required to meet the MDGs by the end of their programme. I developed this so that the partners can have a more logical way of identifying need in their respective operational areas.
As for my living situation, I moved into a new home in February with 3 friends, Slady, Kebby, and Claire, a one month old baby, Chipo, and 2 dogs, Mwayi and Porcha. I love this new arrangement and I’m crossing my fingers this is my last house in Zambia before I return to Canada next year.
*Major lessons learned: There will be an instant in everything you do when you feel as though you’ve really grasped the concept. That moment gave me the confidence to think about my work at a 30,000 foot level
This is a VERY brief skim of the past 2 years of my life. I wanted to present this to you so that (hopefully!) most of what I write in the months to come will already have a context.
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