day to day

I am many weeks late on my blog update. Nora has sent me threatening text messages and reminded me so often that she is now appearing in my dreams. So here is a look at what my day is like in Lusaka….
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Road to the farm

Snack shop on the way to the farm

I wake up around 7 to the sound of the electric kettle boiling on the other side of my wall. We have cereal or toast for breakfast and I pack up and head out to the farm. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to the farm. I think I am supposed to get a bike soon, but we shall see. My favorite thing to see on my walk is the occasional pool game being played by some kids at a corner snack stop. They have made a miniature pool table out of cardboard and the bottoms of plastic bottles. They play with marbles. And they loved when I took a picture of them playing, they just couldn’t stop laughing!

Once I get to the farm I chat with Simeon, the Farm manager about what he has planned for the day and then we get to work. Recently we have come into some funding and were able to plow two acres. We are planting squash, cukes, watermelon, white pumpkin, sweet corn, Swiss chard, beets, carrots, peppers, cabbage, bok choy, lettuce, basil and cilantro. We may also be planting some sunflower to make sunflower oil, but it may be too late in the season. This is a first for Tiny Tim and Friends, to have veggies, so my goal is to see what grows well and what sells well. Then hopefully they can continue turning the farm into a fully functioning place, providing food for patients of the clinic and selling enough to keep the place running.

The farm is also inheriting goats, ducks, rabbits, and turkeys at the end of the rainy season. So I am working with the builder and the two parties involved in the animal husbandry training program in designing/building some animal structures that are cost efficient and long lasting. The idea is to train young people how they can raise animals in their homes and then bring them to market to sell. So far we have found a great market for the rabbits. The Chinese restaurants here just can’t get enough of them!

The gate to the farm

I connected with Peace Corps Zambia the other day so Simeon and I attended a training session on conservation farming, breeding ponds for fish farming and beekeeping. It was great to get some info on what kinds of things volunteers are promoting in their communities and some more Zambia specific details about farming etc… No one in PC is doing worm composting! Gasp! So I am hoping to get out to some volunteers sites to help them start worms. It would also be nice to get out of Lusaka for a bit.

Cukes and Squash

Next week I start teaching dance at the American school, and I have been volunteering at the Lubuto Library a bit, though we are seeing a need for more explanation of what a library is used for because at the moment I spend most of my time re-shelving unread books and making sure everyone signs in and no one steals other peoples bags. But mom is helping out so she will whip it into shape I’m sure.

Chamba Valley

Our social life revolves around the occasional dinner with the neighbors and usually a weekend brunch or dinner out to the Arcades shopping mall. I think it is safe to say we are enjoying our time but missing our friends. So I hope you are all well and enjoying the wicked winter!

Our garden at the house and mom in her chitenge