Pictures April 2013

Dad tries his hand at pounding cassava in a traditional mortar and pestle ("iyanda") while he stays at the village.

 Gina and the village girls show off sweeties they got for helping to carry water.

 We cross this rickety bridge once or twice per week to get to Mwinilunga for supplies.

 Dad and Gina's luxury safari tent at Chobe National Park.

 Touring Chikumbuso in Lusaka.  It's a great organization that helps widows and disadvantaged women.

 This elephant in Chobe was in action looking for some women!

 The lions weren't quite as active, but we did see the momma later in the afternoon get into a spat with a cape buffalo defending its territory.

 They have a warning to stay away from the baboons at Victoria falls!

Dad peers to get a look at the falls on the bridge to Zimbabwe.

 Amama Annie shows how to properly wash hands before eating nshima.

 Nshima comes in white lumps served with greens, beans and fried vegetables.  Note this is a typical urban meal and not what we eat in the village.

 Scott teaches future fish farming volunteers about permagardening.

 The Mwinilunga "fueling station" consists of defunct pumps and fuel of questionable quality that is highly marked up and poured from plastic containers directly into the vehicles.

 My friends who sell me cat food at the Mwinilunga fish market.  I'm standing behind the stacks of dried kapenta.

Dad plays with our cat Badger inside our utilitarian hut.

more pictures

Here is the link to some pictures we have of our trip to Malawi back in April.
https://picasaweb.google.com/110221855486252629515/Malawi?authkey=Gv1sRgCIjw-bqSwKeB1wE

Better Huts and Gardens

Over two years ago, Gina and Scott left their comfortable home on a tree lined street in Yakima, WA in pursuit of adventure and service.  In the process, they have made a home away from home in the remote Northwestern province of Zambia, taking advantage of local products and labor to create their eco-friendly dream. 

“In fact, it’s 100% locally sourced, even down to the small children who helped carry the bricks,” Gina reported.  When looking to improve their locally-made Peace Corps issued dwelling, Scott and Gina did their research by perusing 200 or so other mud huts in the area to find the improvements that would match their active outdoor lifestyle while maintaining an element of comfort.  The end result has been an eclectic fusion of village and modern style that local designer Muvwe Mutale calls “a move toward the way the world should go.”

I was lucky enough to tour Gina and Scott’s mud hut and surrounding outbuildings to understand more completely how the couple has utilized natural resources in an ecologically friendly way.  Upon entering, Scott said “Well, I’ve always been sort of eco-conscious, some would even call me an eco-nut, but Zambia has forced me to look at trash in a totally different way.  Where I used to see empty juice bottles, now I see windows.  An old cardboard box becomes a fantastic bookshelf.  I’ve tried to make everything flow seamlessly into the design and character of the house.”

Scott even used traditional grass material for his garden fencing, which was secured to tree posts with bush fiber instead of nails.  Many of the trees were hauled by young village boys from a nearby forest, eliminating the need for fossil fuel transport. Even better, the grass used for the fence replenishes itself every single year after the rainy season and enables the locals to clear their fields without burning.

The couple uses their extra bathwater for their vegetable garden irrigation strategically placed in optimum sunlight and a fresh layer of compost soil produced by 13 free-range hens that Gina and Scott use for eggs and meat.  “It’s fun having the village kids collect the chicken poop and then have it turn it into something green and usable,” Gina adds, “those plants just love that poop.”

Surprisingly enough, the entire compound is off-the-grid.  Scott states, “we realized we were 20 kilometers from the nearest power source, so we had to get creative.”  Small solar lanterns illuminate a strategically whitewashed wall in the evenings to enhance their effect.  “In fact, the combination of mud bricks and a grass roof brings protection from the cold and winds during cold season as well as the heavy rains during the rainy season.  It beats any commercial heating and cooling system by a factor of 3 without ever having to add electricity and besides, my wife keeps me warm at night.”

The open concept of the kitchen not only allows for beautiful views of Zambian sunsets between the trees, but also adequate ventilation of the cooking brazier, which uses 100% locally-sourced wood for its coals.  In addition, the small space doubles as a classroom, which Gina uses to teach young girls penmanship and coloring skills.  She exclaims, “it really is amazing that the open design of the kitchen can spark such creative knowledge.  This might just bring a new generation of kitchens.”  Furthermore, the stools are made from locally-sourced lumber covered with sustainable cow hides to create an ergonomically correct position for stirring cassava and maize porridge.  “We just may never cook standing up again.”

I was indeed able to test the ingenuity of Scott’s homemade bathhouse using a bucket of freshly-harvested rainwater from the back of the neighboring bike shed.  Although, it was heated to a comfortable temperature on the coal-fired brazier thanks to Gina’s ingenious cooking skills.  As I poured cupfuls of luxurious chemical-free water over my body and looked up on the starlight, I almost imagined I was transported back in time, back to the days where we didn’t need shower heads because everyone bathed outside.

I ended my tour with a beautiful tour of the chimbushi, otherwise known as self-contained flushless toilet that looked out on an enormous anthill.  As I read my magazine and then used the same page as toilet tissue (no need to worry about a septic tank), I realized that Gina and Scott were living the ecologically friendly minimalist’s dream.

World Wise Schools--Final Edition!

If you’ve been following our communications with students from Zambian and American middle schools, we thought we’d send you the last edition.  Most of the American students have moved on to high school, and the Zambian students are now in their term break.  Here are just a handful:

Dear Zambian Student,

I am 14 years old  I speak Spanish and English, and a bit of Japanese.  I’m in 8^th grade, getting real close to going to high school.  On January 14 I am going to be 15 years old.  Which are your favorite things to do for fun? I like to listen to music, and sing a long.  I love singing.  I also like to swim and be active.  What is your favorite color?  Mine is Green and purple.  I like light colors they are pretty.  When is your birthday? If it’s close Happy Early birthday, or late birthday J  Do you have a radio?  Do you like school?  I do.  In my Avid class we are writing to you, we are also going to send another box of supplies  I hope you enjoy it, have a nice day.

Dear Zambian Student,

I am your new penpal.  How are you? Do you like music? Because I love music.  Do you like dancing?  Because I love dancing hip-hop.  Wel I am 14 years old and I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers including me and I am the second youngest, first comes my sister then come me.  Do you like dogs or cats?  I love dogs.  My favorite sport is volleyball and then comes basketball.  I also enjoy football I like throwing the football to my friend it’s pretty fun.  It’s very nice to meet you.  Hope you have a great day over their.

Dear Zambian Student,

I am 13 about to be 14 in June.  Whats your birthday and how old are you?  What’s your favorite color?  What do you like to do for fun?  And why do you like it?  Do you have any sisters or brothers?  Do you like school?  If you do whats your favorite subject? What’s your favorite sport? What grade are you in?  What languages do you know or speak?  What’s your favorite fruit?  Do you like music if you do what kind and who and what are your favorite songs too?

My favorite color is orang and purple as you can see I’m writing in purple ink.  I like to cook and watch or babysit kids.  I like kids and I like to be in a kitchen.  I have 4 brothers and one sister.  I like school my favorite subject is math.  My favorite sport is football I know what you’re thinking a girl that likes football but yes I do like to play football I also like baseball, and softball.  I am in 8^th grade going into 9^th grade.  I know English and a little bit of Spanish so like 1 ½ I know.  My favorite fruit is apple, mangoes, and oranges.  I like music I like hip hop & rap and a little country Usher, Michael Jackson, Perry band, and Alicia Keys.  Beat it, If I die young, No more, and Oh my God these are all songs I like.  My favorite food is Chinease food (asian chicken) But I hope you like this letter I wrote.

Dear American Student,

How are you?  I’m here to reply to this letter for you.  I hope God wish you and thank you to reply again this letter.  Which favorite sports would want palay and enjoy any time in America, but me in Zambia my favorite sport is football.  There any sport that you want?  I have 4 brother and 2 sister.  My mom is not at home at this moment and I hope that wen God wish us you can come to Zambia to see Zambia this is Zambia.  Wen I get a chance I can come to see America I like America.  My parent born in Zambia and stay in Zambia we call Zambian my parents also got marred.  So I was born in Zambia and I obey my father and mom but that doesn’t mean have blonde hair.  I

Dear American Student,

I am fine thank you for remembering me.  I am in Grade 9 I have 16 years old.  I am person who speak three language.  I like to speak English, and Lunda.I like fruits like mango is that also you like, guavas, tangerines, and oranges.  I have my fourverite subject and my fourverite food which I like, and my difficult subject.  My favorite subject is science, history and English.  My difficult subject is Religious education.  And I like to playing football and pool table.  Thak you for remember us.  In my mind I don’t forget you ever were you go.  I think you know my name.

Dear American Student,

I am 15 years old.  I am in grade nine (9) at basic school nest year I am going to grade ten.  My favorite things which I want to do is sing a song in church choir every Sundays because Tuesday I am at school.  I love singing the Song of God.  And I also like to swim but I don’t know how to swim in the river.  I using the dish if I want to swim.  My favorite color is RED.  In my village we don’t have radio because we don’t have money which I want to buy.  I like school very much.  We would like to thank the students at Washington Middle Schools for the books, pencils and supplies.

Dear American Student,

My birthday is 19^th August.  I have 16 years old my favorite color is blue and black I like white color yey I have sisters and brothers.  I like school because educated is a good ideas.  My favorite subject in school is Religious education.  My favorite sport is football.  The time in moment am grade 9 but nex year in grade 10.  My language is Lunda but to school speaking or using English.  My favorite fruit is mango, mabula and so on.  My favorite songs is gospels.  My favorite food is isima, rice and so on.  My favorite color is black as you can see I am writing in black color ink.  My favorite sport is football because I am a footballer in my basic school.  I am a Captain.  God bless you.  I hope you like this letter I wrote.