Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Our Replacement Has Arrived!
So many people have asked who would take over our job once we left our village. Peace Corps Zambia has what is called a "3 generation" model. Ideally, there are three two-year volunteers back to back over the course of 6 years. In a perfect example, the volunteers have introduced "sustainable" change/skills to the community, so that after the six years, the community will not have any more need for Peace Corps. Of course this model is often interrupted by changes within Peace Corps or the village itself. Since we were first generation (i.e. there had not been other previous volunteers at our site), we pressed hard to get a replacement volunteer since we knew there was still plenty of work to be done. Knowing the possibility of being replaced by another married couple was rare (there just aren't enough of us!), we advocated for a single fish-farming volunteer to take over our site.
Well, we just got our wish and would like to welcome Kenny as the new Rural Aquaculture Improvement volunteer to our site. He will officially swear-in at the beginning of May. Out with the old, in with the new! In this day and age of technology, which is rapidly increasing in Zambia, Kenny has already begun his blog to chronicle his journey in the Northwest Province of Zambia:
http://kj0505.wordpress.com/
Welcome Kenny, and we know you'll have an incredible time!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Books! (Gina's Post)
One gift Peace Corps Zambia gave us was the opportunity to read lots of books. With no electricity or internet to distract us and plenty of time on buses, I probably read more books there than in high school and college combined. Many thanks to friends who sent reading materials and to volunteer organizers of the amazing Solwezi house lending library. Here's a pretty complete list of the books I read while in Zambia:
1) Nine Hills to Nambokaha
2) Eat, Pray, Love
3) The Ponds of Kalambayi
4) The Celestine Vision
5) Saving Fish from Drowning
6) Where There's no Toilet Paper: Traveler's Tales
7) Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
8) In Patagonia
9) The Secret Life of Bees
10) One Hand Does Not Catch a Buffalo
11) The Sun Also Rises
12) A Long Way Gone
13) The Celestine Prophecy
14) The Help
15) Ishmael
16) The Poisenwood Bible
17) Strength in What Remains
18) Dead Aid
19) Raising Goats for Dummies
20) Cutting for Stone
21) Set This House in Order
22) Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
23) A Time to Kill
24) Mango Elephants in the Sun
25) The Air We Breathe
26) The Dead Zone
27) The Hithiker's Guide to the Galaxy
28) The Life and Times of Michael K.
29) The Dark Star Safari
30) The Lacuna
31) Water for Elephants
32) Leaf Storm
33) Africa: A Continent Self-Destructs
34) Travel as a Political Act
35) The Trial
36) Monique and the Mango Rains
37) The Testament
38) The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
39) The Story of Beautiful Girl
40) Norwegian Wood
41) The Boy Who Harnessed the Wing
42) Pecked to Death by Ducks
43) Glimmers of Hope: A Memoir of Zambia
44) The Life of Pi
45) Persuasion
46) What Should I Do With my Life?
47) On Writing
48) The Three Letter Plague
49) A New Earth
50) Hearts in Atlantis
51) The Joy Luck Club
52) The Unheard
53) Island Beneath the Sea
54) The Alchemist
55) Join In: Multiethnic Short Stories
56) Slaughterhouse Five
57) Rich Dad, Poor Dad
58) The Tipping Point
59) 11-22-63
So of course there were lots of books about Zambia and Africa, which I found extremely interesting being then and there. Other things I've learned: I'm still not a fan of sci-fi, an occasional classic is good for building character, and I'm much more a fan of general fiction than I used to be. Favorite authors from my Zambia stint: Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver, Abraham Verghese, and Amy Tan. Hope I continue this reading trend that Zambia has taught me!
1) Nine Hills to Nambokaha
2) Eat, Pray, Love
3) The Ponds of Kalambayi
4) The Celestine Vision
5) Saving Fish from Drowning
6) Where There's no Toilet Paper: Traveler's Tales
7) Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
8) In Patagonia
9) The Secret Life of Bees
10) One Hand Does Not Catch a Buffalo
11) The Sun Also Rises
12) A Long Way Gone
13) The Celestine Prophecy
14) The Help
15) Ishmael
16) The Poisenwood Bible
17) Strength in What Remains
18) Dead Aid
19) Raising Goats for Dummies
20) Cutting for Stone
21) Set This House in Order
22) Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
23) A Time to Kill
24) Mango Elephants in the Sun
25) The Air We Breathe
26) The Dead Zone
27) The Hithiker's Guide to the Galaxy
28) The Life and Times of Michael K.
29) The Dark Star Safari
30) The Lacuna
31) Water for Elephants
32) Leaf Storm
33) Africa: A Continent Self-Destructs
34) Travel as a Political Act
35) The Trial
36) Monique and the Mango Rains
37) The Testament
38) The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
39) The Story of Beautiful Girl
40) Norwegian Wood
41) The Boy Who Harnessed the Wing
42) Pecked to Death by Ducks
43) Glimmers of Hope: A Memoir of Zambia
44) The Life of Pi
45) Persuasion
46) What Should I Do With my Life?
47) On Writing
48) The Three Letter Plague
49) A New Earth
50) Hearts in Atlantis
51) The Joy Luck Club
52) The Unheard
53) Island Beneath the Sea
54) The Alchemist
55) Join In: Multiethnic Short Stories
56) Slaughterhouse Five
57) Rich Dad, Poor Dad
58) The Tipping Point
59) 11-22-63
So of course there were lots of books about Zambia and Africa, which I found extremely interesting being then and there. Other things I've learned: I'm still not a fan of sci-fi, an occasional classic is good for building character, and I'm much more a fan of general fiction than I used to be. Favorite authors from my Zambia stint: Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver, Abraham Verghese, and Amy Tan. Hope I continue this reading trend that Zambia has taught me!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Slideshow of our Service
Please feel free to look at this slideshow, which gives a picture of our entire service. If you're interested in having one or both of us present at your school or community event, let us know!
 | Zambia Slideshow |
After you get on the link, please click on "present" and then "present from beginning" on the upper right-hand corner and click on each page for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Hut Videos
Many of you wondered what our hut was like, so here are some videos that Scott took now that we actually have internet speed that will allow us to upload them!
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