Wow,

It’s been a while since I’ve written.  The reason for this is that I’ve recently moved to a village (population 300) about 20km from Monze called Hampongo.  There is no running water, no electricity in most homes, and no internet.  I’ve moved there to work with WaterAid on the construction of latrines in three different areas. 

Before you start picturing me in a house with a grass roof and mud walls, I have to admit that I’m actually staying in a comfortable three bedroom home that’s powered by solar panels.  The house belongs to the environmental health technician, Mr. Maambo.  I, along with another lady who is working with me, Rue Simooonga, will stay with him until the end of November.

At first, I was nervous about village life.  I was worried about the customs that people followed, being a vegetarian, not understanding the language, being lonely, and experiencing a way of life completely different from my own (or so I thought).   

As expected, the people were very curious about the new resident in their village.  So many people stopped by to introduce themselves; others simply stared as they walked past the house. The children would gather in groups and just watch me.  This interest subsided after a few days and I was finally able to visit the pump to get water with a little more confidence!  It's unbelieveable seeing 9 year old girls carrying 20litres of water on their heads.  The people in the village are tough. That's one of the first words that came to mind when I thought of describing them.  Plowing fields with no shoes, getting by on one meal a day, taking care of a 20 person family. One would expect little laughter or celebration in these circumstances. On the contrary, people sing, laugh, and tease eachother on a regular basis. This isn't to say, though, that sadness isn't a frequent occurrence. A friend recently went home for lunch only to find that her father and brother had eaten all of the food. If we hadn't shared our meal with her, she and her baby would have gone without that day.

The previous two weekends,  I had the privilege of attending 2 village weddings.  They started on Saturday with a huge celebration at the groom's parents' residence.  Everyone is dancing, singing, drinking sweet beer and eating nshima.  They cook the nshima in huge caldrons and use something comparable to a shovel to mix it.  The bride is kept in a house (in the middle of the party) with a few women who attend to her needs.  She can't speak and her head is always bowed.  She doesn't get to join in the celebration, although her finace does.  The main form of music is drums and whistles.  At the first wedding, the men were playing the drums while the women formed a circle and sang traditional songs. The brave ones moved to the middle of the cirlce and demonstrated their dancing skills.  Oddly enough, they thought that I wanted to show mine off too! As a white Canadain being dragged into the middle of a group of African women who've been dancing since they were 2 years old is scary. I finally realized the purpose of all those nights dancing at the clubs back home.  Unkonwingly, I had actually been training for this very moment.  I think I pleased them though, telling by the shouting and cheering that followed my 'routine'.  

It's customary for people to stay awake singing and dancing all night. It was fantastic. I didn't make it, and had to crash around 4am.  I was awoken by the drums and songs later that morning.  The day of the wedding, a cow is slaughtered and meals are prepared.   Since I'm anti-slaughtering, I didn't participate in this activity. The wedding takes place just after lunch, with the bride finally being able to move from the house.  The wedding procedure had a Western style, although it was unnerving seeing this influence. It didn't feel as though this was completely natural for them.  They definitely added their own improvisions to the ceremony! The bridesmaids and groomsmen performed a dancing routine, and everyone cheered for them as they came through the crowd. Some even stuffed money in their clothing.  Much more exciting than weddings at home. There was no religious head or justice of the peace performing the ceremony, only an MC conducting the activities.  The marriage is stilled considered valid and the father/grandfather of the bride take turns letting the groom know (through speeches)what will happen if he treats their girl badly. After the ceremony, people travel home and sleep until the following day...

That's all for now.  I am enjoying life in the village, although I do feel a disconnect from the rest of the world at times.  I am only able to get phone reception by the 3rd pole in front of the health center, and even then it's often poor.  Not a big deal, and in all, I feel that this experience is invaluable to understanding the concept of 'poverty' a bit better.  I am determined to learn everyhting from this that I can and I will try to share these lessons as best as I can.

Miss you all and take care of yourselves,

Jenn