Dávid from Zambia – VIII. Blog Post
1 Month in Zambia!
I think I can now definitely say that after a month, the majority of the challenges and difficulties that come with living in an African environment have shown themselves. The initial novelties have turned into routine, and the faster pace of work that we were used to has been considerably slowed down by the working tempo here... it's still hard to adapt.
The good side, however, is that we continuously support each other as a trio – and this is one of the key elements of the project – which was drilled into us during our CICD training.
The ongoing conversations, outbursts, and small "disagreements" help us find common solutions to certain issues. This, by the way, strongly develops our patience and teamwork. We feel that the many challenges are making us even stronger as a team! So... as we say, we're not locked up.
This week, we worked in all three local communities. We visited the previously formed and shaped Teenage Clubs, where we tried to inspire and teach the members with various creative ideas on how they can earn more money with their own hands. We talked about agriculture, business building, saving money, and investing. Essentially, these were basics, but for them, it means a lot.
Additionally, we visited the Young Mothers' Clubs, where we made all kinds of sellable items from old clothes and rags, such as hair ties, pillows, headscarves, and hats. This is real recycling! The finished products can be sold by the mothers to earn some profit. Oh, and by the way, I also learned how to sew. Although… I heard more about following the line and sewing straight than getting compliments on how skilled I am! Meanwhile, we managed to form a new Youth Club with 18 members (which was our goal for February). We celebrated this with two bottles of Coca-Cola.
Of course, the situation is not that simple. Unfortunately, most of the members don't join to learn, but expect financial support in some form. These "members" eventually drop out, but we're doing everything we can to make sure they clearly understand the importance and essence of the club.
Also, we're preparing for a bigger tree-planting project with the Chipulukusu community. We'll be planting 600 trees at the end of February / early March in a designated area chosen by the local community. We're focusing more on fruit trees, such as mango, avocado, guava, lychee, and lemon.
The goal of the project is to take action against climate change and to help the local boys and girls understand the importance of environmental protection. And, of course, in a few years, they can feast on these fruits.
Before I end the week, I'd like to mention two more things. The first is that we met the local 50 Cent. Well, almost! We met a famous local rapper who was more excited to see us than we were about being in Zambia. We took a few photos together, chatted about music, where he started, how he got into it, and then we said our goodbyes.
The second thing is, after the conversation, I realized that no matter who you are, what background you have, or how deep you are, if you work a little every day towards your goals, sooner or later, you will definitely reach them!
And here's this week's photo from the Nkwazi community:
Yes, they always laugh, but even if they don't, at the very least, they smile sincerely.
~ February Highlights
