Back in the old routine

On Saturday the Zambian Premier League season kicked off and I saw my first match watching Choma Green Eagles player the Power Dynamos. The season here runs from March until December with 16 teams. Choma are a military team, whilst Power are owned by one of the energy companies in the Copperbelt area. I was supporting Choma as over the last few days I have got to know the team whilst they were all staying at the same guest house as me in Mazabuka. They were friendly and an extremely polite bunch, who even gave me a lift to and from the stadium. Choma was the home team and only playing in Mazabuka because their home ground is currently flooded and a bridge on route to the stadium has also collapsed due to the recent deluge of wet weather in the Southern province.

The pitch was hard and bumpy on a hot hot afternoon. There was a small splattering of a crowd with the 'posh seats' consisting of concrete blocks for maybe around 50 fans. Both sets of fans sat together with plenty of good humour and banter during the game. The match ended 1-1 and was a typical game of two halves. Choma took the lead in the first minute through a corner and had the better of the first half. They tired after the break, Power started dominating and equalised sometime around the 70th minute. It was enjoyable but I am missing my Watford, especially as our form is so poor at the moment.

Youth Day 2010

Another vibrant and noisy day in Mazabuka! This time the youths were in charge as they first marched through the streets of the town before settling at a local school. Strangely there was a more political presence at this event than at International Women’s Day with banners of a number of the main political parties being paraded and cheering depending on which politician was speaking. The schools from the area took their turn in singing, dancing or performing a sketch or poem; or in some cases doing all of them. The sketches were the most interesting with dramas – some by quite young children – on HIV and AIDS, rape, incest and violence providing a powerful message to the audience. The poems talked about respecting and listening to the voice and demands of the youth in Zambia.

Internation Women's Day 2010

As I am discovering with Zambian timings everything starts a bit later than planned but once the day got underway most of Mazabuka could hear the sound of the marching women. The women wore colourful chitengas (brightly painted skirts), which differed depending on which group they belongd to i.e. Police, Health workers, Zambia Sugar, Council staff, a local restaurant etc.  They were accompanied by the Salvation Army band and marched to the tune of Equal rights, Equal opportunities, Progress for all. There were shouts of "Viva women" and "Go women go", and lots of screaming of aeiiii, aeiiii, aeiiii (or something like this which is a sign of agreement and happiness).  When the marching stopped there were speeches by local dignatories such as the mayor, district commissioner and local MP followed by each group of women taking their turn to dance and voice their support for their rights.  It was very enjoyable and colourful, and a local man who befriended me acted as by guide in explaining all the rituals and dancing.  The only downside was whitey me getting a bit sunburnt!

Mazabuka ART Centre

During our first week of induction to work at the District AIDS Task Force (DATF) we have met with a number of stakeholders from the mayor, town clerk and district commissioner to various NGOs like World Vision and Plan. The most disturbing visit by far was a trip to Mazabuka District hospital and in particular the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centre. For such a small building it was packed with people receiving HIV and AIDS screening, testing, counselling and treatment. There were rows and rows of people - some with children next to them - sitting on benches, spilling over into the hallways; sitting or standing in any space available. There was a low hum of noise throughout the building as people waited patiently for their turn, barely whispering to each other. Just too many sad, sad faces.

Zambian customs #2 - The handshake

If you are greeting people from afar, who you are simply saying hello to rather than intending to speak to, then clasping your hands together on your chest and sometimes doing a mini clap is the way to go.

A much friendlier greeting which takes place in one movement starts by shaking someone’s hand, moving the hand upwards so you are almost shaking their thumb and then back to the handshaking. Sometimes this can be quite swift, though more often than not the last bit of the handshake continues whilst you are talking.

Tradition

Young and old come together under one roof; parents taking their children along though often the younger ones do not want to be there; the facilities may differ but there is always lost of passion, sweat and tears; shouting and screaming; people are there in good times and bad; lots of leaders but only one person is really in charge; smiles, cheering, friendliness, rhythm . . . Church at the weekend in Mazabuka (and the short session lasted for four hours!)

The sweetest town in Zambia . . . Mazabuka

First impressions of Mazabuka:

• Things never quite go to plan meaning that our accommodation is not ready yet so we are staying in a local guest house for the time being – a nice place with friendly staff but want to get settled here sometime soon
• Not quite a quiet town in the middle of nowhere as Maz has two supermarkets and a couple of cafes/restaurants which is definitely something to crow about!  Finding a working internet cafe is proving to be much harder
• Wide tree lined streets and small enough that you will see the same people again and again during the course of a day
• If you are not walking then 4x4s are everywhere as the main roads are fine but everything else is bumpy with rutted earth crumbling away, which gets worse the harder it rains
• Lights out around 7pm as away from the main high street it is pitch black after dark
• Agriculture dominates here with fields and fields of sugar cane and maize.  This is great for the local economy but also a good breeding ground for mosquitos and malaria, and the buggers have started biting away at me already
• Like other parts of Africa that I have visited the men are football crazy – Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United dominate with strangely no Watford fans!
• The importance of religion with churches everywhere.