Greetings Everyone!
09:30 am
I am sorry I have not sent anything in a while. When I arrived in on September the 24th I had spent three very long days traveling to get here. From Vancouver to London, than to Rome, into Addis Ababa, and finally Lusaka. I could hardly wait to get off the plane. In Lusaka I was here only long enough to see the people I needed to see and off I went. Once I leave Lusaka , I have no way of communications. I have just arrived back in Lusaka , spending time at meetings and getting supplies and I will leave again in the morning, if I can get enough gas. There is a shortage of gas here in , so I am trying to find enough to fill my gas tanks and leave for Petauke were I am rebuilding water wells and other things. My days go by very quickly; besides the many faces of community development, other things like flat tires, wrong directions, too many people wanting a ride, a broken fan belt on a lonely stretch of road, salty water in a well, trying to find a wet and dry thermometer, an angry Spitting Cobra, running out of toilet paper, all makes life interesting. I hope you understand. (Thanks Maria, I will be home for Christmas).
Garry
I remember those eyes!
11:13 am
I will be returning to build this women, her baby and her village a well! I will leave for Zambia before the end of the month. This well will be dug before the community starts their planting season, along with other new wells and the restoring of some of the many hand dug wells that need repair.
Going Back!
11:10 am
I will be leaving Victoria on September 22, arriving in Zambia on the 24th. I fly to London, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a few other short stops and than Lusaka. I return to Canada on November 28th (or later). I have a very busy schedule, and I am very excited to return. I would like to thank those who have contributed to my projects and to my darling wife, Maria, for allowing me to continue helping, (besides I was starting to get fat! ) Also I want to thank Ivan for doing my web site. I will try to keep this upgraded as best I can while I am there.
Lunch Time!
11:32 am
While I was out looking at a well that I will be rebuilding in June 2005, my friend and guide, Pinas took me to his village to meet his family, these are some of his family.
In this one pot is their lunch, possible their only meal of the day.
Late one night
11:30 am
THE GHOST DANCE
In July, I was invited to attend some special dances in a village situated on the south side of the Great East Road towards Mozambique. We were taken there in the back of a rickety old ox cart, pulled by an even older pair of oxen. It was very late afternoon just as the sun was starting to turn into a bright red ball and disappearing into the west sky. Our arrival in the village happened just as my body told me that it had enough of this rough jerky ride. After greetings all around, we were escorted by the women of the village, into a large round hut. Candles lit the stuffy room. The flickering light showed older women and later; the girls who would perform their ‘coming of age' dances. The two young male drummers sat with their backs to the room, making the mud walls echo with the rhythmic beating of their drums. Than the girls appeared!
When we finally left the hut, the only light was from the millions of southern stars that would guide us further down into the valley to witness the ghost dance. After leaving the village and stumbling along for some time, excusing myself many times as I continually stepped on someone else's feet or almost tripping on the many roots that crisscrossed the path; we made it to a clearing under a very large tree. Here again we were seated at the edge of the light made by a small fire burning on the opposite side of the clearing. There was just enough light to see the line of drummers starting to tune their drums. Going over to the fire one at a time and heating the head of the drum in the flames. Eventually they were all happy with the tone that echoed into the darkness. Than together they started to drum a loud continual beat. My guide told me that this was a call to the dead. “Can you hear them?” she asked. And after a while I could hear moaning coming from the forest beyond the fire. Slowly, in the shadows thrown across the trees by the fire I could make out a lone figure, creeping painfully towards the firelight and pulsating drums. A line of women and children had now formed behind the drummers, and they started singing. The looks on their faces showed excitement and even terror on the faces of the younger ones. I was told the song was to coach the ghosts to come closer into the firelight. Slowly they came. One at a time. And all this time they wailed in a voice that could only come from someone possessed and surely from a different world. Another ghost appeared in the shadows and than another. They came dancing; one at a time whirling and twirling to the beat of the drums. Than they came forward dancing in a row, stopping in front of the drummers, dancing and taunting the choir of women and children. Than slowly drifting back into the shadows and returned again, wailing and dancing. As they danced they kicked dust into the air, giving an even more eerie look to their appearance. The fire, every once and a while would come to life in a burst of sparks when more brush was added by the sole figure standing in the smoke. The children would run out and taunt the ghosts, only to run back in terror and hide behind the women when the ghost made an effort to catch them. This went on for almost three hours until in the end the women and children had completely encircled the ghosts. As the dance ended, the ghosts plainly showing defeat, danced mournfully back into the shadows and disappeared. The drums ceased. Leaving us in a dark silence. After our good-byes to the village and even the ghosts appeared to bid farewells, showing dripping streaks of sweat on their dusty bodies. We too, disappeared into the darkness. It took us over an hour to stumble back and our lodgings, to bed and to dream of ghosts........
Canada Bridge 2003
11:53 am
One of the many meetings with the villagers
No work today everyone is at a funeral
Endangered Species!
08:40 am
The women and children of Africa
Headman Albert
Some friends of mine!
Woodworking along the Great East Road!
Waiting for a customer!
The finished product!!
The workshop!
These woodworkers work with old tools that no longer hold an edge, the lumber is green and I saw one man using a toilet brush to apply the finish on his doors. Hopefully they will get the training they need!
Home!
08:54 am
Well here I am in Victoria, sitting at my own computer, in my own home. I was away almost 3 months, most of which was living out of my backpack. On the long trip home I had lots of time to reflect on what I accomplished and what I failed to do. The big question I have been asked and the one I have asked myself; will I go back? Do you know anyone that only smoked one cigarette or just had one drink? I have only been home one week, time will tell. Also as I write this I would like some input, please send me an email. Maybe no one reads this! Over the next few weeks I will post lots of things here, so please come back and look and pass the site address on to anyone who might be interested.
Southern Petauke District
08:55 am
It is early afternoon and this women is waiting for the well to refill so she can
lower her plastic jug, 30 meters down to "hopefully" retrieve it full.
This well needs to be deepened by a few meters and a windless installed with
a bucket and chain. Almost 1,000 people depend on this well.
The children play as mother waits for the family’s water.
This water hole is dug at the bottom of the now dry stream;
it too will be dry soon.
Getting water, although hard work it is also a social time for the women.
This young woman was very shy; she would not dip water while I was taking
her photo; but than she balanced herself on that branch sticking out of the
water, filled her 15-liter plastic jug and was back on the bank in no time. Than she quickly picked up the jug, put it on her head and headed off.
I saw why! The cattle were coming to drink out of the same water hole. Seeing
I was still taking photos the young lady, put her water jug down and returned
to be in the photo.
The pig is saying “Ya! I know! The villagers are drinking my
bath water! but the goats drink it too!”