News from Zambia 2

EASTER WEEKEND IN LUSAKA

Megan, Ros, Clare, Becc

One of the real highlights of Easter in Zambia was attending the Stations of the Cross at the local church in Lusaka on Good Friday morning. Half of the stations were done in the local language Nuangat and half in English making the service really inclusive. It was so humbling to think that people all over the world were doing the same thing on that day and made me really see how big the world is.

On Good Friday night we were treated to a very special drum beat, that is only played in Zambian culture at the death of an important community member. This demonstrated how the people are so able to blend their culture with the Christian tradition.

Perhaps my favourite part of the Easter weekend was the Easter Saturday vigil. It began with a candle ceremony with the entire packed church silent. Following the Gloria however the entire congregation burst into joyous song and dance that lasted over half an hour. Everybody got up to dance and the happiness of the people was evident. It was such a different, African experience of church. Typically the mass went for about 6 hours but it is something that I will always remember and treasure.

Ros Hiser

FINAL VOWS!!

On Easter Monday we were lucky enough to receive an invitation to Sr Nancy's and Sr Miyanda's final vows. This occasion gave us the chance to get dressed up in our traditional Zambian outfits, which were made at either Maamba youth projects, or in Mazabuka. The day started off quite hectic with a lot of running around and last minute organization for our trip to Chirundu the next day however we were soon on the road to Kabwata; the parish that held the final vows of the sisters.

From the very beginning this ceremony was very memorable. To begin the ceremony the two Sisters processed into the church behind a group of young girls and some of the Sisters of Charity who were dancing up to the altar. One of the moving moments in the ceremony was the bible procession, in which the bible was handed from the parents to the two sisters to younger siblings and then to the priest. It illustrated how the word of God can travel through people, inspiring the next generation to continue their faith.

At another stage in the ceremony the mother of Sr Nancy stood up and went to stand next to Sisters Miyanda and Nancy and starting to sing and dance- showing her joy in her daughters commitment to God. It was really lovely to see the families and the way they celebrated this occasion, as in some cases joining the sisterhood can cause a lot of pain and anguish for the surrounding family. Throughout this ceremony it was really amazing to see how the Zambians could blend their own culture with that of their religious faith seamlessly. The music sung by a choir created a joyous atmosphere, which engaged many to stand up and celebrate this remarkable occasion.

The whole day had an incredible and joyous atmosphere, which was contained through the ceremony to the reception. The reception brought with it more joyous dancing and a traditional Zambian meal. The reception gave us the opportunity to be introduced to many of the Sisters of Charity and the families of Sisters Nancy and Miyanda. Towards the end of the reception, a couple of us stood up and started dancing. Soon we had many people surrounding us and attempting to teach us how to dance properly, as we couldn’t really move our hips in the same way. They truly appreciated our outfits, some even coming up to us asking for photos. However I think I will always remember this day not for the opportunity to wear our Zambian outfits, but for the pure joy shown on the families’ faces and on the sisters’ faces when they made their final vows.

Megan Gaffney

CHIRUNDU

Standing: Anne Taylor RSC, Becc Hyland, John, Maree, Colleen Jackson RSC
In front: Ros Hiser, Clare Christi, Megan Gaffney

After our Easter celebrations came to an end we set off on our next adventure. On the Tuesday following Final Vows we caught the bus from the big bus terminal in the centre of Lusaka to Chirundu, which is 3 hours, drive south east of Lusaka. Chirundu is actually a beautiful spot located right on the Zambezi River, which is the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. We traveled there to meet up with Colleen’s friend Maree from teaching days at CLC and her husband John who is a Zimbabwean farmer. When we crossed the bridge into Zimbabwe Maree and John were there to meet us along with some baboons that were just roaming around the car park of the Zimbabwe immigration building.

Maree and John took us to stay at their house, which was a beautiful thatched roof house, which over looked the Zambezi River. From the balcony the first afternoon were could even see two elephants walking alongside the river down below. One of the greatest moments was the first night they took us down to the river side to watch the sun set over the Zambezi. It was so beautiful and just when we were down at the river an Elephant walked past us. In the next few days John and Maree took us to stay at a campsite where John takes year 7 children to do canoeing, see wildlife and have a real nature experience. There we slept in these little rooms called cells that were just a bed surrounded by wire fencing so at night we could hear the animals grazing outside our rooms. It was fantastic, one night we could hear hippos, hyenas and baboons right outside.

We stayed at that spot for two nights and during the day they would take us out in their Ute with the four girls riding in the back, looking for animals. John was disappointed with the lack of wildlife around because the high amount of rainfall; the animals don’t need to come down to the river for water. However, we were not disappointed at all, we watched a large pod of hippos about 20 metres away from us on the banks of the Zambezi, we also went fishing and saw many baboons, impalas and local bird life.

We were very lucky to be in the company of people like Maree and John as they taught us a lot about Zimbabwe, the wildlife, the people, the atrocities that have occurred there and the country itself. They were such kind, down to earth and hospitable people who made our stay in Chirundu a time we will never forget. As it all came to an end everyone was quite sad as none of us really wanted to leave, however we knew that there was more amazing things to come and wonderful places to see.

Clare Christi

VICTORIA FALLS

From the moment we arrived in Zambia, everyone was always asking us "Have you been to see the Falls yet?  ... When will you go and see them?". It was clear that they hold a special place in the hearts of Zambians, and when we eventually did go and see them in late April, the immense love Zambians have for Victoria Falls was immediately understood.

This year the water is at its highest level since 1958, and being there in April, just after the rainy season, was the perfect time to go. All year round Victoria Falls are powerful, but we got to see them at their best - when their traditional name Mosi-oa-Tunya ('the smoke that thunders') really rings true! There were not many places we could hide from the waves of water that hit you from every side....and, despite renting raincoats, none of us avoided getting absolutely drenched!

We had a wonderful couple of days in Livingstone, which is the tourist capital of Zambia, and the main town up the road from Victoria Falls. After going to see them for the first time, we all decided we would have to go back the next evening to watch the sun set, to see if it could make the falls even more beautiful. Sitting, watching the sky turn orange and pink as the sun set that night, was a truly unforgettable experience!

Though Anne chose to stay on dry ground while the rest of us canoed down the upper Zambezi on day 2, her and Colleen ended their stay with flights over the falls, so we all got to experience the beauty of the area - just from different vantage points. Canoeing was great fun. The water being so high made it easy to just float whenever we got tired, and the small (but powerful) rapids at the end meant we got to test out our newfound paddling skills!

This was to be our last week together as a group before we split up to go to our next placements, so it was wonderful to do some great activities, and enjoy some lovely conversations by the pool at the hostel, or over the dinner table at the lovely restaurants we tried out. It was sad to think that Friday we all had to go back to work, but we were all excited about heading to Chikuni and Maamba, and had a great last night together (that doubled as a night out to finally celebrate Colleen's jubilee), so the whole week was simply perfect!

Leaving Livingstone, I think it dawned on us all that we were starting the final chapter of our Zambian experience, with now only just over a month to go before we head to London. It's exciting to think about what's ahead, but in those weeks we spent together in April, it was great to be able to share with each other what we have all experienced so far.

We had some fantastic experiences in Livingstone (canoeing, going on a game drive and finally seeing some zebras, enjoying a sunset cruise on the river, and of course getting to see Victoria Falls - the pride of Zambia), and I am certain that there are many more amazing experiences to come.

Becc Hyland