News from Zambia 3

SOME EXTRACTS FROM SR ANNE TAYLOR’S LETTERS

. . . The next morning, Friday 24 April May 2009,  it was up and off early to catch the 9 am bus to where we would spend our last month in Zambia.... We just missed seeing the Zambian president, Mr Banda, who was visiting Livingstone. (Saw some men looking very official ...all done up in suits...and quite out of place as we left Livingstone.) I had been alerted to this visit earlier when up in the helicopter and our pilot asked another helicopter did it have permission to fly at such and such a height.....and the reply came back...YES...this is the presidential helicopter!

About 12 we dropped Colleen, Clare and Megan at Choma, where Cecilia was to collect them and take them to Maamba. At 12:45 we arrived at Chisekesi, where Jacinta was waiting for us to drive us to Chikuni (we almost missed the stop....sign was very small and you had to know where it was...thank heavens the bus assistant was on the ball!!) .....the next part of our journey was to begin.

When we got to Chikuni Mission, I saw many things I had heard about.....the cemetery, the Jesuit school, the hospital, Chikuni Girls.....it felt a little  coming home! We were given a warm welcome and shown to our rooms. A delicious lunch followed, after which we unpacked. Later, Ros showed us very proudly around Chikuni, where she had earlier spent a month. She was very excited to be back. We visited the hospital, saw the parish church and buildings ,visited Chikuni Radio. Chikuni Community Radio operates on 91.8FM and covers a radius of 60kms. It was opened on March 25, 2000. Radio is changing lives, developing minds and bringing people together in an environment based on their own needs in their own terms......and the cultural centre. Here we were shown around and met Fr Wafer ...we discovered some of the history / culture of the area, told us what they were trying to achieve here(retaining and promoting the Tonga culture), saw artefacts and some beautiful handwork...particularly beading.....we were told there was to be a dancing display on Saturday and we were welcome to come and that we would be welcome to learn beading and to come to the centre at any time....especially at times when they have groups in.....a month of experiences lay before us..................... 

ANZAC DAY

(Saturday 25 April)...no one here knew anything about this ....We went to the Cultural Centre...Mukanzubo Kalinda fairly early on the Saturday morning to see the dancing. Firstly we were treated to the dancing of six ‘older’ ladies...50s-60s???(These women have a big interest in helping to preserve the culture).  They performed the rain dances. Apparently the Tongan people didn’t have leaders/chiefs...had someone who called them to worship, rain leader....They were apparently often under attack from different groups...eg the Lozi people because of no leadership, so the British put in leaders and apparently saved these people from the other tribes. A positive British initiative!!

We were then treated to some wonderful dancing by young girls, older girls (in superb traditional dress) and the older women again. There was a beautifully attired young woman who was obviously their compare. (The dancing was to be recorded, but the people pulled out at the last minute... lucky us saw it). There were also three drummers, one particularly good (Leone would have loved it!) The final dance they did was the axe dance, where they honour the axe, for all it does for them. Fr Wafer was telling us that the dancing here has focused on skills rather than sexual movements, which are common in other places. It was wonderful to have him with us, as he filled in many bits of information for us.

There is a teachers’ college just up the road, Charles Lwanga, and they try to get the teachers to come and learn the culture, so that it will be part of the children’s lives. Fr Wafer said the Tongan people are grateful to those who have taught their children to read and write, but they have not taught them about really living and they hope this sort of centre can help do this. It was a wonderful morning...how lucky were we to be able to experience traditional dancing and learn something of Tongan life on such a firsthand basis! We also on this day met Dorothy’s friend Yvonne, who (to me) in many ways bears similarities to Dorothy. Fr Wafer ( he studied cultures at London University...is a Jesuit who has been in Zambia about 50 years) was talking about how lucky they were to have got Yvonne at the centre when they did. It has made a wonderful difference. Currently she is working on helping people know some of the traditional Tongan hymns, so that that they will not be lost.

Sunday 26 April

....I opted to go to the Sunday parish Mass....it is a couple of hours...but I thought if I went I would be amongst the people. The sisters go to the Jesuits who say an English Mass at 6:45am ... I got a sleep in as the parish Mass was 9:30am!! On the way I got into conversation with a young woman from Chikuni Girls. Knew she has some connection to the sisters because of the congregational chitenge she was wearing! I then talked with people outside the church, who were shooing flies with branches. I said we do that in Australia! Australia.........They then asked me some things about Australia. 

Mass was another wonderful African experience....the beautiful voices of the choir, which seemed to harmonise so well...the colourful outfits of the altar boys (only four....there were ten usually serving at Roma). The outfits were of material not unlike some of the colourful chitenges you see about. The Easter candle was the largest I have seen.....decorated with bright orange ribbon. There were young girls who led the procession in....and danced at the Gloria.... Holy, Holy....Thanksgiving....led the procession out at the end of mass. The homily was in English and Tongan....priest said a bit in English and a man translated .......The collection.....people came up the front and place money in a box......at the offertory people brought other gifts up for the priest....fruit, vegetables...other food items. The prayers of intercession came from the people......At the end there were notices and a prayer/ blessing.....On the first Sunday I was there they asked visitors to come out the front....I was obviously a visitor ......the only white person in the church!! Two other men came out. We had to introduce ourselves.....and then a song was sung....and everyone came past and shook my hand.....amazing!.....All seemed so happy.

The following Sunday it was Vocation Sunday, so for the first hour people spoke. We had a married couple ( he turned out to be the headmaster of Canisius High School, which by the name you have probably guessed it Jesuit.)There was also our Sr Miyanda, a Jesuit novice, a teacher, nurse and leader in the community. People sat for the time then Mass began and ended at 11:50 from the 9:30 start. I could never imagine this happening at home!!!