Chinamanango

This past weekend I went to Kopa for the Chinamanango Bisa Cultural Ceremony. Kopa is about 75k up the road from me. There is a large palm tree plantation there that is basically the only thing of significance on the road I live off of. Anyways the Bisa is another tribe with a language similar to Bemba. The ceremony was supposed to mark some battle between the Bisa and Bemba's (Bemba's lost). Never really got a clear answer about the significance of the ceremony, but it involved the supreme chief of Kopa also. I went out there with Chris, and two of the German volunteers from the Mpika diocese. Unfortunately the road is horrible and I ended up getting pretty car sick on the 45 minute drive up there. We stood around at the chief's compound where there were a lot of people for a while. There were makeshift booths set up made of grass where people were selling some small snacks and whatnot. Then there of course was the homemade brew being sold all over the place also. There was a truck with some music coming out of it but that was about it. Then we found out we were in the wrong place and drove about 5 minutes away to where the actual ceremony was taking place. Turns out we missed the Chief's grand entrance which is too bad because it probably would have been the most exciting part. There were hundreds of people circled around and watching little dances and skits take place. However we could never really get a good view. The Cheif and other guests of honor were sitting under a lean-to type structure so we couldn't get a good view of them either. It was really hot and all of the people was just overwhelming for me. The worst part was since we were 4 white people together, people would just stop and gather in a circle around us. They would just look and watch and wait for us to do something exciting I guess. Maybe I should bust out my juggling skills next time. That is one thing about Zambia that really gets old after a while- the stares and feeling like I'm living in a fishbowl.

Anyways- I'm in town today to check on some prices for seeds. The environmental education club I set up at the school closest to me- Luchembe Basic-is going to try to build a permaculture demonstration plot garden. My counterpart Lawrence, and I learned all about this gardening technique in Lusaka. Basically a permagarden is a 'permanent' garden that should last all year and incorporate all organic techniques. It tries to use water in the most resourceful way possible and is usually located near homes so family can tend to them regularly and easily. We want to teach the community about these gardens and therefore will use the school as a demonstration area since it is a central place in the village. We'll try to hold some sort of workshop to show how the garden is dug, and once everything is planted the students in the Chongololo club(environmental education club) will take care of it. The produce will be sold as a fundraiser for the school. It's going to be a long and difficult process with all of the logisitics, but will hopefully pay off. I am even going to try to do the same type of program at another local community school.

We still need donations for Camp GLOW also. We've raised over $1,000 but still need more! Please try to donate if you can- it's a great cause. I'm going to the school this week to set up the essay contest in which the two girls who will attend the camp will be chosen. Any seventh or eigth grade girl interested in attending this female leadership camp can write an essay about what leadership is and why it is important for girls to be leaders in the village. The best two will get to attend this one week camp in December. There are four other Peace Corps Volunteers who are doing the same things so we will have about 8 or 10 girls attending.

Go to this site to donate!

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=611-062

Here are some pictures of my newly rennovated hut and whatnot:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2071163&id=33102518&l=426cce8038