Day 21 - Sunday Send-Off

Today we began our journey home. Struggling to fit our original items in alongside our many purchases, we left a pile of clothes, books and pens to be distributed amongst the compounds. After a final few photos we shared fond farewells with Rabeccah. Dream Livingstone kindly surprised us with a personalised parting gift (picture below) . . . thank you!  

10:30 on the dot the Mazhandu Family Bus departed Livingstone and we made our way to Lusaka. 7.5 hours later we rolled into the busy capital city. As soon as we stepped off the bus we were hassled by taxi drivers left, right and centre. Stern words were needed to secure a just fare, and we arrived at Paseli's Backpackers all longing for the calmer Livingstone streets. Our hunger led us to Manda Hill shopping mall, where we sat down to a very Zambian Nando's. The slow service did not bode well with some of the tired and hungry volunteers. Nando's watch out . . . you may soon be receiving an angry letter from Miss Tufts regarding the purchase of an K11 apple juice!

Reminiscing on the past 3 weeks, we would all like to say a massive thank you to Dream Livingstone, Clement, Thomas, and everyone we have met along the way for supporting us in our research and facilitating our trip. We hope that with our partnership and shared vision we will be able to implement a successful sustainable project in Livingstone over the next couple of years. Everyone made us feel incredibly welcome and you now have 10 converted fans of nshima!

One last message before we sign off and handover to the new committee.  Thanks to everyone for your hard work over the past year and to all those who have supported us with our fundraising. This project wouldn’t have been possible without you! A special thanks to all you guys on project. The work wasn’t easy, with some testing experiences, but we came out on top and have gathered some incredible research. We hope, with all of this work, next year’s committee will be able to clearly identify where a successful intervention could be implemented. This is a new era for SKIP Cardiff and we are sure that, with combined efforts, some of the people we have met here will benefit from our project. With some unforgettable, mostly surreal, experiences we hope that you have enjoyed this trip of a lifetime as much as we have!

Peace out, Tizaonana!

xx Kate and Beth xx

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children . . . to leave the world a better place . . . to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 20 - Saturday Suffering

It’s fair to say that everyone enjoyed Jeff’s leaving celebrations. Friday night began with drinking games; a definite favourite being ‘G’day Bruce’. Sophie struggled to immerse herself in the Australian theme, being demoted rapidly from Bruce to Lou Carpenter. If the games weren’t enough, Rachel T’s animated expressions kept everyone entertained. Fair play to Jeff who just about managed to keep up with the drinking games in his 3rd language! Flagging down some taxis, we headed to our old haunt: Fez Bar. Here we were joined by a few of our favourite locals: Kasongo, Ephraim, Martine and Peter Mtonga. Several tequila shots later our African dancing showed Sanne (a new Dutch volunteer) what 3 weeks in Livingstone can do to your rhythm! Romance blossomed for some of the volunteers . . . we won’t name and shame but Ben and Kate are to be married within the year. 

Needless to say it was a slow start on Saturday morning, though hats off to the volunteers who managed to get up and go on the elephant back safari. Rachel Y, Jo, Elea, Sophie, Rachel T and Sanne loved the experience. Jo, the smallest of the group, looked tiny on top of the biggest male elephant. Here are a few elephant facts for you:

• An elephant is pregnant for 22 months
• Elephants only sleep for 2 hours a night due to pressure on their hearts
• Elephants have very poor eyesight and rely mostly on their trunks 
• Elephants live to about 80 years old!
  

After a day of packing and running final errands, we all headed to Olga’s Italian for a more civilised evening. It was a lovely and delicious way to end our time in Livingstone, with much fond reminiscing over the past 3 weeks. Our shared experiences and memories leave no doubt that we have formed a “tight knit group”! 

"I never met anyone who gets up out of their bed after a night on the town and says, 'Oh I wish I'd had another drink last night. That would have been a great idea." Arthur Mathews

Day 19 - Dambwa Clinic

Rabeccah had arranged for us to spend a morning in Mahatma Gandhi Dambwa Clinic. Split into 4 groups we targeted the outpatient and HIV departments, and the antenatal and under 5s clinics. We educated them on malaria, HIV and sanitation. The majority were attentive but the layout and setting was limiting for others; with the group in the antenatal clinic finding themselves wedged in a corridor attempting to teach. Knowledgeable questions were raised, particularly by those in the outpatient and HIV departments. Volunteers were relieved that a doctor was close at hand to answer detailed queries regarding CD4 levels. Following a meeting with the Sister in charge, information was gained on the services and outreach programmes provided by the clinic. Great to hear all of the services and medicines are free of charge!

This afternoon saw Beth and Kate being called back to Linda Farm to sign the visitor’s book. Another quick meeting regarding the Farm’s expenditure ensued. They made their way straight to Victoria Falls where the other volunteers had reserved 2 tickets for them at the local’s rate of K7 (approx. 90p). Elea, Jack and Ben took a dip in the ‘Boiling Pot’ before joining everyone for one last view of this natural wonder of the world. On the way out clothes, books and pens were traded for last minute souvenirs; Rachel T acquiring another armful of bracelets.

Tonight we will see off Jeff with a classic night in Fez Bar. 

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela

Day 18 - Linda Farm

Sex. ed.

Last day at Linda Farm! Jack and Rachel Y headed into the compound to finish collecting research from the final few houses. Meanwhile, volunteers decided it would be of use to do a HIV teaching session with the adults and a sexual education session with the teenagers. The HIV focus group ran smoothly, with some interesting questions from the adults. Unfortunately the teenagers were preoccupied; however the adults were keen to have the sexual education lesson instead. The volunteers never thought they would find themselves demonstrating the application of condoms on bananas and femidoms in the middle of Africa! With no time for embarrassment, the locals soon stepped up to give it a try. An educational morning for all.

Photo shoot on route home

Beth returned to her taxi duties; ferrying volunteers, interpreters and Thomas around town. Due to this Kate, Mel, Elea and Rachel T volunteered to begin the walk home, optimistically hoping Beth would pick them up on the way saving them from the African heat. 1 hour and several muzungu photo shoots later Beth rocked up, giving them a lift for the last 100m . . . thanks!

Ben, Jack and Jeff headed to Martine’s (one of the Malota guys) house where they were treated with nshima and a, slightly bizarre, Nigerian comedy. Others relaxed at the Lodge, whilst Kate and Beth narrowly missed a £200 printing bill. The evening saw the volunteers heading off for the Sunset Cruise. The cloud cover meant the night was more focused on the unlimited alcohol and food, though their musical tones on the return home assured us they had a great time!

"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning." Louis L'Amour

Day 17 - Linda Farm

In the distance: volunteers on the edge of the Falls

For some of the volunteers it was a morning spent in heaven. For anyone that travels to Zambia we highly recommend Devil's Pool as an activity. The excursion involves you placing your trust (literally) in the hands of your guide when he holds onto your ankles as you peer over the edge of Victoria Falls. With water cascading around you, this birdseye perspective truly is an exhilarating experience. You are then treated to a "magical" breakfast on Livingstone Island. 

The boat took the volunteers back to Royal Livingstone Hotel where staff were busy preparing for the arrival of the President. The existing divide of the rich and poor was once again highlighted when returning in the late morning to Linda. Upon arrival, the 4 other volunteers were making progress with the teenagers from the Farm. They had successfully held a mixed focus group on STIs, HIV and preventative measures. Armed with more volunteers, the decision was made to separate boys and girls so as to discuss gender-related issues. For the volunteers it was another surreal moment as some of the traditional customs were brought forward by the teenagers and some interesting discussions arose . . . there was no room for our prudish British ways. Biology GCSE teachers, we thank you! Regardless the focus groups produced some fascinating research and it was unanimous amongst volunteers that this age group showed huge potential for an intervention.

As requested by Thomas, we headed into the wider compound to continue our sanitation and household research. This enabled us to reach the farm workers with disabilities who, due to capacity, don't live on the Farm. By splitting into groups we managed to cover 8 (.5) houses, gathering a lot of information. 

Volunteers headed off in different directions in the afternoon. Elea, Ben and Jeff escaped the African sun in a local pool while others chose the more cutural option of Livingstone museum. Beth and Kate tracked down the Public Health Officer for the Livingstone area. Her information was invaluable: providing statistics on the prevalance of various health conditions and details of current outreach programmes. It was uplifting to hear of the dramatic differences they have made in the past decade. The data will be highly useful when we analyse our research and identify an intervention.

"Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out." Theodore Roosevelt

Day 16 - Linda Farm

6:30 am start for Beth, Jack and Kate as they had arranged to wave Thomas off at the start line of a 10.5 km run organised by the UNWTO. Thomas is one of the visually impaired adults from Linda Farm and was one of the twelve participants with a disability. Within half an hour (in true African style) Beth and Jack found themselves lining up at the start, each partnered with a totally blind local. Kate was quickly appointed the role of chauffeur for members of the UNWTO in a car full of wheelchairs, sticks and crutches. After a quick stop off back at the Lodge to check on the volunteers, she headed to the finish line where she was berated by participants for being late. Apparently Kate was also meant to be the paralympic official photographer! Beth and Jack arrived at the finish line in one piece; though the African heat and inappropriate dress took its toll. The race saw Beth's pace being put to the test as the "slower" runner she was guiding soon sprinted past Jack's. Our healthcare training was subsequently put into practice, and the first aid kit used once again, when Jack's back muscles went into spasm and Beth's blisters needed popping. Parents be reassured: full health has been restored.

Meanwhile, back at Linda, the remaining volunteers continued with their hard work. Rachel Y and Jo submerged themselves into the chaos of the classroom. Their hope to teach the children 1-20 soon dissipated when few were able to grasp the concept of numbers despite them attempting as many teaching styles as they could devise. We commend them for their perseverance! Mel, Sophie, Elea and Rachel T continued with their exploration of health topics; today focusing on sanitation. Simultaneously Ben's bewilderment of the use of electrical appliances, in particular fridges, grew into its own as his study of residents' households continued. Joking aside, some invaluable data was collected. Thanks again to all of you!

This afternoon, 3 volunteers braved the Crocodile Farm. Summoning their courage each of them took it in turns to step inside an enclosure, home to 20 crocodiles who have a history of human attack! Again, fear not parents: no volunteers were harmed in the making of this blog!

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." Helen Keller

Day 15 - Linda Farm

And the research at Linda Farm commences! Volunteers split into 3 groups to start gathering data on 3 identified areas: health, education and building projects. At debrief everyone filled each other in on their findings from the day. On the health front, volunteers were surprised at the level of questions asked by the adults e.g. “What are the names of the different strains of malaria?” Mel impressively provided appropriate answers to this impromptu quiz and all were encouraged by how interactive the adults were. Education was a different story. Volunteers were shocked to find the older class’ science lesson to be comprised of copying a diagram of a tree; while in the younger class the school day was spent repeatedly copying the number ‘1’ in the name of mathematics. Credit to the 1 volunteer teacher though, who had the task of controlling 3 different classes simultaneously. When it came to the buildings, the volunteers were left pondering as to why nearly every household had a fridge and satellite TV when acquiring the necessities appeared to be a struggle.

Following a wild goose chase this morning, involving meetings with various members of the Livingstone police force and public health centre, Beth and Clement managed to secure a permit for an afternoon ‘step out programme’. The ‘step out programme’ began with the ‘Barefeet’ theatre group enticing a crowd at Malota market through the means of music, dance and acrobatics. Within minutes a sizeable group of approximately 200 locals had gathered. Once captivated, a drama on HIV was performed to educate the locals and attempt to dispel stigmas. The ‘step out programme’ worked as a great research tool; allowing us to observe how a potential collaboration with ‘Barefeet’ could work when trying to educate the wider communities in future years.

This evening saw the first of our goodbyes. At Livingstone train station we bid a fond farewell to the 28 members of the ‘Barefeet’ theatre group. This weekend they will perform at the Lusaka festival to help raise health awareness and celebrate Zambian culture. Good luck guys . . . we miss you already!

"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and its music. Bodies never lie." Agnes de Mille