Not Just Another Day at the Office

I can almost see the travel brochure now:

“Travelling by open boat from Nchelenge, you brave the elements as you speed along Lake Mweru. Fear not…although it may not be apparent, the captain is well trained or at least experienced. Upon entering the Luopula River you will be literally sailing along the border between Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). The friendly Bemba people from both countries will wave enthusiastically as you pass their villages. At the conclusion of your 90-minute cruise you will disembark for a walking tour of some villages on Chisenga Island. Observe the men mending their fishing nets and the women attending to their domestic chores. You will be warmly received, especially by the children who will follow you as though you are the Pied Piper. This trip assures that no other tourist will be on the island on that day or probably in recent history. You are guaranteed to remember this one-day adventure for a lifetime.”

Of course, this isn’t a description of a tourist adventure, but of how I spent a recent day working with MSF. Vera, the Project Coordinator, had suggested that I join the team making this trip as it contribute to my understanding of the work being done by MSF. Although she was too nice to say so, she probably also saw this as an opportunity to get me out of her hair for a day. Regardless of her motives I am in her debt for providing me with one of those experiences that makes even the most seasoned traveler go “Wow!”

MSF started work in Zambia in 1999, in three Congolese and Angolan refugees camps. After that project ended, HIV/AIDS was identified as a main public health issue and MSF set-up a program in the remote and rural district of Nchelenge. MSF has integrated its activities into the nine rural government health centres, with MSF staff working alongside the Ministry of Health (MoH) staff, and HIV positive /AIDS patients are seen alongside the other patients. The main objectives are to bring quality of medical and psychosocial diagnosis, treatment and care and counseling as close as possible to people living with HIV/AIDS as well as to prevent the spread of the disease through increased information education and communication services. MSF Holland is planning on handing-over these activities to the MoH and leave Zambia by the end of 2007.

Chisenga Island is the location of one of these rural health centres and is by far the most remote. After hanging around the health centre for a while I went for a walk and before too long I was being trailed. A growing army of children with nothing better to do happily followed my path. Periodically, I would suddenly turn and yell “boo,” and then run a couple of steps in their direction. They would squeal with delight, with the older ones retreating just a short distance and then holding their ground and the younger ones running further. When things settled down my group of followers would have inevitably grown larger. This was fun for a while, but even when I had ended my game and returned to the clinic to sit in the shade many of the children had remained, hopeful that I would provide further entertainment.

It was not to be, however, as in the early afternoon it was time for the return trip by boat to Nchelenge. So ended one of those days never to be forgotten. Just like what you read about in the tourist brochures.

MSF Staff Christmas party - Men's Tug-of-War competition 

Little girls with their Christams presents at the MSF staff party 

Ladies Tug-of-War Competition 

Christmas in the North of Zambia

I spent the week before Christmas and the holiday break with the MSF team in Nchelenge. I figured that this would provide me with the true Zambian Christmas experience. I stayed with Vera, a Dutch project coordinator who has spent almost more Christmas’ overseas than in Holland; Lilit an Armenian mental health officer who described her religious beliefs as being Orthodox-Atheist; and Chury, a Cuban-trained Ethiopian doctor. None of us were too concerned about having any big celebration.

The Friday afternoon before Christmas was the MSF staff party. To keep the attendance at a reasonable number the employee’s were limited to bringing just one wife and only biological children. Around 200 were there, many dressed in their nicest clothes. Activities were organized for the children, who were broken into groups of pre-schoolers, elementary school age, and teenagers. There were videos and small toys such as cars and stuffed animals for the youngest and sack races and skipping for the older children. It didn’t seem like much, but for kids unaccustomed to having organized entertainment they really enjoyed themselves. The adults were more subdued until it was time for the tug-of-war competition. It was hilarious to watch well-dressed women pulling on the rope with all their might. In all, the party seemed to be a big success and the youngest children departed clutching to their prized new toys.

Christmas Day in Nchelenge was pretty much the same as every other day. Most shops were open and people were out doing their regular activities. Lilit prepared a barbeque dinner and we had a nice evening with balloons, wine and lots of laughter. Sitting in the north of Zambia, not far from the borders of the Congo, Tanzania and Malawi, I knew that I would always remember my Christmas in deepest, darkest Africa.

On The Trail of Livingstone

When David Livingstone died while exploring the depths of Africa in 1873 his heart and other internal organs were buried there and a memorial was built. His body was then embalmed and carried by porters over 1,000 kilometres to Zanzibar for shipment to England, where it was eventually buried in Westminster Abbey. While spending a weekend in Kasanka National Park for our Country Management Team (CMT) meeting, I learned that the Livingstone memorial was located only about 30 miles away. I didn’t have the opportunity to go there, but I did take time to think about his explorations and to wonder who would later follow him into this region. Based upon the number of signs I saw on the roadside from Kasanka to Nchelenge the most obvious guess would be the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The CMT meeting was attended by Kodjo (the Head of Mission & Medical Coordinator from Togo), Vera (the Project Coordinator from Holland), Charles (the project doctor from Uganda) and myself. It was certainly a much smaller group than I was used to at CMT meetings in Pakistan. Not surprisingly, I was nominated to record the meeting minutes, which presented me with plenty of challenges while trying to follow the discussion. At one point I reminded my colleagues that I was new to Zambia, that I was non-medical, that I last worked in an earthquake response, and that my only background in the field of AIDS/HIV was having watched that Tom Hanks’ movie (Philadelphia). I was also baffled by Kodjo’s Togolese/French accent at times and at one point he got my attention when making a statement that sounded like “We must test all ‘ruuupveeeteeems’ for AIDS/HIV.” I thought he had said rugby teams, but this didn’t seem quite right. When I asked for clarification I learned that what he had actually said was “We must test all rape victims.” I think over the course of the day the others found my confusion to be quite entertaining.

Kasanka was a nice place to hold a meeting, as we sat outside on the covered deck and watched the Impala grazing in the field. It seemed to be a fair trade-off for working through the weekend. Later that evening when discussing the day’s events Charles said he was wondering what I was thinking during one hotly debated medical discussion. I told him that I was contemplating whether or not I would see any elephants across the field.

At the conclusion of the CMT weekend I had seen neither elephants nor Livingstone’s memorial. Fortunately, I wasn’t too bothered about missing the resting place of Livingstone’s internal organs, as I couldn’t recall having seen where the rest of him had been buried during a long ago visit to Westminster Abbey. Besides, I half-expected to find that dwarfing his memorial would be a sign for the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Almost Time for Some Adventure

Life in Lusaka continues to be comfortable and not terribly eventful. I’ve been to the James Bond movie, visited the museum (boring) and then the Kamwala market (not boring), and yes, I’ve been to the mall(s). Last Monday evening I played floor hockey at the Swedish Embassy (using those crappy, little plastic sticks). I didn’t make any jokes about chicken Swedes and they didn’t mention the outcome of the last Olympics. I had a nice chat with this one fellow and when I asked him what he did he replied that he was the Ambassador.

On the work front, things are getting cleaned-up and organized. With no hand-over from my predecessor and my assistant going on study leave just two days after my arrival it has certainly been on-the-job training. One of my activities this week has been hiring a new gardener. This is ironic to say the least, as have no clue as to what to look for in a gardener or even what to ask them during the interview.

I’ve been in Zambia for three weeks now and I still haven’t gotten out of Lusaka. This is about to change, however, as the next couple of weeks should be quite eventful. The following is what I have in store:

Dec 15-16 – Kasanka National Park for a Country Management Team meeting. Although the meeting will be held on a Saturday, the upside is that we will be staying in a national park. As luck would have it Kasanka is located at the halfway point between Lusaka and the MSF project in Nchelenge, about a six-hour drive from each location. I don’t think that there is much in the way of wildlife to be seen in Kasanka, but who cares? It’s a national park in Africa and it’s outside of Lusaka

Dec 17-26 – Visit the MSF project in Nchelenge – This visit will be a combination of work and the Christmas break. I’m looking forward to spending time with the team there seeing a different part of the country.

Dec 27-28 – A few days back in Lusaka. The office will only be open for just 2 ½ days this week.

Dec 29-Jan 1 – New Year’s weekend in Livingstone. With Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River there is apparently no shortage of things to do.

After all this activity it will then be time to return to Lusaka. I suspect that by then I will be quite content to be back in the capital for my final three weeks in Zambia. Final three weeks…didn’t I just get here?

MSF office in Lusaka

My house in Lusaka 

Manda Hills Mall in Lusaka 

Early Observations on Lusaka

I’ve been in Lusaka for just over a week now and I’m already feeling pretty settled. That’s a good thing because I only have eight weeks remaining until my departure

The following are some of my early observations:

- The Kabulonga suburb that I live in is populated mostly by expats and middle /upper-class Zambians. The President’s House and the embassies are only about a 10-minute jog away.

- My 3-bedroom house is in a gated-community and is less than a 10-minute walk to the office. Except for periodic guests I have the place to myself. A lady named Loveness does the cleaning, laundry and even makes my bed. Apparently, my time is too valuable for such activities.

- If you come across a local while out walking and say hello first you will usually get a smile and a friendly response. However, given the number of expats around town they tend not to be the first to greet.

- My e-mail connection isn’t as good as it was in Pakistan (no more listening to hockey games on the radio), but the satellite TV service has much more to offer and thankfully only one cricket channel.

- I have six emails in my Hotmail Inbox. All are from people I’ve met over the past two years through MSF and VSO. Luis, our Medco in Pakistan, wrote me that Juan Jose, his 2-year-old son, periodically still asks for me and checks behind the curtains that I favoured during our games of hide-and-seek.

- Nothing in the city seems to be more than a 15-minute drive away.

- Tuesday evening is “Crazy Night” at the nearby Pizza Inn (buy one pizza and get a free one in the next smallest size). Is this really Africa? I didn’t realize this until making my order and during my long wait I chatted with others and watched a lot of pizzas being sold. However, I don’t think that “Crazy Night” at is of concern to most Zambians.

- I am able to use a small MSF truck in the evenings, which is great, but also a little stressful. I’ve previously driven on the left hand-side of the road and navigated traffic circles, but it still takes some getting used to. I’m adapting to using my left hand for changing gears and while turning into intersections chant to myself “stay left, stay left, stay left.”

- There are two major western style shopping malls in Lusaka – Manda Hills and Arcades – that are separated by just a few kilometres. This is where the people who have money go, although the fastest way to drive there is through a part of the “real Zambia.” Quite a contrast.

- I’ve been out for three dinners so far, going to Indian and Italian restaurants and to an Irish pub. There didn’t appear to be any Irish at the pub (probably due to the absence of Guinness on tap), but there were loads of Zambians. Overall, I’m in a very comfortable in my new setting, but know that what I’ve seen so far is not even close to what life is like for most living in Zambia.