At home in Lusaka

Monday 30 August - Lusaka: Well, I am here – in my own apartment, in the Justo Mwale Theological University College in Lusaka. Last night I landed an hour or so late due to refuelling difficulties in Harare and then met Peter Manda from AaB and Judge Daka from The People’s Project, the organisation I will be working with. Judge and I then had supper and went to buy some food in a big Spar supermarket.



I was given a lie-in this morning and went for a walk up the road to a shop where I bought a bottle of water for about £2. It was more a tin shack than the sort of shop I had visited last night and I was not quick enough to realise I should probably have made the man an offer first. Then Judge telephoned to say someone would pick me up at about 11.00. The taxi arrived about 12.50 – he had got lost, he said. And I got to the office just in time for lunch – nshima: thick claggy maize meal with stewed beef, vegetables and pickle, eaten in the fingers. (You mould the meal and draw in the meat and veg – not a million miles from easting a curry in Cardiff using a nan bread.) It was actually a lot nicer than it looked which is good because I think it was what we will have regularly.

Then I started learning about the People’s Process on Housing and Poverty and met the team in the office and some ladies who were care providers in (and from) some of the local communities. I do not intend this narrative to go into too much detail about the work I am doing here because it is naturally confidential. But it is interesting that at first sight the pure financial parts are probably relatively straightforward – the challenge will be to fit them into the culture and experience of the people involved. Again, not a lot different from doing this sort of work in Cardiff!

Some first impressions (which I promise to do my best not to edit in a couple of weeks time):

There is a heavy focus everywhere on security. The college has a gated entrance with a security guard. The hotel we called in yesterday for a drink after my arrival was similar, I have a heavy outer door to my apartment. Walls have glass on top of them. Care needs to be taken about which taxis you use, even the taxi driver was keen to leave me ‘safe’ at my door.

There is a very strong British flavour everywhere – in the buildings particularly, many of which will obviously pre-date independence although I thought square-pin plugs were newer than that! And also in the food in the shops – no problem buying marmalade in the Spar – or tea, or Cadbury’s chocolate, or jammy dodgers. They drive on the left – but nearly every car I have looked at has been a Toyota!

It is not as hot as I expected – but everyone speaks in slightly hushed tones about how it is going to get much hotter. And it is very dusty everywhere outside.

I am not sure if I should say this in today’s world, but the babies are fantastic – strapped to their mothers’ backs – bright eyed and smiling and waving ( maybe it was partly due to the strange white face going past.) It is a sensible tradition to carry babies that way because the roads would generally not be suitable for a stroller! And the women are tough – I saw a few walking steadily along the road carrying a heavy sack on their heads – it shows the value of good posture.