Time to say goodbye

Today is my last day at BSA and in Zambia. Three great months, with even greater experiences lie behind me.

Ok, it hasn’t always been easy, but generally speaking I really enjoyed working with the kids and volunteers. There have been ups and downs, successes and set-backs, sad and happy moments. At times I hated this country and wanted to leave right away, but now that it is time to go I get sad and realize how much I haven gotten to like a lot of the people around me. I will sure miss them.

The last few days have been quite busy. Last week we had 2 tournaments, both of which went well-in an African way! Meaning the schedule was rather an optimistic orientation than anything close to reality, and the whole thing was quite a chaos. BUT, and that’s the most important thing, the kids had fun, we saw some good football and we all went home tired but happy.

I took some nice team pictures with the jerseys from Germany, so at least I have something to show to the donors.

This afternoon, “my” boys are organizing a little fare well party for me and apparently have some kind of surprise for me…..exiting!

Then the director of BSA and some other volunteers also want to take me somewhere, so it seems I will have to do the final packing late at night.

Ok, this is all from me for now, and certainly will be my last post from Zambia.

I am looking forward to seeing some of you again soon!

Take care

wonders do exist

I couldn’t believe my eyes: when I went to the Zambian Post office to pick up a package with football boots my parents had sent me, like I was asked to do on the letter I received, I suddenly spotted a big parcel in the storage room that looked very familiar to me.

I was one of the two parcels I had sent to Zambia before leaving Germany (almost 3 months ago), containing lots of jerseys, shorts and some footballs which I had collected from various football clubs as donations for BSA. I had been looking all over Lusaka for these parcels for the past 2 months, going back and forth to DHL, the company I had sent it through. Finally, I had given up hope that these donations would ever appear again, believing they had been stolen or lost on the long journey from Germany to Zambia. I was so happy to see this package, I almost cried!

People and players at BSA had already started to believe I had lied to them about the donations, that there were not such packages.

By coincidence, I was carrying with me the two slips necessary to clear the packages. One of them was damages, and some of the footballs had wholes in them from mice which had entered and apparently thought a football would make a good meal. But all of that didn’t matter, I was just happy to see get the stuff back!

So-one week before leaving- I am finally able to hand over 7 sets of jerseys, over 100 shorts, some (partly damaged) footballs and some stockings to the players of Breakthrough Sports Academy …..what a satisfaction!

one of BSA's teams

This is one of the younger teams at BSA, the under 14 boys. Most of them play without shoes, and I keep on being surprised about them not getting any major cuts or bruises from all the rocks and glass lying around ion the pitch. I guess their feet are used to that kind of surface....
It is so great to see them play, forget all their worries and problems, even if it is just for a couple of hours. On the football field, everyone is equal, no matter what color of skin, tribe or nationality. That's the beauty about football!

BSA's changing room

Meet DR. SELEMBA NKULU WABOLONGO FIKAPO!

Sometimes it can be interesting to have a look at the advertisements in newspapers. I found one the other day that I would like to share with you. I copied it, with all it's errors. You migth have to use your imagination sometimes to understand, and you should also know that the believe ibn witchcraft is taken very seriously in Zambia (and most parts of Africa).

Se here it goes....

Good News!

Good news to all Zambians and the whole world. To you Zambians who are sick with difficulties, different problems: come see African Doctor (international) DR. SELEMBA NKULU WABOLONGO FIKAPO in Lusaka who is doing miracles and incredible things. Digging in the tree is mixing with God, what I don’t fear also don’t fear, but what I fear also fear. I am a wooden stick which enter into hot water, come and try here. And these are the FOLLOWING Problems to be cured (WORK WITHOUT FAIL):

Diarrhea, slimming, weakness, coughing, Asthma, Leprosy, Cancer, Leg pains, Broken Goisters, Fets, BY, Sexual Weakness, unsatisfied sexual desires, coming out the anus district, Kwashiorkor, Tibet, prolonged periods, tongue coming out, , houses with ghosts, sugar disease, Bilharzias, urinating on the bed, Anemia, passing at school, unemployment, Job promotion, for business and money not to be stolen by witchcraft, farm protection not to be stolen by thieves or witchcraft,. Those who have kraals for cattle or goats revenge, problem of not having children, difficulties of bearing (even if you have something in your stomach we can deliver it out), marriage problems, to bring back your wife or husband, if your wife or husband (passed away) haven’t cleared you. I’ll make you pure, not to be witched by families or anyone, (body protection), mad people, swollen legs like elephant, Syphilis, gonorrhea, Bolabola, Abdominal pains, people be careful witchcraft they know how to witch HIV/AIDS-don’t forget if you are becoming slim, luck for body, if you don’t be proposed or you be dined by girls, eyebrow problems, Exercise disease the disease that will kill children when you are pregnant, problems of being deaf, Pneumonia, denseness.

We have got a TV where you can watch very problem you have. Come to Kanyama drop off at Amaka bar, to the left side you see a post written DR. SELEMBA NKULU WABOLONGO FIKAPO or behind Soweto market where they sell charcoal and sugar cane, next to celtel transmitter. Contact number 097 8267538

My way to the office

Hey folks!
Just wanted to give you another impression of the life in a Lusaka (and African) township.
This where I have to pass by every time I have to go to the office, were we have meetings and I give computer lessons. As you can see, there is no waste water system, no proper sanitation and no garbage disposal system. It stinks a lot.....
People have no concept of keeping their environment clean, there are no trash bins and to dispose properly of ypur garbage, you would have to walk very far an- more important-pay. So people just throw their waste (water) on the paths that wind between their homes...

On Family

What/who do you think of when you think about your "family"?

Me, I think of my sister, my mom, my dad and my grandmother. Of course, I have cousins, aunties, uncles as well, bu they are not really part of my everyday life.

In Africa, the definition of family is much broader. Few families live only with their direct relatives. Usually, the people living in a household are extended family, and taking care of them seems to be the most normal thing. Statistically, every Zambian has lost at least one family member due to AIDS or Malaria. That means that there are many orphans or half orphans that need to be taken care of. Three to four generations living in one house is normal. The respect of age is a thing that strikes me most. 4 years old take care of 2 years old, 6 years old take care of 4 year old, and so on. Younger family members have to serve the older ones, orders are being obeyed without questions.
The bond people have to their family is much tighter than in western culture. Children usually move out when they get married, not before. They couldn't even if they wanted too.
If a men wants to get married to a women, he has to ask the parents for permission and save up enough money to pay the brides family a suiting price. These bridal price can be some cattle or money or other material gifts. But we shouldn't label this tradition as "buying a wife", since it has been in african culture for centuries and is more the proof that the man will be able to take care of his wife and future family.
Getting to know family life and traditions is probably one of the best experiences of my stay here in Zambia. I love staying with my host family, sharing the same food with them and learning about their way of living!

My little "sister"

Muli Bwuanji? (How are you?)
just wanted to share a picture of me and my little 4 year old host sister Sarah with you. She is absolutely adorable and I'm completely in love with her!
When I get home after practice, often tired and sometimes frustrated, she will come running towards me, jumping into my arms and smiling at me, making every little worry on my mind vanish at the spot.

Haircut, anyone?

just another small business in the townships of Lusaka....

Me in action

Hello people!
once a week, the coaches of our academy play against one of the teams. Lats week it was the girls teams and of course, we needed to win not to embarrass us.
But with me as a striker that was no problem :-)
It is fun to play against the kids. The bigger boys are really good and we usually are happy if we draw against them. I have improved my skills and condition since I'm here, and really want to start playing football again when I'm back in Germany.

Impressions of a ball game

Lusaka. Sunday afternoon, 14.45h. I am walking back home. The streets are empty. Where are all the cars, the people, the noise? Has there been a state of emergency declared?

No, the Chipolopolo Boys, Zambias National football team, are about to have a game against South Africa. It’s the last game in the qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations next year, and Zambia needs to win it to qualify. Of course, nobody wants to miss it.

So I rush home, to make it on time. In the living room, the whole family is already waiting for the game to start. Unbelievably, the Zambian captain scores three goals in the first 20 minutes of the game and makes the win over the big rival South Africa perfect. People are going crazy in front of the TV, and those who don’t have one go crazy in front of the radio. The celebrations are to last for two days, as if Zambia just had won the world cup.

It is amazing how a game of football can unite a nation, make people forget their problems and sorrows, even if it is just for a short time. I have experienced that feeling in Argentina before and it still gives me shivers…..

That’s the beauty of football!

Zambias Wilderness

Hello People, wherever you are!
On tuesday me and 5 other europeans who are also working as volunteers in Zambia, came back form a 3 days trip to northern Zambia. We had a wonderful time with our rented 4x4, which gave us the freedom of going wherever we want. You really need this kind of vehicle since tar roads are rare and the conditions of the rest of the roads is terrible. We camped next to a beautiful waterfall, on the shore of a very clean lake, and in a Natinal park with hippos, crocodiles and other wild animals.


At night, we always had a barn fire.
The first night, we heard drums and singing from a village and decided to see what was going on. The answer can be seen on the left: villagers having a great party! we joined them and tasted the home-brew-beer made out of corn and tasting.....let's say-strange and strong! It was so great to celebrate with these people ("we're celebrating that we're drinking!") even though communication was hard due to different reasons ;-)

The next day, we visited a cave from the stone age with interesting paintings and lots of bats and tried to find Lake Waka Waka, which was quite a quest, not having any accurate maps, with no signs around and everz villager telling us a different way. but we finally got there and had a nice evening swimming and hanging out. No one was to be seen anywhere.
The last day we went to Kasanka National Park,one of the samllest but best run NPs in Zambia. It was so nice there as well. Unfortunately, we only got to hear the hippos nearby, and no crocodiles were to be seen either. but we saw some rare Antelopes, wild hogs and some strange spider!
Altogether, it was a wonderful trip into the wild beauty of Zambia. But now I am happy to be back in Lusaka again, sleep in a bed and eat Nshima, the main local food which is served for almost every meal.
till next time, hope you are all well!
Hanno

Viktoria Falls

Although I am not here as a tourist, part of my experience is getting to know the beauty of this country. So we did a few weeks ago! Me, Nina, Tom and Flo went to the Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. This was a spectacular sight beyond description, seeing these masses of waters falling for over 100m! They are supposed to be the biggest waterfalls in the world, at least if you go by the masses of water falling at one time. The name mosi-o-tunyia was given to the falls by the local people long before David Livingstone discovered them. Mosi-o-tunyia means "water that thunders" ....and it really does thunder!
This weekend we will hit the road again, this time going t northern Lusaka and explore some more of the wild Africa. I will keep you updated...

Road side business

This is one of the many roadside stores that you will find everywhere. You can buy anything there, from mobile phone credit, over food to cleaning material. Of course, this one is a rather small one with limited stock....

What’s the limit?

18????? 20???? 21?????

My proposal is 23!!!

No, I am not talking about the hours of sleep a person can get at one time, but about the number of people that can fit into a mini bus.

When first travelling with “my” team to an away game, we were 18 and I thought that’s about as much as the car, a Toyota HIACE, can take. I was sitting in the front seat and when turning around, all I could see was a huge bundle of heads, hands, bodies and baggage, not being able to distinguish what belongs to whom.

I was proved wrong the other day when travelling on a regular minibus to the city center! This time I was sitting in the very back of the car (the same model), comfortably sharing the row with two other persons. As we approached the city center, more and more people were getting on, bringing with them children on their arms, live chicken and other stuff. When my count got to 21, I was sure there wouldn’t even be enough space to fit another chicken, but nevertheless the driver stopped again and the guy responsible of fitting as many passengers as possible and collecting the money told us to make some room for the two ladies wanting to get in. The complaints of the passengers already inside didn’t help, the guy ordered and pushed and ordered and pushed and….incredibly, they DID fit in!!!!

So, my suggestion of the limit of how many people can fit into a mini bus (Toyota HIACE, the most common model in Africa) is 23! If any of you has a bigger number, please let me know!

My work place

Finally managed to upload a picture...it took ages! So......this is the ground where the kids play football and hence where I will be working for the next few months. In Europe, nobody would even dare to plant potatoes on this ground, but here it is just a common football pitch. Broken glass, big rocks and even bigger holes can not take away the fun these kids have when playing ball....

Garbage's Paradise

If you are into garbage, Lusaka's compounds are the place to visit. Sometimes, you can hardly see the soil beneath because of the garbage laying around. People throw anything anywhere....
Why, I was asking myself, after seeing all these "keep Zambia clean-a clean nation is a healthy nation" campaigns on TV. I asked one of the guys I am working with why the trash containers provided are not being used....the answer was more than simple: you have to pay to get rid of your garbage properly. Would you pay 50 cent for a 50L bag of garbage if you had to survive of less than a dollar a day? ....I wound't.
So it is not (just) people's indifference to the environment that is making some parts of Lusaka look like a dump site, but mainly the nonexistence of a fair and just garbage disposal system.
On the other hand, people here don't know about the global consequences of pollution....they have other problems.
So I will have to get used to this sight. Maybe I can be a good example for the kids I am coaching, just by not throwing my trash on the ground but taking it home or use one of the few free public trash bins.....

finally here...

I finally made it safe and healthy to Lusaka. Was picked up at the airport by Tom and Nina and escorted to my host familt which is very nice and biiiig. about 10-12 paople live in the small house and share the 3 rooms. I decided to share my bed with ione of mz host brothers since I felt bad seeing someone sleeping on the kitchen floor because of me.
Everything is soooo different here compared to Europe...I"m still trying to get used to the african way of life and get settled in. The NGO I will be working with (Breakthrough Sports Academy) seems to be running-but of course the "african way", not the european. I'm still not sure what will be my tasks but there are plenty of things I can do. Next week I will probably start coaching one of the many footbal teams.....scary, since it's been ages that I've coached a team. The pitch they play on is consists more of rocks than grass and has holes big enough to swallow the ball. I will have to get used to that as well....
The only thing that bothers me a little is that it gets dark around 6 pm, and after that we are not supposed to go out by ourselfs any more since it's not safe. so the evenings can get looooong, and the soap operas on TV are not really able to change that :-)
But at least I get plenty of sleep going to bed at around 10pm every night.
Tomorrow Tom, Nina, Flo and me will go for a weekend trip to the Viktoria Falls, the biggest waterfalls in the world. I will let you know how it went...
That's all for now, hope everzone is doing good and I"d love to hear from you!
take care, Hanno

last night in europe

so, this will be my last night in my confortable bed in Germany.

all my stuff is lying next to my backpack and I'm wondering if it will all fit in. I'll find out soon.

I talked to Tom and Nina yesterday, the guys who I will be working with in Zambia. I can't wait to see them and I'm glad someone will be there to pick me up from the airport.

For now I have no idea what's expecting me in this far away country called Zambia.....

next posting will be from Lusaka, the capital.

Take care and I appreciate all coments or mails I get from you all.

bye, Hanno