Zimbabwe Shenanigans 4

(Fixing the Landy and some cool rocks in the Matopas).

Well it has been an age since I updated my blog; sincere apologies for that. Time here flies and then it is difficult to know where to start.

As you can see from all the photos I have been busy taking lots of trips outside Bulawayo exploring this beautiful country. I love getting out and going for a fun drive to let off steam after my working week. My car (and myself, it seems) come alive when off roading! There is nothing as thrilling as driving through a river!!! We have had lots of rain here and I have taken full advantage of all the river crossings. My mechanic has now forbidden me to drive through any more without fitting a 'snorkel' to my car to help it breath under water- no joke. My lights are half full of water and my horn sounds distinctly wet- which in Africa is a definite disadvantage!

I had a rather interesting experience when I fell down a waterfall and almost killed myself. 3 brave people saved my life- 2 of which couldn't swim.... 1 girl broke her foot and leg as a result (she will be ok but I had to put her into plaster myself)- and I got away with some interesting bruises, as pictured.
There is something about the intensity of everyday life here that necessitates going crazy every so often. I always have been a bit of an adrenaline junkie so this new environment is a bit dangerous for me as proved by the evidence!

All the outdoor adventuring and adrenaline seeking is causing me to have had to become a bit of a mechanic- Thank you so much Martin Housman- your mechanics weekend is saving my life! The men around her find it hilarious that I vehemently defend my Landy when they are all Toyota geeks. I have a continual barrage of banter about all Land Rover's faults....not helped when my clutch keeps dying. Quite a lot of the guys out here are 'rather old school' and attempt to rush to my aid when I break down. It both amuses and satisfies me though when I am the one that ends up having to get inside the bonnet of my trusty Landy to twiddle with various valves. My father used to say that you shouldn't own a car if you didn't know the basics- I hope he would be impressed with my ever growing mechanical language. Those of you that know me well will know how much I hate men trying to rescue me or patronise me with simple explanations. The first mechanic I sort out back in November cut me off mid sentence to ask my male passenger what he thought! Even my passenger commented afterwards that it was a bit of a stereotyped situation.

Otherwise life here pootles on. I often find things a bit hard and struggle to know what my purpose is here. It is so easy to be drawn into the NGO set- a complex power struggle which feels so removed from the reality of most of the world. 'Doing' things for the 'poor' is really a complete load of crap and so many of the motives of western development agencies are shallow and self seeking.

This last few weeks I have thought a lot about my father. I am about 18 months in and it still hurts like the most painful thing that I have ever had to journey through. Grief will hit me like a tidal wave- flooring me. It seems to come from out of no where and then it can be gone equally fast, leaving me gasping for air. I still battle the loneliness that it brings and resent having to have walked it alone. I am enjoying listening to some Podcasts from Mars Hill in the States- they are running a lent series on grief based on Lamentations. One theme they are exploring is the concept of Kriah which is a traditional Jewish mourning practice. Also known as the "rending of garments", it is a physical and visible demonstration of grief through the image of torn material (http://www.marshill.org/kriah/). I have been thinking maybe one day I will prepare some talks on bereavement. I sadly think there is such an immense need for people to be taught about how to support one another- doesn't that seem crazy?!

Well I must sign out now- love you all lots and you know any of you are welcome to come to Zim for a little adventure?!
xxx

Zimbabwe Shenanigans 3

Many thanks to Michaela from CT for these photos.
Me crossing the dam at Shalom- what is it with me and water falls?!!
Some writing on a wall- a good slogan for my life here I think.
Ruach the Landy in full action- you can see him smiling I think....
The wonderful Tafi in my funky new glasses

Zimbabwe Shenanigans 2

Above are some of my work colleagues, who are fast becoming friends, at the staff retreat week. Also is picture of my colourful bruises following my trip down the waterfall at Diana Pools and a snap of me driving through a river- deep concentration so to avoid being swept down stream!

Zimbabwe Shenanigans 1

'The brave (and slightly crazy) explorers follow the river to see where it will lead.....'
This is the AMAZING and hidden gem- Lumani waterfalls which is in the Matopas. It only runs in the rainy season and then water cascades over the rocks creating pools and falls through the forest. We managed to disturb a bee's nest on our quest which was rather painful but just added to the adventure element.

Home leave

I am now in the beautiful Lake District enjoying the freezing weather and all the delights of the winter here. I arrived on Christmas day and surprised my family, timing my arrival perfectly for Turkey and my favourite, bread sauce!

It feels wonderful to be home but also slightly strange as I adjust from Zimbabwe life. Apart from the obvious differences- food in the shops, no cholera (!), phone & internet that work, temperature etc etc there is also a more subtle difference to being in the UK. Working is Zim is exhausting. Normal activities are difficult and time consuming. You expend large amounts of energy on small tasks that in the UK would take 5 minutes-Filling the car with fuel is a classic example. Being here feels so refreshing but it makes me realise how tired I am. There is this strange atmosphere in Zim that people don't usually understand unless they have been there. It is an oppressive weight that hangs over the country. I was talking to a colleague I work with on the Cholera programme before I left. He has worked all round the world in some crazy places but he said that Zim was by far the hardest place he had been posted in and he regularly compares it to North Korea! It may sound extreme but I don't think the comparison is that far off. The continual propaganda coming from the government and the messages they pour out through state television and radio all contribute to the atmospheric temperature. The people of Zimbabwe truly are remarkable, so resilient and strong in such horrible and intense circumstances- and they don't get the break I am having! It is an enormous privilege to be working with them.

I return to Zim on the 9th Jan and will dive straight back into work.
Before then however, I intend to eat a great deal and enjoy the luxury of British life. The Africa road trip gang will be reunited for New Year (with the exception of Emmanuel & Rachel) so it will be great to catch up and go for some lovely Lakeland walks together.

Hopefully I will get to see as many of you as I can before I leave. I don't have a UK mobile but I am on email and my UK landline.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Poo, poo and then more poo

Cholera has arrived in Zim....big time. I have the job of coordinating my NGO's response to this outbreak. We are desperately trying to prevent the epidemic from reaching what the UN has predicted will become a catastrophic disaster. It is proving difficult however when everything seems set against us. The main international agency coordinating the entire relief effort has no fuel, we are short of most other things and interagency collaboration is proving a nightmare. It takes about 15 minutes to get the networks to connect to make a phone call if you are lucky.

Today we started trying to get to every primary school and tell the kids about cholera before they shut for the end of term- 91000 children in 5 days. When you arrive at the schools most of the teachers are absent because their wages don't cover their transport into school and the children just stay for a few hours. Thankfully we were able to find some amazing volunteers who have given of their time for free to help us spread the message. People are so generous with the little that they have.

As the rain gets more intense the outbreak will intensify so although I know Zim is desperate for rain part of me wants it to stop to give us more time to prepare. The sewage system is here has broken down and sewage floods the streets (as the above photo shows). The water company are running out of the chemicals needed to treat the water- it feels as though everything here is grinding to a dangerous halt. The 10 years of decline in Zim have taken a serious toll and this rapid onset emergency is therefore all the more devastating.

I am quite exhausted and there is so little time for a break. I am torn between wanting to keep going but feeling as though my reserves are running so low. I do not want to get burnt out- but getting burnt out seems a luxury that most of Zimbabwe cannot afford. Having said all this I still love it here, it is such a privilege to be here for such a time as this.

Love to you all
xxx

The breadbasket of Africa....

Well this is my local supermarket (no joke). As you can see we are spoiled for choice. (I'm not sure if the sign comes out on the blog- it says shoplifters will be prosecuted)!

Getting food and other supplies is a perpetual hassle and trying to work out whether I need Zimbabwe dollars or foreign currency is another time consuming activity. On Thursday I bought pay as you go airtime for my rarely working Zim mobile- it cost me 50,000 Zim dollars, I had to buy more on Monday and the same amount cost me 500,000 Zim dollars! Crazy crazy especially when I can never get through to anyone on the phone anyway since the networks are so bad (although they still charge you for calls that don't go through, humph).

So life here can be slightly irritating on a day to day basis. My mild irritation is nothing however when compared to the suffering of millions of Zimbabweans as they battle to survive here. I can get food and although it may not be my first choice, I have the luxury of being well fed. For most Zimbabweans the story is so different. Everyday presents new challenges and feeding a family is a hard slog. You wouldn't really know it though- people are so joyful in the most hideous of situations. I am surrounded my people who continually 'make a plan'. This is a well known Zimbo phrase now! The people here are seriously creative problem solvers....although you would rarely find these plans are within the confines of the Zimbabwean government's oppressive laws.

The creativity and passion of the people here is amazing. I am loving working with my colleagues- so much joy and enthusiasm despite the situation. The problem is that the people are drip fed messages that they are worthless from their own Gov. There has been no investment here in health, sanitation, education for years and things are unravelling. The messages coming from Harare are that you are not worth our time and money and you certainly are not worth any form of justice. Instead the money goes on 'personal' projects while the beautiful people of Zim continue to die and suffer. I am about to start working on a cholera prevention and preparedness programme because we have cholera here and it will devastate the township areas. Cholera is in Zim because the money that should have gone on water treatment and the sewage pipes has been stolen. Try encouraging a child to believe in themselves and take care with hand-washing etc when no one has bothered to treat their water. The lie here is that 'you are worthless'- I can't wait to see that lie exposed for what it is.

Love to all of you- thank you for all of your messages- apologies for not getting to reply to them more or getting onto Facebook- internet is hard here. x