Tonga Land: The Land with Multiple Wives

FYI: The experience written about in this post occurred weeks ago in mid-July. I have only just now been able to upload photos to accompany the written portion.

10 days of travel:

As many of you know, I have been living in Chongwe, a town very close to Lusaka completing my pre-service training. Although, just recently the 30 of us Peace Corps volunteers have been split up and taken to our individual provinces for ten days. In other words, I have been in Southern province the past ten days. The first five nights were spent with a current health volunteer giving health talks, cooking on the brazier, exploring the area, learning the language and simply relaxing. After this, each of us were taken to our future village sites. I was given the opportunity to see where I will be living during my service!

Interesting experiences/notes

1 1)   The village I will be living in is called Nabuzoka within an area called Kasiya. Kasiya is home to a college specifically for women seeking managerial and secretarial careers. It is an incredibly interesting contrast between life in the village to life within the college. In the college realm many students and professors come from Lusaka, speak English fluently and have electricity. Outside of this college ‘bubble’ it is village life like you may imagine. Everyone is cooking on braizers with no electricity and speaking the local language.

2    2)  Near my village there is a dam and a hot springs. I found myself laughing as I approached the dam and could only see cows circling, enjoying the dam almost more than the people. Needless to say, I will not be swimming in that dam…

3   3)  In the course of four days I have been here I have met MANY people. When I explained where I am from, what I am doing here and that my Zambian name is Mutinta, they laugh hysterically. I think they are surprised to hear me speak the local language. Many have said they are very impressed by my Tonga which motivates me to continue learning.

4  4)   My host father has three wives. Quite the contrast from America familial dynamics, many people practice polygamy in Southern Province. Last night one of my future host mothers explained that their husband spends two nights with each woman and stays with that rotation. It seems like the wives are all best friends. I keep thinking how this would not be possible in America….ha!

      5) When I am posted to my new site I plan to get a kitten. I am also debating on whether to have chickens or not.

   6) Cows represent wealth. Many do not eat their cows (although they do milk them), rather they are a sign of how much money you have. We have been told as volunteers that if a man is wanting to be with you, you may simply tell them they do not have enough cows for you. I am still waiting to say this.

 

The small natural hot springs we found ;)

Three of these girls will be my future sisters!

Ba Cheleshe and Ba Love (future counterparts)

My future home! 

My name is Mutinta.

SNAP SHOTS INTO ZAM LIFE

1) Greetings are incredibly instrumental here. Everywhere you go, you must greet. Often time people will stare and wait for you to greet, and when you finally do (in local language of course), they are pleased and there is an air of shared respect.

2) Children are extremely well-behaved here. When a mother or father asks a child to help in anyway, there is nothing but the utmost respect given and the task is accomplished immediately, no questions asked.

3) Sunrises and sunsets are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life here.

4) “Nsima, nsima, nsima.” If there are any questions regarding anything in life here, the answer is ALWAYS nsima. Nsima is ground up maize/corn boiled in water which becomes a thick porridge type substance similar to flavorless polenta which is used as a “scoop” for the relishes/sides of the meal.

5) I bike each day on dirt and sand roads. I love it. Often times children scream, “muzungu” (aka white person), and try to sprint next to me smiling and yelling, “how are youuuuu?”

6) Zambians are extremely warm and welcoming people. If someone is visiting for any reason it is polite, if not assumed, that you will bring the guest any food you have, even if you are struggling financially.

7) When addressing Zambians with respect they place a Ba before a person's name. It sounds a bit like a Va in English but I pronounce it Ba. For example, all of my teachers and staff refer to me as Ba Hannah. My Tonga teacher has given me a Tonga name. It is Mutinta. It means the middle, or the first child of a different sex to be born (for example you may have three male children and then a female....in that case the female is called Mutinta). My teacher emphasized how it is his favorite Tonga name ;).

8) As you may have guessed, I am learning Tonga! Tonga is primarily spoken in the Southern province which I will be placed in for my service here. It is also home to Livingstone and Victoria Falls.

9) Knees and thighs of a woman must never be shown in public. Zambians believe that the thigh (and knee) is the beginning of a female's "private parts." And yes, when discussing this they use the words, "private parts."

10) 75% of Zambians live on $1.25 each day.

Adult Summer Camp 

For the past month; as well as for the next two months, I am living with a Zambian host family which I leave each day to attend Peace Corps trainee sessions. Each day we have “class” from 8-5 (with tea breaks of course ;)), learning the language, learning technical health approaches to sustainability as well as Zambian cross-cultural information.  By the time I bike home I aim to exercise, bathe and then it is already dark by 6:30pm. After this I join my bamama (host mom) in cooking, eat and then relax for about an hour before I go to sleep. I am usually in bed around 9pm and awake by 6am. I feel like a mix between a new born baby and an elderly person.

Life is slow here and most things take much longer but there is an air of peace I have come to enjoy and respect.
Here are a few pictures!

The internet is incredibly slow so there are not as many pictures as I would like to post. More to come!

Nomadic Chick

After about 9 months of detailed, monotonous paperwork, endless dental and medical appointments, immunizations/vaccinations, questionnaires, volunteer work, emails, and an interview, I am proud to say I will be serving for the Peace Corps in Zambia, Africa for 2 years and 3 months beginning June 12, 2014!

What sector of the PC will I be serving within?

There are six different sectors of the Peace Corps in which volunteers serve in including education, health, youth in development, environment, community economic development, and agriculture. I will be serving within the health sector in a program called CHIP. CHIP stands for “Community Health Improvement Program.” My main duty will be to work with rural Zambians to improve their health and to empower them to promote sustainable strategies that mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS and Malaria and improve maternal, neonatal, and child health. In addition to my main role as a health volunteer I may also have time to work on secondary projects such as teaching at a school, promoting girls education, farming, etc. All of my work in the village will be based on the community’s wants and needs.  

Where will I be living?

I will be living in a remote village in Zambia (TBA halfway through training) with no electricity or running water.

Volunteers of different projects will be within +/- 20 km radius. More than likely I will be the only Peace Corps volunteer in the village I will be permanently stationed at. That being said, a large part of my “job” will be biking within a 20km radius with an all-terrain bicycle provided to me through the Peace Corps.

Training

For the first three months of my service I will take part in intensive training. There are nine languages spoken throughout Zambia. Upon arrival, Peace Corps training leaders will assign each of us to a particular language where we will then be placed in specific villages with a host family close to other volunteers learning the same language. Each day we will train from 8-5pm focusing on language acquisition, technical health skills, and cross-cultural skills. After three months of training I will be placed in a village where I will spend the next two years of my life.

How can you contact me?

Mail typically takes 2-4 weeks to reach volunteers in Zambia. Sending a package usually takes a bit longer ranging from 2 months to 6 months. Many current Peace Corps Volunteers recommend that individuals who send packages write religious symbols on the outside by including such things as cross symbols or the saying, “God is watching.” Theft can be common and this is a way to detract many from tampering with foreign letters and care packages. At this point I am not sure how much internet access I will have. I will try to be in touch and update this blog when possible. I will not have my same phone number and the best way to reach me will be via Facebook, skype, email, and mail.

Email address

hannahtrigg1@yahoo.com

Mailing address

Hannah Trigg

Peace Corps Volunteer

P.O. Box 50707

Lusaka, Zambia

Blog Link

hannahtrigg1.blogspot.com

Zambia Here I Come!

As I approach this next chapter of my life I have invited myself to embody a mindset of flexibility, curiosity, open-mindedness and a willingness to learn and integrate myself into the community I will be surrounded by. Although I have traveled a tiny bit, I have never lived within a completely different culture, not to mention a completely different language! I am looking forward to seeing how far my mind, soul and body can go. 

Victoria Falls bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe 

Questions?

As I write this blog I know I will naturally be leaving out information and experiences due to a multitude of reasons. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Don’t be shy! ;) For example you may be wondering….Will I have a shower? No. Well at least not like the “Western” world would define a shower. I will most likely be “showering” from a bucket of water….or…..Will my “toilet” be a hole in the ground? Most likely. 

*A gigantic hello, thank you, and I will miss you to all who have given me love, support, kindness,and strength throughout this intensely transitional time. My gratitude is everlasting. 

As the Zambians say, Mwabonwa!! In other words, Welcome! Enjoy!