We had an early lunch with Theresa at the Guesthouse to lay out a plan for the day and then departed for our first foray to Kantolomba.
Friday is the new cook here at Castle Lodge. He seems excellent.
He got “steamed veggies” on the first try—not a hint of oil! Yea!
Walking up the hill to the property, we could see the “Living Compassion” sign on the side of the main building. We were struck by how much this project—as all of practice—is truly LIVING Compassion, not a theory, not an idea, but a practice, a living, direct experience.
Veronica gave Anna (first time in Zambia) and Phil the grand tour of the property (forgive our jetlag that we didn’t get our cameras out on the tour). We saw the classrooms, with work still up on the board from that morning’s class, where everyone had been learning the names of animals in English. We saw lunch being prepared and would love to be able to share with you the delicious smells of the nshima and peanut butter sauce. We were shown the pre-school English classroom with work hanging up on the walls (the children had been making drawings of themselves), the carpenters Charles, Pascal, and Peter hard at work...
So much activity, so much committed work, so much contribution happening in every corner of the property. Everyone playing his or her part, and playing it beautifully—a cooperative in action.
We met Theresa and Jen coming out of the dining room, and Theresa asked if we had had a full tour. Veronica answered that yes, the tour was complete. Theresa asked if we had seen the garden. “Not yet.” “Then the tour is not complete!”
Those of you who follow along with Theresa’s weekly photo journal updates from Kantolomba will know about the challenges the team has been facing with pigs eating the vegetables growing in the garden. Walking up the path behind the dining hall building to the garden, Veronica explained that they discovered the pigs do not like onions, and so planting onions is the order of the day, along with mending any places in the fence the rascally pigs sneak through.
After seeing the garden, we check back in with Theresa. “Have you seen the tuck shop? No? Then the tour is not yet complete!” This is a testament to just how many different essential parts go into making the whole of the project.
After the tour, we gather with some of the women from the team in the sewing room before lunch l-r: Christine, Beatrice, Beauty, Martha, Foster, Mr Phiri, Violet, Georgina, Maureen, Anna In front: Angela, Estella, Agnes, and Lucy.
While Phil and Anna were on the tour, Jen and Theresa, following Zambian tradition, went to sit with JoAnne, wife of Ruben who recently died of AIDS. JoAnne is a wonderful woman whom we have known for some time as she and Ruben lived in one of the houses on the Living Compassion property. She is thrilled that she has been invited to join the cooperative in her husband’s place. We know she will be a great contribution to the team.
There were tears in the conversation, and, as you can see in the photo, she has not lost her sense of humor and great spirit and had us all laughing at times. JoAnne, Jen and little Michael (JoAnne’s youngest child).
Phillip (right) and Ronika (in front) two of JoAnne and Ruben’s four children, with a friend.
Jen greets the carpenters at work: Charles (background), Peter (shaking hands) and Pascal (see next photo).
“Mwabombeni!” (the Bemba word for greeting someone who is working). The carpenters are making beautiful wooden bed frames to sell in the local community. Photos of the wooden bed frames to follow. Didn’t get any photos this time around (we plead jetlag once again)!
Here Pascal is stripping the bark to expose beautiful lumber underneath.
We got the opportunity to sit with the women from the cooperative as they ate lunch and worked on their knitting projects (see those Zambian national colors again!). They put us to work winding yarn for them and taught us the words to the song they were singing: Ifyo babomba ba, Ifyo babomba filamonika - the good work you are doing, it is being seen by all. They add in the names of people whose work they want to acknowledge. It was moving to hear Cheri, Jen, and Theresa’s names ring out in the song - gratitude wants to sing!
Singing as we knit.
Beatrice (middle in the photo above) told us how much she wants to improve her English. She explained that it would open up opportunities for her and the whole community. “I am ready,” she said. When the student is ready, the teacher(s) appear! We are looking forward to meeting with potential teachers tomorrow, the people in the community who have the strongest English and who can support others to improve their English. By saying yes to taking on this responsibility, these folks will become their own teachers, supporting themselves to improve their own English by teaching what they want to learn. A direct experience of no separation between giving and receiving.
We said our goodbyes and made plans to meet to get started with all the new endeavors on Monday. We’re off! Thanks for walking with us!