Saturday, December 4:
Saturday is slower; this is a kindness, as we've all been going nonstop for the last six days.
After working for a while in our rooms at Castle Lodge, we headed out to Kantolomba around 10:30am. Our first goal was to meet with Theresa about the electrical project. We needed to work out what we were paying Francis for his labor on the wiring in the main building, and what portion the co-op would contribute. We're working to make sure that we aren't seen as "bottomless pockets," so we ask that the co-op take financial responsibility for some portion of each project. In this case it was decided that the co-op would pay for Francis' labor, and they may also cover some portion of the supplies.
Dave and Theresa Meeting
After the meeting we checked in with Friday, Pascal, and Christopher who were still hard at work on the plumbing. They are making great progress and we are hopeful that they will finish before we leave. Working fixtures are close at hand!
Christopher and Pascal check out a toilet.
Friday works on a sink
The new master shut-off valve
After checking in on the plumbing, Dave, Michael, Francis and Muyunda went to Masala Market to purchase electrical and plumbing supplies. They were able to purchase everything we hoped to find, which included about all of the electrical supplies to complete all the wiring of the main building, and a few plumbing parts Friday will need.
A scene from Masala market.
Francis and Dave shopping for supplies in Masala Market
Michael and Dan, an employee of the hardware shop, work out the tally for the supplies.
Loading the supplies.
We've been working on finishing up the electricity for the main building for quite a while and haven't been able to make it happen; we hope that Francis can be our solution. He will start installing the supplies we purchased on Monday, and if all goes well he will finish before the end of the trip. If that happens, we will ask Francis to wire the hammermill building. We are very excited to see this project moving along so smoothly!
Francis talks to Christopher and Pascal about the wiring.
While everyone else headed to Masala Market, Theresa and Brian stayed behind to experiment with the internet at the site. Unfortunately, the connection is sporadic - short bursts of activity are separated by long periods with no traffic. We have experienced a similar issue in town as well, so we are hopeful that being in Kantolomba is not the obstacle.
Checking the connection in the building on the hill.
Once everyone finished their tasks, we headed back into town and stopped again at our new favorite internet cafe. After zipping off a blog and checking in with the team at home, we made our way back to Castle Lodge for some well earned rest.
Checking in with mission control.
Sunday, December 5:
On Sunday Muyunda takes the day off to spend time with his family, so we had to find alternative transport. Eunice, our host at Castle Lodge, was eager to visit the project, so we arranged that she would drive us to Kantolomba after she returned from morning church services.
When we arrived in Kantolomba, Michael and Brian got involved in a game of Hopscotch with a few of the kids.
As the action heated up, even Eunice got involved!
Meanwhile, the guys were still hard at work on the plumbing. We were pleasantly surprised by the progress they had made; much of the hardware purchased Saturday was already installed, including new spigots on the main taps. Friday estimated that they were on track to finish up the plumbing work on Monday. This was very exciting to hear!
Friday finishing up a sink
After getting the plumbing update, Friday and Dave discussed putting secure doors on the hammermill building. Without strong doors, there is a danger that any electrical wiring in the building would be stolen. Friday also had several suggestions for possible improvements to the building.
Discussing the plan for the hammermill.
The sewing room door is secure, but the hammermill needs something much bigger.
While these discussion were going on, Brian was back out digging in the dirt. The first soil test was inconclusive, so two more were in order. Hopefully they will come out a bit clearer than the previous test.
Is it going to work this time?
Explaining the bottle of dirt.
After wrapping up in Kantolomba, we headed back to Castle Lodge with Eunice. In the evening we had the pleasure of a visit from Godfrey, our local expert on all things computers. He gave us the scoop on the latest developments in internet access, so we have hope that we'll be able to work something out going forward.
Meeting with Godfrey
Closing thoughts:
The weekend is slower paced than the rest of our trip, which allows for some moments of reflection. One of our favorite aspects of this project is the opportunity it affords us to practice working meditation outside the monastery environment. We view all of the work we are doing here as working meditation - using our work as a lens to look inward. At the monastery it is relatively easy to remember that the purpose of working meditation is practice, not "getting things done." This project is an opportunity to do this exact same practice, moment by moment, as we work within a project that has connected two cultures, 12 thousand miles apart, in co-operation and unity. Actually, we think working meditation is "what" is doing the work. We cannot give up this practice in our work and expect to create peace, really help others, or benefit from it ourselves.
During a moment of downtime, we noticed a document titled "Living Compassion Guidelines" posted on the co-op's main bulletin board. Cheri wrote it after the trip in July 2007. We all read it and found it very inspiring. It begins: "If Living Compassion in the United States is to continue to support the co-operative in Kantalomba as it grows and becomes self-sustaining, it is essential for the co-operative to agree to continue to follow these guidelines:
1. All life is sacred.
2. All beings are equally worthy of compassion and respect.
3. No person is more important than or more worthy of respect than any other.
The remainder of the two-page document explains the "how" in a most compassionate way.
We were particularly moved by the following sentences, which addressed the behavior of co-op members when Cheri wrote this:
In Living Compassion respect is something that is earned, not assumed or abused. It is not "tradition" or a matter of "culture" to wield power or authority over another simply because of gender, age, education, social status, or any other consideration. Equality is paramount in every situation. In Living Compassion, for instance, everyone works together, everyone eats together, everyone shares resources and responsibility. Women do not automatically cook for and serve men. Men do not automatically get served first. In Living Compassion anyone may be the cook, anyone may serve, anyone may eat first or last. There is a huge difference between tradition and oppression. Oppression will never be tolerated in living compassion.
We on this trip can vouch for the change this document and the work we are all doing together here has brought about. The days of men being served first, and women and men eating separately at the compound, are long gone!
A few scenes from around Ndola:
A friend at Castle Lodge. Can you spot him?
A lovely patch of Zambian sky
There are small gardens everywhere around the Living Compassion compound.