Sunday arrived, along with a great, rumbling storm of thunder, lightning and buckets of rain. We postponed our visit to Kantolomba, where we had planned to take the half-hour walk to the community farm, and instead stayed dry at Castle Lodge. Excitement about beginning the girls' and women's groups is fueling animated conversation about possible next steps.
The rain continued throughout the day, so we were all able to catch up on hand laundry (the only kind of laundry available here), paper work, email, and blogging. Castle Lodge takes on some lovely colors during a rain; we enjoyed simply gazing at the surroundings.
An African crow enjoying Sunday afternoon
Monday was to be a day of introducing the potential new staff to the cooperative in Kantolomba. Mukonda was scheduled to meet the community in the morning, Martha in the afternoon. How often plans and life bear so little resemblance to one another!
Just after 9 a.m. Muyunda - who had borrowed a working automobile -picked us up and drove to the Ndola Post Office, where Mukonda was waiting for us. As we drove once again over the rough and tumble roads to Kantolomba, we chatted with Mukonda, finding her a knowledgeable and easy-going woman. Once at the compound, the women and men of the cooperative greeted Cheri, Jen and Melinda warmly, and seemed curious about the newcomer.
Children lining up for handwashing before lunch
There were a lot of activities under way. Pascal was straightening nails, using as a table a rounded-out rock that must have been used thousands of times for a purpose like that. Christopher was sawing and planing boards for the desks being constructed for the classrooms. Many of the women were preparing nshima, or serving children their meals in the new building, and Nelly and Georgina of the sewing team were working on the new curtain and apron projects.
Pascal straightening nails on the rock table
Christopher planning a board as Pascal looks on
Georgina (seated) and Nelly working on aprons
Nelly showing off the first chitenge hermitage curtain
Georgina showing off the first almost-finished apron
Kids being kids in the handwashing line
Cheri, Jen and Theresa gave Mukonda a brief tour, then we all went into the building for a general meeting to introduce the community to Mukonda and to the new staff positions being created to assist in Kantolomba's transformation. As the discussion proceeded, with English and Bemba translations ensuring everyone's ability to understand what was said, it became clear that folks in the community were not at all sure that the changes being described were to their liking. Kantolomba is isolated in many ways from the communities surrounding it, and there can be resistance to accepting anything or anyone seen as being "outside" the community.
Community meeting in progress - right side of the room
Community meeting in progress - left side of the room
After a lengthy discussion it was decided to leave Theresa with the folks there to continue exploring their concerns and to postpone the afternoon meeting with Martha, the other possible new staff person, until later in the week.
As the meeting was ending, more children lined up for their meal
The meeting ended late in the morning, and the three of us went back to Ndola, arriving at Castle Lodge just in time for an omelet lunch. After lunch we drove into town again and met with Martha over coffee at QuickSave, a bakery/coffee house. She is a bright, articulate woman who seems very willing to work with Living Compassion and with the issues that had arisen in the community meeting. We explored possible avenues for communicating with the Kantolomba team and will meet again soon with Martha, Mukonda, and Theresa to continue that exploration.
Coffee at QuickSave with Martha, the possible new staff person
Muyunda drove us back to the Lodge, stopping briefly at Shoprite for groceries, and we happily took to our rooms for a quick dinner, more emails and blogging, and an early night.