Farmer visits

I am back in Kasama after spending some more time in the Bush. This time I have come to meet up with some other volunteers to visit Lake Tangenika up in the most Northern tip of Zambia. This past week I spent visiting farmer's homes and fish ponds. Now is the rainy season, so everyone is very busy working in their fields. The schools even close down so the kids can help their parents work. Every farmer I go to visit stops whatever they are doing to spend time talking with me (the fish expert) and prepare a meal for me.

On Tuesday one farmer came from his house 15 kilometers away by bicycle with his 20 year old brother sitting on the back along with a sack of potatoes to give me. After spending some time at my house we set off to visit their houses 15k away. As I easily peddled up the hills on my 21 speed Trek mountain bike, he struggled up the hills on his one speed "Zam" bike with his brother on the back. The path to his house isn't really a path at all, but a bunch of tall weeds that were kind of pushed to the side form a small opening. When we arrived at his house I was greeted by about thirty of his family members that live in the same area. I could only count three small houses where these thirty people lived.

After a tour of his ponds and fields we sat down to a meal of corn and pumpkin. After talking for a while he loaded me up with corn and rape to take home to eat. I didn't make it very far however, because I was stopped by his father who also wanted to feed me. In Zambia it is rude to refuse food, so I sat down for meal number two in the span of 30 minutes. He also loaded me up with eggs and then I had to get out of there before they tried to feed me more. They made sure that I scheduled my next visit to their house so they could prepare a proper meal for me next time. I don't think I will have to worry about starving in the village.

Merry Christmas to all of you. I will miss you and be thinking of you all.