Today we loaded in the van and set off with three of the SHIP trainers we had as students last week. The destination was Lazaro, a rural Zambian village about 30 minutes outside Ndola. Lazaro was the real deal; our vehicle was the only one in town and there were goats, pigs and chickens running willy-nilly between the huts. The village had a warm feel to it, each hut had a thatched roof and was constructed of the mud bricks. Darcy felt at home because each house had a collection of potted plants on the front step. The path through town was dotted with banana and mango trees. The centerpiece of the village is the handpump well that SHIP installed about a year ago. This well has made a huge difference in the health of Lazaro's citizens and has wiped out the dysentery for everyone that uses the well versus the stream where everyone used to get their water.
About 30 villagers gathered for the sanitation class in the cool shade of a giant fig tree. From the homes and nearby churches the village supplied a few padded, wooden chairs for there guests to sit on. Although there were a few more chairs than our team needed the villagers preferred to sit on the roots of the fig tree, a couple african style drums, and tattered bamboo mats spread on the ground. The only exception was the wife of the village head-man who joined us on the chairs. Men and women sat in separate groups. The meeting began with introductions. When we were introduced as a married couple people clapped and cheered for us. Following the introduction of the Seeds of Hope team each villager introduced themselves. Our favorite was an older man who said "I'm one of the village children even though I have gray hair." It was so cool to see the respect paid to each person, both in how we were given seats of honor and how the village introduced themselves to us. As Seeds of Hope began teaching the first lesson about disease pathways we heard crackling, and found ash falling on our heads. We realized the nearby bush was on fire, but it was of no concern to the attendees as burning the bush in small sections is a common technique of keeping the land clear. Mothers nursed there babies while participating in the lesson from their seat on the bamboo mat. In contrast to this kind of hollywood image of Africa outside the class circle people were making calls on their cell phones. Cell phones are everywhere in Zambia including places you would never guess there would be service. It sort of messes with your mind when you stop to think that you're in a village teaching people about the importance of using an outhouse and these same people have Nokia cell phones in their pockets. The classes went very well and their was lots of lively discussion; including once where the men reported that when they took a poop in the bush they took a shovel to bury it, but the ladies were quick to point out that was a lie. It was great seeing our students as teachers and the message being passed along. Now the 30 people we trained today will spread the message the more than 700 people in Lazaro.
