Frederick Chiluba, the former president of Zambia, is admonising all to watch Emmanuel TV, saying it is a source of wisdom and inspiration for the nations…

His first trip outside Zambia since he was famously acquitted of varying allegations of corruption, Frederick Chiluba has returned to The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, Nigeria, almost 9 years after his first visit when President.

The former president, who has been the subject of intense scrutiny throughout his post-presidential era, was a guest of Pastor TB Joshua of the Emmanuel TV fame this Sunday, and witnessed an explosive service at The SCOAN, lasting an extraordinary 10 hours.

When asked by an Emmanuel TV reporter his experience of the service, which included the deliverance and rehabilitation of several armed robbers as well as a thanksgiving service for the MVP of the recently concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup, Sani Emmanuel, Chiluba was full of praises to God for Prophet Joshua and Emmanuel TV, which he said he watched daily.

Frederick Chiluba In The SCOAN

Describing the service as ‘highly inspiring’ and ‘motivating’, he opined that leaders would do well to seek God’s wisdom in governance. “If you read the book of Kings in the Bible, kings that depended on God guided their nations peacefully and successfully. God never changes. When we depend on Him… we will do extremely well,” he said, stating that since declaring Zambia a Christian nation at the start of his presidency, the country had moved steadily forward.

He also extolled the virtues of Emmanuel TV, TB Joshua’s Christian television station that is growing increasing popular throughout Zambia and indeed Africa. “It is really inspiring, not only for ordinary people but even for great leaders. I have been watching Emmanuel TV on a daily basis and my wife and I not only enjoy it, we are taught great lessons. We learn, we are inspired, we are motivated and we keep believing the Lord is truly with us; He is always present.”

He further admonished other leaders to follow in his stead by watching Emmanuel TV and inculcating the godly principles taught there. “For leaders, it is critical that they watch Emmanuel TV. They learn a tremendous amount of knowledge and wisdom. God’s wisdom is the only wisdom. And it helps you guide and lead people extremely well with the knowledge you receive – because every utterance from the prophet is based on the Bible, it’s scripture-based.”

Chiluba and his wife Regina, who accompanied her husband, were witness to the celebration surrounding two members of Pastor Joshua’s football club, My People FC, who were part of Nigeria’s cadet team, the Golden Eaglets, during their recent campaign in the U-17 World Cup. Sani Emmanuel, the MVP of the tournament, was brought up by Joshua and is an altar boy in The SCOAN.

“This is a beauty to behold,” said Chiluba, “this is the way you build youngsters, the way you draw them away from whatever life of suffering or want they may be going through, and you build and mould them into very responsible citizens.” Emmanuel dedicated his awards to the less privileged, stating that he came from a humble background before being discovered by Joshua. “We must thank this man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua for recognizing and locating such talent,” Chiluba noted, adding that it will inspire others to do likewise.

Joshua, noted for his charitable works and prophetic prowess, also rehabilitated several armed robbers in the service, an act that won commendation from Chiluba. “Truly and honestly for me, that is The Gospel at work – they (ex-armed robbers) are bound to change a lot of people, and we welcome those young men. But remember – that could never have happened if this man of God was not highly anointed, so anointed so that he could be able to speak peace and love to those lost souls and they came in.” The robbers had been living in the church for a fortnight following their deliverance. They were all financially supported to pursue the careers of their choice, promising not to return to lives of criminality.

Both the former President and his wife were unanimous in their message to viewers: “Don’t miss a single day without watching Emmanuel TV.”

It would be recalled that John Atta Mills, the president of Ghana was in The Synagogue in January this year, testifying to the accurate prophetic message Joshua had given him before his ascension to power.

SOURCE: Zambian Watchdog

NDOLA, Zambia, Nov 23 (IPS) – When Obed Mumba first came to the Zambian copper mining town of Ndola in search of work, it was still known reverently as “Ku kalale” – the land of the white man. In the decades since, he has witnessed his Kabushi township outgrow the limited dreams of its planners.

Now 56, he is affectionately known in the Kariba section of the location as “Ba Shikulu-Mumba”, Grandpa Mumba. The neighbourhood was built in the 1940s specially to accommodate single men like Mumba, who came to Ndola from the northern region of Luapula to work in the Bwana Mkubwa Copper Mine.

Kariba comprised 130 housing blocks of six rooms each that were the envy of many native workers at the time. The changed fortunes of the town are felt keenly here, as the bright young men of today have quickly learned that it pays to follow revered sons of the city like Frederick Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa (both former presidents of Zambia) to Lusaka, where fame and money are more readily found.

Hostels long outgrown

Established in the 1940s, Kariba section was built specially to accommodate people like Mumba who came to Ndola from Luapula as a single and eventually found work with Bwana Mkubwa (which means Big Boss).

This section comprised 130 swanky new housing blocks of six rooms that were the envy of many indigenous workers of the time.

But in the years since the rules preventing miners’ families from living with them were cast aside, each room became living quarters for a family of five or more. Shacks, known locally as “cabins”, were thrown up to house teenaged sons and daughters and extended family members.

The original sanitation arrangements, eight communal ablution blocks, each designed to serve 100 people, were soon overwhelmed. By the early 1980s the communal showers and toilets were completely abandoned.

“We had to dig shallow pit latrines near our houses and children who feared to fall into them began to defecate in the open. The whole place began to smell terrible with flies everywhere,” Mumba, who today runs a small grocery store, recalls.

Among those who had left Ndola to make his career was Bernard Phiri. He had risen to become chief executive officer of the Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company, responsible for the town’s water and sanitation, when in 2007 a non-governmental organisation from Germany established links with the Water and Sanitation Association of Zambia.

Appropriate technology

BORDA, the Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association, had been working on biogas projects in India since the late 1970s, and was interested in setting up a pilot project in Zambia.

Kabushi township was chosen for the pilot for a decentralised wastewater treatment system, intended as a waste and energy solution for a poor neighbourhood lacking sanitation. The system depends on bio-digesters to process human waste to give off methane gas.

A bio-digester is a reservoir – typically round – built out of burnt bricks and mortar or plain concrete with two vents fitted with valves. Through one vent, raw human waste flows in, which is hungrily fed on by bacteria, until out of the other flows an odorless, biodegraded slurry that can safely be used as manure in a vegetable garden.

Methane gas released by the bacteria collects at the top of the structure’s convex roof, and is piped away to feed stoves in the nearby homes.

Five hundred forty-seven toilets were constructed by Kafubu in Kabushi. “These are pour flush toilets with an integrated shower. The water supply is metered and the effluent from 156 households feeds the two biogas digesters that have already been constructed,” Phiri explains.

Waste not, want not

Each household is expected to pay for the piped water used in the toilet, kitchen and shower – billed at a rate of 59,200 Zambian kwacha – just under $13 – for 38 cubic metres of water.

Ba Shikulu-Mumba is one of the 30 grateful homeowners who has been connected to the gas network. He says it is much cheaper to cook on gas than on charcoal.

“A bag of charcoal costs about 30,000 kwacha and if your wife is careless you can end up with a bill of more than 150,000 ZMK (just over $30) a month,” he observed. A typical household in Kabushi gets by on roughly $100 each month.

As more digesters are built in the area, the plan is to connect all the houses as raw sewerage is expected to come in from more affluent neighbourhoods.

Sustainable development

The Kabushi project is the first integrated water treatment system in Zambia, and has already been copied by four of the country’s ten other water utilities.

Bwalya Nondo, spokesperson for the ministry of environment and natural resources points out that the project’s benefits extend beyond refurbished toilets and cheap fuel for residents. Harnessing renewable energy from human waste will also go a long way to protect Zambia’s fast-disappearing forests.

“At the moment charcoal burners destroy as much as 300,000 hectares of forest cover each year,” Nondo said.

The two biodigesters, and the gas pipes and support structures built in Kariba section of Kabushi has cost Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company around $830,000. The biodigesters have put Kabushi and the city of Ndola on the road to a sustainable new order for their city.

Source – http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49381

sorry i have been absent. the last month has been crazy busy as we prepare to unleash four new productions this year – all of which i’m pretty proud of, some more so than others, but that’s to be expected.
so the craziness started when we decided to throw a black tie dinner to raise awareness of our Foundation and the fact that Travis McCoy had recorded a track called One At a Time, exclusively for the Foundation. the track is released on 1st December World AIDS Day. We had less than 3 weeks to pull it off and thanks to the Westbury hotel in London, and some great people, we did it. and it was hosted by the gorgeous Idris Elba

Cathy and Tasha with Idris Elba and Myron Rolle

Three hours sleep and then i was off to Nairobi, Kenya to launch Shuga. The premiere there went down a treat. Everyone loved Shuga! so the question is – where’s the funding coming from to do Shuga 2?

On the red carpet for the premiere of Shuga

Two of the male actors on the red carpet of the launch of Shuga

While I was enjoying the fanfare in Nairobi, Georgia, the SVP of Social Responsibility for MTVNI, jetted into Zambia to preside over the launch of Shuga there.

Ms G hanging with the Cast

If you’ve ever been to the Lusaka Playhouse, you’d be amazed as to how Media 365, who organised the whole launch in Zambia, transformed it. Even the VIP attendees couldn’t believe it! In short Shuga went down a treat.

Back in the office to oversee the distribution of programming – Travis McCoy’s Unbeaten Track, Shuga, Tribes and Embrace me – all for WAD – which at this point was in less than 2 weeks away!

But our premieres are not done yet. Ukraine will be unveiling Embrace Me this week – i just saw the offline and despite the fact that i couldn’t understand it, it looks good – hmmm some competition for Shuga?

And Ben, my trusty coordinator is off to Trinidad tomorrow to see the launch of Tribes. hmmm lucky him, i’m missing the sun already!.

I’ll have pictures from those events next week. But make sure you keep up to date with all things related to MTV Staying Alive Ignite here: www.staying-alive.org/ignite

Or check us out on facebook!

Zambia beat World-Cup-bound North Korea 4-1 in an international friendly in Lusaka… From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: soccer jerseys. The blog is also related to: soccer jerseys.

Amazon's Global Kindle Reader

I heard that Amazon now has a global version of Kindle. I was disappointed to find this morning that the new version still will not work in my country.

Since I’ve wanted one for some time, but have been waiting until they got a version that would work in my country, I checked out their website this morning, only to be disappointed again. Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new Global Kindle for a Christmas gift this year, since the new version will only work in SOME countries, I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

  From the age of 5 to about 10, Delfine, my mother, was kept in a covered basket whenever teachers came round looking for children to start school.  As the only daughter she was needed to do the household chores and never got a chance to go to school.  This experience moved my mother to pledge that all her children, especially any girls, would be educated to the highest standard.  As one of her daughters, I am a product of that dream.

I was born in Chingola, Zambia and completed my primary and secondary school there.  At the age of 18, I entered teacher training college and started teaching two years later at Lwitikila Girls Secondary School in Mpika, Zambia.  This is still one of the best schools in Zambia situated near a magnificent waterfall.  The falls was a source of fresh clean drinking water.   Its surroundings were an ideal and beautiful place for picnics and camping.

Three years after my first teaching post, in 1993, I was appointed as head teacher in Katondwe, close to Mozambique – one of the hottest places in Zambia as it is home for the wild life – The Luangwa National Park.  There were a lot of challenging as well as exciting moments there.  I lived near a church and it was wonderful to listen to choirs practising for the Sunday Services.  For someone interested in wildlife, there were lizards of many different shapes, colours and sizes.  In addition, there were spiders, scorpions and snakes including the poisonous black mamba.  I never went close to any of these creatures.  On two occasions I scared the black mamba away just by screaming!  There were all sorts of monkeys and baboons, which were a nuisance to the little vegetables that grew in this very remote, hot place.  Sometimes humans and monkeys would just pause and look at each other as though they were thinking ‘who is this?’ 

Classes at Katondwe began at 7.00am because it was slightly bearable to be teaching at 28^oC.  Later in the day temperatures would sour to over 38 degrees so classes would end at 2.00pm, leaving the girls time for studying or revision.  Between May and July when temperatures would be in the 20’s, they took part in sports. I took groups of girls through the HIV/AIDS lessons, in addition to teaching English and Religious Education.  My saddest moment was when I asked a very bright girl who got pregnant to come back to school when she had had her baby and she refused.  I just couldn’t believe it.  The pressures from her family, boyfriend and peers were too great.

In my first year of teaching I came across real poverty.  A girl reported to school with a piece of cloth she called a blanket, just the one dress she had on and single notes bundled carefully in a piece of cloth to pay for her school fees.  To get this money, the family sold all the chickens – their only source of protein.  The girl had also walked for three days just to get to school.  She was determined to get an education and the head teacher at that time accepted her and found the necessary items she needed.  This girl moved me to tears and I started searching for a way to help needy girls in Zambia through secondary school. 

In 1999, I was offered a scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge in the UK and was supervised by Prof Donald McIntyre (who died in 2007).  While studying, I came across CAMFED – Campaign for Female Education.  Following my persistent requests, CAMFED took on the role of sponsoring poor girls in Luapula and Northern Provinces of Zambia.  New Hall (my college at Cambridge University) also sponsored girls, some of whom are now working as teachers and nurses.  I am currently working with the Commonwealth Countries League Education Fund, which supports girls in Commonwealth countries and they have supported over 3,000 girls through secondary schooling around the Commonwealth.  I am also a board member of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, an education civil society where I have come to know very nice people with a wealth of experience in education and beyond.

While at the University of Cambridge, I was an active member of the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS).  In 2000, I was among the first Sir David Thorne youth delegates for the Royal Commonwealth Society meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  It was delightful to meet so many people from around the Commonwealth.  Nine years later, I had the opportunity to return to Kuala Lumpur for the 17^th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers’ meeting.  The city had been transformed in just under a decade. Where there was nothing in 2000, there are now 5 star hotels and the twin towers.

My mother has seen her dream fulfilled.  All her seven children are educated beyond secondary school.  Of the three girls: Astrida is a teacher for Special Education Needs with a degree in Education, Prisca is a registered Nurse and holds a Diploma in Agriculture Science and I hold a PhD from the University of Cambridge.  I would like to say ‘A huge thank you’ to my mother and father; brothers and sisters; my dearest husband Douglas and my lovely mother-in-law, Carol; my friends in the UK and around the Commonwealth, my teachers and lecturers and above all to God who guides and leads me.

The case against news editor, Chansa Kabwela, from Zambia’s newspaper The Post has  been thrown out after the court failed to prove their case against the journalist.  Kabwela faced pornography charges and jail time after sending graphic photos of woman giving birth on a pavement to the country’s president.

The photos were taken during the country’s doctor strike in June, which left many in the country without proper medical help.  The infant, unfortunately suffocated and later died.

Ms Kabwela told reporters, including those from The Telegraph,

“This victory to me is a victory for those that suffered during the strike. I was confident that I would be acquitted.”

The Post is Zambia’s only private newspaper and there is speculation that the charges may have been a politically move to halt the reporting of corruption in the government.

In article in The Post, Professor Muna Ndulowritten, an Ivy League law professor, writes,

“The average person in Zambia, while no doubt being shocked and disgusted by the picture, would not regard the publication of pictures of a woman giving birth in order to expose the plight of ordinary people during a national strike by medical personnel as being prurient and having the effect or as intended to deprave and corrupt morals.

Instead, the pictures should lead to outrage and anger at those who were not making maximum efforts to end the strike.”

Click here to hear more about the strike earlier this summer in an interview from the BBC.

LUSAKA, 20 Novembro 2009 (PlusNews) – Dois ex-oficiais da Força Aérea da Zâmbia foram à justiça sob a alegação de terem supostamente sido dispensados por serem seropositivos.

O processo está a testar o comportamento dos militares do país em relação aos direitos humanos. Stanley Kingaipe e Charles Chookole alegam que foram testados para o HIV sem saber e dispensados um ano depois por não estarem em boa forma física. Eles argumentam que foram demitidos por causa do seu status e querem a reintegração, além de indenização por danos à saúde mental e emocional.

A Força aérea desmentiu as acusações, dizendo que Kingaipe foi excluído porque tinha câncer e Chookole estava com tuberculose.

O caso, que está a ser julgado na Corte Suprema em Livingstone, capital turística da Zâmbia, reacendeu o debate sobre a pertinência do teste HIV obrigatório num país onde 14 por cento dos 11,7 milhões de habitantes são seropositivos, mas somente 15 por cento fizeram o teste do HIV, segundo o ministério da Saúde.

O teste obrigatório de HIV é ilegal na Zâmbia. Mas, numa tentativa de ampliar o alcance do aconselhamento e testagem voluntária (ATV), o governo introduziu uma política de testagem em 2005: os pacientes que frequentam centros de saúde pública são testados para o HIV, independentemente do motivo pelo qual chegaram ao hospital, a menos que eles recusem formalmente.

Segundo a ministra da Saúde, Kapembwa Simbao, o número de pessoas que conhecem seu status ainda é pequeno demais; para a consternação dos activistas de SIDA, ela apelou para a testagem obrigatória em Dezembro de 2008.

Em entrevista para o jornal local The Post, ela disse: “O ATV atingiu seu pico, temos que agir e garantir que obrigamos cada pessoa a fazer o teste. As pessoas que estão a morrer desta doença são crianças inocentes e jovens rapazes e raparigas muito productivos, que estão a privar o país de um sector productivo”.

Sam Kapembwa, da Rede Nacional de SIDA da Zâmbia (ZNAN), que reúne as ONGs que trabalham com HIV/SIDA, não concorda: “Nós achamos que os soldados deveriam ser testados para sua aptidão física, não para o HIV”, disse ele ao PlusNews. “Testar os soldados para o HIV, sem falar em demitir os seropositivos, é inaceitável; significa promover o estigma e a discriminação”.

O governo negou que os dois soldados tenham sido testados para o HIV, mas os ex-oficiais disseram à corte que tinham feito exames de sangue em 2001, achando que era um check-up de rotina. E depois tinham sido colocados sob tratamento, sem saber para qual doença. Um ano depois, uma junta médica os declarou permanentemente inaptos para o serviço militar.

Os dois homens fizeram o teste do HIV mais tarde, voluntariamente, e afirmam que só então descobriram que os remédios que estavam a tomar eram medicamentos antiretrovirais (ARVs), usados para tratar o HIV.

O exército é o maior empregador do país, que no total, tem somente 500 mil empregos formais. Os militares também estão entre os grupos de maior risco de contaminação pelo HIV.

Um oficial de polícia, que não quis ser identificado, disse que os exames de rotina são para garantir a aptidão física, acontecem com regularidade, mas que não incluem o teste do HIV. “Talvez num passado mais recente a mentalidade tenha começado a mudar após ver-se tantas pessoas a morrer da SIDA no serviço militar e o que isto custou ao país”, comentou ele.

Sam Kasankha, porta-voz da Comissão dos Direitos Humanos do governo, disse que sua organização estava a considerar o debate sobre a testagem obrigatória, mas ainda tem não adoptou uma posição definitiva.

“Pessoalmente, qualquer teste obrigatório é contra os direitos de um indivíduo”, notou ele”. Todo ser humano tem o direito de decidir se está pronto ou não a conhecer seu status (do HIV); isto não deveria ser usado como motivo para contratar ou demitir alguém”.

PlusNews – 20.11.2009

Zambia’s rainy season began last week. Maize, tomatoes, and watermelon are being harvested now from Lusaka north to Copperbelt province where IDE trains several farmer groups in best agronomic practices. Tomato prices are down this month, but watermelon are now fetching high prices at market. A couple photos here show some harvest from the Sakala family farm on 20 November 09 outside Kabwe in Central Province. The Sakalas have wisely hedged, planting both tomatoes and watermelon, and Mr. Sakala has an additional field of tomatoes which are timed to harvest in December when tomato demand will be much higher.

Bennett of IDE Zambia helps Harrison Sakala load produce to take to market.

AfricanMecca Newsletter – Fall/Winter 2009 – Update from Americas, European and Africa Offices

In This Edition:

• AfricanMecca News
• Top 10 Reason For Visiting Zambia – Reason # 2
• Royal Zambezi Lodge in Lower Zambezi National Park
• Matemwe Retreat in Zanzibar Island
• Zambia Safari & Culture Video Guide
• African Safari Program Prices & Proposal
• Indian Ocean Beach & Cultural Program Prices
• Another Perfect AfricanMecca Customer Experience
• Newsletter Notes

AfricanMecca News

1. Kenya Orphanage Takes In Elephant Babies (VIDEO LINK) – Experience Daphne Sheldrick Baby Elephant Orphanage by booking the Daphnes Sheldrick Babes AfricanMecca Tour. Complete details

2. The Great Migration (VIDEO LINK) – Experience the Great Wildebeest Migration by booking the Best Of East Africa Safari. Complete details

3. Naomi Campbell In Tanzania For Fashion For Relief Charity

4. Victoria Falls – The Smoke that Thunders (VIDEO LINK). BBC Natural World IPlayer Video is only viewable in the UK.

5. Our 2010 safari, hotel and tour prices are now published and available. Please contact us for your tailor-make tour program or visit our website for recommended tour programs.

Country Guide

Zambia – People & Language

Zambia has one of the lowest population to land ratio’s in Africa. Only 10 million people in a country half the size of Europe. The employment opportunities offered in the post independence era in the copper mines and associated industries led to a strong rural-urban migration. The result has been to make Zambia one of the most urbanized countries in Africa. About one fifth of the population lives on the Copperbelt to the north of the capital, but the biggest concentration of people is in Lusaka itself with an estimated population of over 2 million. This has resulted in massive tracts of uninhabited land across the country. With over 70 different tribes in Zambia, there is wide cultural diversity. Interestingly enough, it is one of the few countries in Africa with very little tribal conflict, and the existence of so many tribes has proved less of a political problem than in many other African states. The Main tribes are the Lozi, the Bemba, the Ngoni, the Tonga, the Luvale and the Kaonde
Click here for a complete guide to Zambia

Zambia Travel Guide

Top 10 Reasons To Visit Zambia In Africa As Experienced By AfricanMecca

Reason # 2 – Zambia’s Wild & Unspoilt Wilderness Safari Experience: The national parks in Zambia remain off the beaten path, and nature is showcased and at work by the minute and particularly during the night game drives in the parks. The large waterways in Zambia make most of the parks inaccessible from November to March, allowing wildlife, plantlife, birdlife & the whole ecosystem to undergo a complete rejuvenation & rebirth by the time April comes around. The ecology’s unique “my time” is most loved and cherished by nature lovers allowing them to see the complete environment in a natural state after total five month absence. It is no wonder that famous adage about Zambia applies naturally: “Zambia – The Real Africa”.
Click here to review all Top 10 Reasons For Visiting Zambia

Zambia Safari Guide

 

Royal Zambezi Lodge in Lower Zambezi National Park

AfricanMecca Tier 1 Accommodation. Click here for details on Safari Tier™

Royal Zambezi Lodge is located on the bank of the Zambezi at one of its broadest points. With 3km of river frontage, Royal Zambezi Lodge borders the Lower Zambezi National Park and sits within a Game Management Area. With lions roaring in the distance and hippos snorting to each other nearby, the luxurious thatched tents, elegant design and gourmet cuisine of Royal Zambezi Lodge provide a perfect base from which to explore this wild and beautiful area.
In the Lower Zambezi Valley, the river follows the trace of an ancient continental rift, between steep-sided mountains. Watered year-round, the vast flat area between the two escarpment ranges forms an area of outstanding natural beauty, with a unique ecosystem. Teeming with fish, the river supports a truly astounding bird population. Reed banks and islands are home to elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hippo and zebra, amongst countless others.

Click here for complete information on Royal Zambezi Lodge & complete guide to Lower Zambezi National Park

Indian Ocean Cultural Beach Accommodation Guide

Matemwe Retreat in Zanzibar Island

AfricanMecca Tier 1 Experience. Click here for details on AfricanMecca Rating
Matemwe Retreat is located on an amazing stretch of private land, just north of Matemwe’s main lodge and right opposite the Mnemba Atoll. Matemwe Retreat consists of 3 fabulous, separate villas, full of atmosphere, inspiration and personal touches. Each ground floor of each villa (150 m2 including verandahs) features a private cocktail bar, an air-conditioned bedroom, a bathroom with double basins, shower, and large romantic bathtub overlooking the Indian Ocean. The best part of each villa is the plunge pool on the private roof terrace (60 m2), complete with sun and shade decks. And if this is not enough to make you want to stay there right now – each villa has its own small beach right in front of it.
Click here for complete details on Matemwe Retreat & complete guide to Zanzibar

Zambia Video Guide

Royal Zambezi Lodge House

Royal Zambezi Lodge Suite Room View – Click Here To Watch
Royal Zambezi Lodge Room View – Click Here To Watch
Royal Zambezi Lodge Spa Room – Click Here To Watch
Royal Zambezi Lodge Elephant Feeding Next To Room – Click Here To Watch
Royal Zambezi Lodge Views – Click Here To Watch
Royal Zambezi Lodge Elephant Walking By To Feed – Click Here To Watch

Click here for a complete video guide to Zambia

Recommended African Safari Program

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Another Perfect AfricanMecca Customer Experience

Jambo Altaf,

I want to let you know that both Dorothy and I found our two week trip to Kenya to be an absolutely wonderful experience. Our booking through AfricanMecca for our trip in August 2009 delivered everything we hoped for and more. We were met on arrival at Mombasa airport for the minibus journey to Leopard Beach Hotel with loads of local information provided by our driver on the way. The hotel was excellent in all respects, from the welcome with chilled towels and drinks to the helpful and cheerful service from every member of staff. Large comfortable air-conditioned rooms overlook the Indian Ocean, as does the main Horizon restaurant where the meals were lacking neither in variety nor quality. We stayed two nights at Leopard Beach initially before going on safari and then a further six nights on our return. Our first safari began by road to Tsavo West, staying one night at Kilaguni Serena Lodge. The restaurant, open to one side overlooking the water hole, provided a wonderful lunch and dinner with tremendous views of elephant, zebra, giraffe and buffalo, to name but a few.

Following an afternoon game drive which included the enchanting Mzima Springs and ended with the first of many fantastic sunsets, we had a comfortable night before an early start next morning. We moved on to Satao Elerai, overlooking Amboseli with Peter, our driver for these three days, pointing out many items of interest along the way. Our room at Elerai was in fact a self-contained cottage and while it was reminiscent of the Flintstones in style, the facilities were far from stone-age. We were lucky enough to witness two young male elephants at the water-hole while we had lunch, before Peter took us down to Amboseli for another fascinating game drive. After an excellent dinner and a nightcap in front of a roaring log fire, we were up next morning for another early start. At seven hours, we found the drive back to Voi Gate into Tsavo East to be rather tiring but we still made it to Satao Camp just in time for lunch outside, under the tree. This and a short siesta set us up for our afternoon game drive which culminated at close quarters with a cheetah. What a beautiful animal!

A busy day and a fine meal sent us to bed where we slept like logs, only to be told next day that we had missed a visit from a couple of lions at four in the morning. Our neighbours in the next tent showed us the paw-prints in the dust outside to prove it! With a good breakfast inside us, we were on our way to Buchuma Gate where sadly, we had to say farewell to Peter, our driver, guide and companion for the last three days. We were tremendously impressed, not only with his detailed knowledge of his country and its flora and fauna but also with his enthusiasm in sharing it all with us. We hope to see him again.

The air-conditioned shuttle bus took us back to the coast then for an overnight stop at Nyali Beach Hotel. It is old colonial in style having been opened in 1949 and while we enjoyed our brief stay and had no complaints at all, on balance we preferred Leopard Beach. After another early breakfast we were collected for the short trip to Mombasa airport for our flight to the Masai Mara and a two night safari. Arrangements for the internal flight on an eighteen seat twin-prop aircraft where rather more relaxed than is international flying these days; quite a refreshing change. The views of Kilimanjaro from 11500 feet were stunning. The landing on an airstrip in the bush was amazingly smooth and we were soon on our way to Karen Blixen Camp for lunch. On the way, Pius, our driver took our open-sided six-passenger safari vehicle off the main route and diverted into a small coppice of bushes. To our delight, we were soon within a few yards of a pride of four or five lionesses, stretched out in the shade. This time we were awake!

Our three days in the Mara were truly magical. The location of Karen Blixen Camp on the eastern bank of the Mara River is absolutely beautiful and we could not fault the accommodation and service although some of the catering would benefit from improvement. While you Mombasa team handled all our other ground arrangements (and more about them later) Karen Blixen Camp arranged everything in the Mara. Their modern Toyota 4WD open vehicles were great for game viewing and their drivers and guides were excellent. We remember particularly, Pius, David, Nixon and especially Peter, our Masai guide. Not only did we value his expertise on our game drives but also one evening he gave a fascinating insight into Masai culture to the assembled company before dinner. On our second day in the Mara, we were given the opportunity to take a full day game drive into the conservancy to the south. As this was the right time of year for the Great Migration, if we were very lucky, we might see ‘the crossing’. We approached the river slowly, passing thousands of wildebeest all heading in the same direction. The leaders stopped some hundred yards short of the river bank as the rest of the herd formed up behind them, some zebra and gazelle mixed in with them. They moved forward some distance then stopped again; and again; and again. Eventually, the decision was made to cross and they galloped en masse for the water, plunging through and up the river bank on the far side. More followed and still more until we were convinced that every wildebeest in Africa was in this herd. The crossing was incessant for over half an hour until finally the last stragglers made their way up the far bank. Our driver, David estimated anything up to 10,000 animals had crossed. We had lost count after about 5,000!

This sight was absolutely magnificent and undoubtedly the highlight of the holiday.

After an early morning game drive on the third day, we had to take our leave and fly back to the coast. We were met at Ukunda airfield for the short drive back to Leopard Beach where we settled in for a more relaxing week. We were amazed at how much we had packed in to such a short time. However, we don’t hang around swimming pools for long so a couple of short trips had to be taken as well. We had a great day snorkelling off Wasini Island with dolphins and a hump-backed whale accompanying us on the way out and a fine late lunch on the way back. Two days later, dinner in Ali Barbour’s (sic) Cave restaurant near Leopard Beach was also most enjoyable. Then on our penultimate evening we saw Mombasa by night. A sunset dhow trip in Tudor Creek and under New Nyali Bridge took us to the old harbour. A short tour of the old town ended at Fort Jesus for a sound and light show followed by a wonderful dinner under the stars.

The ground handling by your Mombasa team was excellent throughout our trip. All their drivers and staff were friendly and helpful and their punctuality was impressive. Harry, their representative at Leopard Beach was tremendous in ensuring that everything ran smoothly. We valued especially his advice regarding all aspects of our visit from safaris to local trips to departure arrangements.

We were extremely sad to leave Kenya, its animals, its vast open spaces, its stunning scenery and especially its charming, polite, happy smiling people.

Asante sana a thousand times!
John Lowry
United Kingdom

Terminologi Good Governance diperkenalkan oleh Bank Dunia dalam publikasinya Sub Saharan Africa : From Crisis to Sustainable Growth pada tahun 1989. Wacana ini memiliki tujuan untuk “memberdayakan masyarakat umum” yang ada di Benua Afrika. Wacana Good Governance sendiri yang bergulir pada dekade tahun 90-an tentunya tidak lepas dari perubahan peta politik dunia yang begitu dinamis kala itu. Adapun perubahan – perubahan tersebut ditengarai disebabkan oleh tiga faktor antara lain hilangnya legitimasi, keruntuhan ekonomi, dan protes rakyat[1]. Dalam hal legitimasi kekuasaan, umumnya dalam pola perpolitikan di negara – negara Afrika menganut sistem kediktatoran dan menganut sistem partai tunggal meniru sistem pemerintahan komunis yang ada di Eropa Timur, sehingga ketika medio tahun 1980-an, kemunduran kehidupan perpolitikan yang dialami negara – negara komunis di Eropa Timur yang berujung pada runtuhnya Uni Soviet pada dekade tahun 1990-an turut berimbas dalam kehidupan politik negara – negara Afrika sehingga kemudian muncul pergolakan rakyat karena kesulitan ekonomi domestik yang begitu hebat serta kehidupan perpolitikan yang kacau balau dikarenakan pemerintah (government) gagal dalam mengelola negara. Kegagalan pemerintah ini kemudian dengan bad governance atau poor governance dalam istilah negara – negara Eropa Barat dan Amerika Serikat dalam menyikapi hal tersebut.

Lain halnya yang terjadi Eropa Barat dan Amerika Serikat pada awal tahun 1980 – an, di negara – negara tersebut sedang berhembus semangat neo liberalisme yang diusung Presiden Amerika Serikat Ronald Reagan yang kemudian memunculkan istilah “Reaganomic” dan Perdana Menteri Inggris Margareth Thatcher dengan “ Thatcherisme “ yang kemudian menyusun strategi baru untuk menguasai dunia ketiga (negara – negara Afrika) dan mempertahankan hegemoni dan superioritas kemajuan teknologi yang dicapai “negara utara” kepada “ negara selatan”. Menyikapi kekacauan ekonomi dan politik yang terjadi di benua hitam pada akhir dekade 1990 – an, negara – negara “utara” kemudian menggulirkan konsep good governance disertai dengan progam – progam pembangunan struktural yang bertujuan “memajukan” kehidupan ekonomi dan politik di negara – negara tersebut. Mengingat bahwa negara – negara Afrika tersebut memiliki pola patronase baik secara politik, sosial, ekonomi, maupun budaya yang kuat dengan negara penjajahnya dalam hal ini adalah Prancis, maka dengan sendirinya wacana good governance dapat diaplikasikan di negara – negara benua hitam yang tedogma akan kesilauan kemajuan teknologi yang dicapai “ negara – negara utara.” Wacana dalam formula progam pembangunan penyesuaian struktural / Structural Development Adjusment Progams yang ditawarkan oleh negara – negara maju ini direkonstruksi sebagai “resep” yang ampuh untuk memajukan kehidupan sosial politik negara – negara Afrika.

Adapun hal – hal / “resep” yang ditawarkan dalam wacana progam pembangunan penyesuaian struktural antara lain (1) Negara Minimalis, (2) Demokrasi Eksklusioner (3) Pemberdayaan Civil Society (4) Liberalisasi Ekonomi (5) Good Governance. Dalam hal ini wacana – wacana tersebut akan diuraikan sebagai berikut.

(1) Negara Minimalis

Konsep Negara Minimalis ini diwacanakan sebagai pengurangan porsi pemerintah (government) dalam mengelola kekuasaan negara (state). Berkaca pada kegagalan di masa lalu dimana pemerintah (government) di sebagian besar negara dunia ketiga dalam hal ini negara – negara Benua Afrika yang gagal dalam mengelola kekuasaan negaranya, maka perlu adanya dispersion of power agar pola kekuasaan lebih merata dan tidak menimbulkan absolutisme.

(2) Demokrasi Eksklusioner

Demokrasi eksklusioner ini tak ubahnya sebagai demokrasi prosedural dimana ada wacana keterwakilan dalam proses berdemokrasi. Inti dari konsep demokrasi ini adalah pemilihan umum dan sistem multipartai. Di negara – negara Afrika sendiri, umumnya masih berpegang pada partai tunggal sehingga wacana ini merupakan hal yang terbarukan dalam kehidupan perpolitikan di negara mereka.

(3) Pemberdayaan Civil Society

Sebagai tindak lanjut dari dispersion of power yang telah disebutkan di atas, maka dalam hal ini Civil Society perlu diberdayakan sebagai kekuatan penyeimbang daripada state dalam pola pengaturan kekuasaan pemerintahan sehingga dalam pola relasi kekuasaan di antara dua ranah ini, civil society selain itu akan muncul economic society merupakan sebagai watchdog (anjing penjaga) kepada state sehingga apabila dalam memerintah, state mengeluarkan policy yang sekiranya kurang berpihak pada civil society, maka tak segan pula masyarakat melakukan demonstrasi besar – besaran.

(4) Liberalisasi Ekonomi

Liberalisasi ekonomi ini dalam persepsi negara – negara barat selain akan memajukan sector ekonomi juga akan berimplikasi pada kehidupan berdemokrasi dalam negara seperti dalam teori Barrington Moore yaitu ”No Bourgouise No Democracy” bahwa sektor ekonomi akan menopang praktik berdemokrasi. Dalam hal ini masyarakat yang berkecimpung dalam sektor ini atau disebut juga economic society merupakan ranah kekuasaan yang sama dengan state dan civil society sebagai implikasi dari dispersion of power. Selain itu, economic society juga berfungsi sebagai watchdog dalam pola relasi pembagian kekuasaan terhadap state.

(5) Good Governance

Good Governance merupakan kulminasi dari konsep negara minimalis yang dijabarkan sebagai penyebaran kekuasaan negara (state) kepada dua ranah dibawahnya yaitu civil society dan economic society yang bersifat timbal balik satu sama lainnya serta negara tidak dipandang sebagai aktor tunggal dalam pemerintahan negara sehingga pola berdemokrasi dalam suatu negara akan lebih terjamin dengan aman dan tentram.

Namun, dalam pelaksanaannya di lapangan, wacana good governance ini justru mengalami kegagalan dalam aplikasi di negara – negara Benua Afrika baik dalam segi bidang politik, ekonomi, sosial, dan budaya. Hal ini terungkap pada studi kasus di Zambia, Ghana, Pantai Gading, dan negara – negara di Afrika Tengah. Resep pembangunan struktural yang digadang – gadang sebagai formula dalam menyikapi krisis Afrika justru menjerumuskan sebagian negara – negara Afrika dalam jurang kehancuran. Progam pembangunan penyesuaian struktural yang diusung oleh negara – negara maju ternyata mengandung “cost recovery” yang tidak sedikit bagi negara dunia ketiga utamanya dalam hal ini negara – negara Afrika sehingga sebagian besar negara – negara tersebut jatuh dalam pelukan IMF, World Bank, dan lebih parah lagi pada lembaga donor Bretton Woods dalam memecahkan persoalan ekonomi yang melanda negara mereka. Tentunya kekisruhan dalam ekonomi akan berimbas pada politik di negara tersebut. Zambia misalnya, negara ini bahkan hampir dicap sebagai Zambia for Sale. Tentunya dalam hal ini privatisasi badan usaha negara serta ketergantungan ekonomi yang tinggi pada lembaga donor keuangan dunia mengakibatkan negara – negara tersebut terpuruk.

Dalam hal ini perlu diingat bahwa wacana good governance memberi hak pada negara dunia pertama kepada dunia ketiga untuk melakukan intervensi dalam rangka mempromosikan pandangan pembangunan dan demokrasi serta wacana good governance juga melindungi negara – negara barat dari pengawasan demokratis[2]. Namun dibalik kegagalan wacana good governance, ada kebaikan yang dipetik bahwa wacana good governance turut mendemokrasikan negara – negara di tataran dunia dewasa ini.

[2] Rita Abrahamsen. Sudut Gelap Kemajuan. (Yogyakarta : Lafald). halm 43

source: allAfrica
The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
18 November 2009
editorial

THE huge investment which has started pouring into Lumwana in North-Western Province is no mean achievement as it will certainly boost economic development of the country.

Already the mine in Lumwana has started producing copper concentrates, which are being processed in readiness for export, earning the country the much-needed income.

With the coming of the multi-facility economic zone, more investment will flow in while 13,000 jobs will be created.

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) coupled with local investment in Lumwana will steer the country’s economic strides forward and as Vice-President George Kunda announced in Solwezi yesterday, about $1.2 billion will be invested in the area.

FDI is a common strategy for [continue reading]

The Mail & Guardian (South Africa) reported today:

Post newspaper editor [and chief] Fred M’membe will stand trial for violating a gag order on the pornography case, in which the paper’s news editor Chansa Kabwela was cleared on Tuesday, Magistrate David Simusamba ruled.

What had happened was Post editor Chansa Kabwela had been charged with violating Section 177 of the Penal Code of Zambia which is meant to punish those that “try to corrupt the morals” of Zambian society.

The editor was covering a doctors strike in Zambia and was going to publish a photo, along with an article, that showed a woman giving birth on a sidewalk due to the fact that no doctors could come to her aid. Kabwela was found innocent of the charges recently and the Los Angeles Times reported that:

Chansa Kabwela, the news editor of the independent newspaper the Post, decided the photos were too shocking to publish but sent them to senior government officials and two women’s groups to draw attention to the hospital crisis. She was arrested and charged with circulating pornography after President Rupiah Banda publicly urged police to take action.

Yet despite never actually publishing the photos Kabwela had action taken against her. The Times of Zambia (via AllAfrica) quotes Kabwela after her courtroom victory:

The smiling Kabwela told journalists outside the courtroom that she could not rule out the possibility of political influence on the matter because there was nothing obscenity about the pictures.

Kabwela said her letter to Vice-President, George Kunda was to remind the people in authority how serious the strike action by the health workers had been.
“I could not imagine how someone could look at those pictures as pornographic because there was nothing pornographic about those pictures. I am really very happy because I knew I did not do anything wrong,” she said.

Not satisfied with harassing Post journalists the government decided to take action against editor-and-chief M’membe. In an editorial the Post stated:

Rupiah’s pettiness and hatred blinded him from seeing the suffering, the pain, the despair or helplessness that those pictures carried. What Rupiah saw was an opportunity to crucify The Post by criminalising its very noble and otherwise sensitive communication with the government. We did not publish our communication with the government. It was done quietly because the editorial staff decided that that was the best way to deliver the message without being seen to be politicising the issue.
…
Chansa’s case exemplifies the recklessness of a president who is drunk with power, who thinks because he is president, he can do anything and cage anyone, he has dominion over everything in this country.

1) Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls)  3.5 Stars

Pro:

• intriguing political atmosphere and its effect on the people
• Many action packed activities: Walking with lions, riding elephants, the infamous bungee jump, Gorge jumping
• Enjoyed the hippy dive bar I went to

Con:

• Victoria Falls did not live up to its name (atleast in May)… I like Niagra
• Activities are high priced

2) Zambia (Zambezi River) 2 Stars

Pro:

• Campsite on Zambezi River was beautiful
• I love monkeys and there were thousands everywhere, also animals invade your campsite.. ever see the book “Monkey Portraits” (LOVE IT!)

Con: 

•  lack luster overall

3) Malawi 4 Stars – Personal Favorite

Pro:

• the reason it is my favorite is not because it is the best but because it involved connecting with the culture and the people
• People in Malawi are very friendly and happy even though they are the poorest (makes you open your eyes ALOT)
• The Area is beautiful, very lush, very relaxed and most of Malawi is on Lake Malawi

4) Tanzania 3.5 Stars

Pro:

• All about safaris, and Masaii Mara culture, Snake Park is a must campsite
• Ngorongoro crater is absolutely the most amazing spectacle in nature

Con:

• Serengeti was lack luster, in fact null luster (but only because of bad timing… MAKE SURE TO GO ON SAFARI WHEN THE MIGRATION IS THERE BEFORE YOU SPEND $400

5) Zanzibar 5 Stars

Pro:

• An island in the Indian Ocean almost speaks for itself. All Day Snorkeling, boating  and huge lunch was well worth the $10?!?!? what
• GO TO KENDWA ROCKS BAR ON HE NORTH SHORE AND DON”T FORGET THE MARKET ON THE SOUTH PART
• It is not just an Island, it has sooo much culture, history, and don’t forget to take a Spice Tour… well worth it!

6) Nairobi, Kenya 3 Stars

Pro:

• It is Nairobi, you must say that you have been there
• You are instantly a celebrity if you are White. I felt like Britney Spears (maybe not a pro)

Con:

• People Stalk you and hassle you
• It is not particularly safe
• Sites are nothing spectucular, unless you go kiss a Giraffe like me look at my travel page

7) Masai Mara (mostly Kenya) 4.5 Stars

Pro:

• The GREAT MIGRATION WAS HERE…. sort of. Not in full force but it was here.
• Felt like I was on the National geographic, scouting around… Kenya has more liberal laws about driving right up on animals
• The Masaii Mara culture is interesting. From circumsizing girls/boys to killing lions for manhood.

If you would like to see pictures check out my Flickr or you can facebook friend me (let me know who you are and why you are adding me!!!)  And as always, leave comments and feel free to ask questions.

We’ve blogged about our Tonga baskets before; they are similar in pattern to Binga baskets from Zimbabwe, but much deeper and more robust.

Since we’ve struggled to source Binga baskets for the past year, we’ve moved more towards the Tonga baskets, though they too are prety hard to come by.

So it’s great to get a fresh batch in, though they are unlikely to be around for long! Full details can be found in our online store.

Here’s what the largest one looks like:

The tour of the photos on the country pages of the CIA World Factbook continues in this post with ones from African nations, and so we’ll start with a regional map, then work our way counter clockwise, starting with Libya:

Minaret seen through the 2nd century A.D. Arch of Marcus Aurelius, Tripoli, Libya

Medina or old city quarter, Tripoli, Libya

Roman theater at Sabratha, Libya

Algiers, Algeria

The oasis village of Beni Abbes, Algeria.

The oasis village of Taghit in the Sahara, Algeria

Sahara Dunes, Algeria

The Hassan Tower and remains of a mosque next to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco

Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco

Lake Nyos, Cameroon

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders) [Victoria Falls], Zimbabwe

Gorge carved by Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders) [Victoria Falls], Zambia

People’s Palace, Stone Town, Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Rwanda hillside.

Frame for a rondavel (house), Uganda

Acacia trees in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

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10/21/09: Livingstone, Zambia

Today Zhou was given a birthday cake and a card signed by our 20 newest friends.

These are 20 people who probably wouldn’t have made our wedding invite list if we had expanded it to half a billion guests, yet now I wish a lot of them could have been there. It’s amazing what a difference 40 days makes. Tomorrow we will all go our separate ways (well, six of us will go our way, three will go another and 11 will go a third). It’s a bit of a weird day, because these people are a large part of what a “world trip” is to me. It feels like we have been away from home for a year, and many of these people were there with us from day 1. Tomorrow the six of us join 12 new travelers for six more days so we won’t be going it alone quite yet, but this feels the end of our African overland tour as we know it. As a goodbye celebration, three of the girls on the tour put on an “Acacia Academy Awards” ceremony, complete with over 60 nominations in more than 20 categories.

Kate, Hatty and Cara, the three award presenters

The rest of us. Notice the two in the back trying to spell Ohio but failing miserably. It’s not as easy as it looks!

In the spirit of this night, here are the nominees for the award that Zhou and I won: Most Non-American Americans Cutest Couple Happiest Honeymooners Best Looking People Ever And the winner is… Cutest couple! Yes, thanks to Zhou’s ability to sleep in the smallest possible areas on the truck and my ability to stay out of the way, we won this, the second award of the night.

This ceremony was symbolic of how close we’ve become as an entire group. And as excited I am to continue on to other continents and other adventures, I’ll miss the comraderie of the Acacia Zambezi truck. So although I know in an earlier post I said I wouldn’t name names, but thank you Aaron, Aimee, Anna, Cara, Carol, Filza, Frances, Garry, Hatty, Helen, Imogen, Judy, Kate, Katie, Kwi, Marietjie, Mark, Matt, Mitra, Nick, Richard, Pamela, Sarah, Shaun, Siuha, Tom, Tracy and Zoe. Hope to see you all elsewhere around the world. In a half-hearted effort to end this post on a more interesting note to those of you who weren’t on our truck, Zhou and I were walking the campgrounds this morning when two feet in front of us a packet of vitamins fell from the sky like a stage light on the Truman show. Within seconds, hungry monkeys converged on it from all angles. Apparently one had dropped it from a tree overhead and as they say, one monkey’s clumsiness is another monkey’s treasure. Zhou and I simply watched in silence, then slowly backed away and walked down another path. _____________________________________________

Picture of the Day: Sorry cat, barbecue Fritos are for kids.

…all she was doing was making a serious issue heard amongst those with political and social power in Zambia (read the story on today’s results here).

I can remember hearing a special report on about this story back in Summer on Radio 5 Live’s Up All Night show. The story is, that during a nurses strike in the country, there was a woman giving birth in a car park. The reason for this was that the mother to be could not afford private health care – there was no proper help to deliver the child because of the nurse’s strike and the woman giving birth was turned away from 2 clinics and the largest hospital in Zambia The child died, and a family member of the woman who gave birth had taken photos of the event and handed them in to The Post, Zambia’s biggest newspaper. Chansa Kabwela, an editor for the newspaper distributed the photos of the woman giving birth to prominent figures within the Zambian government, as well as others. Now, being the squeamish person that I am, if I was sent photos of a woman giving birth, yes, I’d be a bit horrified and it seems as though horror got the best of those who were sent the photos…enough horror to have this woman arrested. This resulted in her being charged with distributing obscene materials, followed by a media-filled court case…But whilst there are many questions to why the family member was not found out and charged for handing in the photos (distributing them should I say), shouldn’t Rufia Banda and co be questioning why a woman in child labour was turned away from three hospitals, resorting to giving birth in a car park, the infant dying, and how all of this could have been prevented. Had Kabwela  published the photos straight away – then there would have been cause for concern regarding the content.

To finish off the title sentence, i’m happy for her because she can (hopefully) continue to do her job, and with this story making international headlines once again, there is an oppurtunity for Zambia’s Head of State to be bombarded with a few question that just might make him consider his the issues between the country’s heath sector, and the impoverished, since there’s no opportunity to gloat at her being imprisoned.  If not, without a doubt there will be future presidential candidates and politicians alike (current and aspiring), that will be willing to fight for such a cause. Well, I hope so…

Dear Chansa Kabwela,

I am very glad to see that you have been acquitted of the ridiculous charge of pornography brought against you. Photographs of a woman giving birth to a stillborn child, after her breech delivery was turned away from two clinics due to striking workers, is not pornography. I could describe it as many things, but it is not pornography.

The charge had no basis in fact, and was clearly political in nature. The fact that you work as an editor for The Post, a newspaper much disliked by the government of Zambia, appears to Me to be more relevant to the charges against you than the actual photographs produced.

However, I could be wrong. I am aware that sometimes I exhibit a cynicism which may not always be founded in fact. It is indeed possible that the authors of the charge against you – members of Zambia’s political branch and judiciary – are in fact sexually excited by the birth of dead babies. The purpose of pornography is to induce arousal, yes? I cannot fathom how the pictures of this poor woman and her infant could possibly be sexually arousing for anyone, and yet it has obviously sent members of your country’s ruling class into an advanced state of priapism. They would not class it as pornography otherwise now, would they? Indeed, it is commonly said of pornography that we know it when we see it. Personal tastes necessarily come into this, but the Zambian government has clearly seen and known – and unless Zambia has a disgusting national fetish kept secret from the wider world, this knowledge can only come from the individual’s personal experience.

Unfortunately for those harassing you, the implicit admission that your photographs have set them to furious masturbation does not in itself prove that such was your goal in disseminating the photographs in the first place. A more likely alternative is that you were trying to illustrate an important social issue. Fortunately, the magistrate on the case has a working understanding of probability, and is unburdened by political motives and/or obscene sexual fantasies.

If only one could say the same for the Zambian government. As it is, the best one can do is to keep them far, far away from any maternity ward or children’s cemetery, lest their lack of control causes further embarrassment.

Somewhat disgusted (although not at you), I remain

LuciFish.

World Bank recently released a report that stated the $93 billion is needed Infrastructure in Africa.

The World Bank said yesterday that the amount needed to fix infrastructure in Africa is twice what was previously estimated. It put the new figure at $93 billion half of which, it noted, should go into boosting power supply.

A joint study just released by the bank from Washington cited examples of infrastructural challenges in the continent. African consumers pay twice as much for basic services as people elsewhere in the world.

A monthly basket of prepaid mobile telephone services costs $12 in Africa but only $2 in South Asia.

Resource-rich countries like Nigeria and Zambia can manage funding gap of four percent of GDP. For much of the rest of the continent, the task ahead is daunting.

The poor state of infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa cuts back national economic growth by two percentage points every year. Bank study team which assessed the state of infrastructure in 24 countries across the continent also discovered that poor electricity, water, roads and information and communications technology (ICT) reduces productivity by as much as 40 percent.

“Modern infrastructure is the backbone of an economy and the lack of it inhibits economic growth,” says Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank.

This would be a good opportunity for American companies in construction, management, chemicals and telecommunications to grow their exports.

CALGARY, Nov. 16 /CNW/ – Why in the world is an organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of blindness spending money on toilets?

“Because believe it or not, toilets and blindness are directly connected,” says Pat Ferguson, President & CEO of Operation Eyesight. “Proper sanitation and clean water are in short supply in the developing world and that contributes to a high rate of unnecessary blindness and other serious health problems.”

A new study conducted by Zambia’s Ministry of Health and supported by Operation Eyesight found that trachoma was 28 per cent more likely to strike in households that do not have proper toilet facilities. The study, which covered five districts in Zambia, found that up to 80 per cent of the households surveyed do not have toilets.

“Trachoma is caused by a bacterium and is easily spread from person to person and by flies which breed on human waste,” says Ferguson. “So it’s no surprise that proper sewage disposal helps to prevent this horrible disease.”

Trachoma is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. In parts of Zambia and Kenya where Operation Eyesight supports development projects designed to eliminate trachoma, up to 30 per cent of children age one to nine years are infected.

Without treatment, trachoma causes a person’s eyelids to turn inward so that the eyelashes constantly scrape the eyeball. It is extremely painful and can lead to permanent blindness. The World Health Organization estimates more than 80 million people are affected by trachoma and about 8 million suffer the advanced stages of the disease and are visually impaired.

Operation Eyesight’s trachoma projects are designed to both treat and permanently eliminate trachoma. The projects follow the World Health Organization-endorsed SAFE strategy which includes Surgery to treat the late stage of the disease, Antibiotics to eliminate infection, Face washing and hygiene promotion, and Environmental change including water wells and latrines to prevent re-infection.

To be effective, the ambitious projects require construction of thousands of latrines, drilling hundreds of wells, mass distribution of antibiotics and training thousands of citizens in hygiene and well management.

“These projects are large and costly,” says Ferguson, “But the benefits are enormous. In addition to preventing unnecessary blindness, the SAFE strategy dramatically reduces other serious diseases, helps keep children in school and saves women the need to walk many kilometers in search of water, which is usually unfit for human consumption.”

Operation Eyesight is working in close partnership with the governments of Kenya and Zambia and is a member of GET2020, the World Health Organization initiative to eradicate trachoma from the entire world by 2020. For more information about Operation Eyesight’s trachoma projects, visit www.operationeyesight.com.

Operation Eyesight is a Canadian international development organization dedicated to preventing and treating blindness throughout the world for more than 45 years – primarily in South Asia and Africa. We help local medical professionals provide comprehensive, sustainable eye care and community development for the people of the world who can least afford it. Since 1963, Operation Eyesight has restored sight to more than two million people and provided blindness prevention services to nearly 33 million others. For more information, visit www.operationeyesight.com.

Global Blindness – Every five seconds, one person in our world goes blind and a child goes blind every minute. More than 90 per cent of the world’s blind people live in developing countries, where day-to-day life is already challenging and blindness is a direct threat to life. About 80 per cent of this blindness is preventable or treatable.

Source – NewsWire