Go Zambia!

 
 
My niece and her husband recently settled in Cardiff and are about to open their own catering business – no wonder then that this story in WalesOnline grabbed my attention! We wish Professor Hall the best of luck in her remarkable project!

“Artwork by school children and professional artists in Cardiff and Zambia will go on display in an exhibition marking the start of a new link between the two. Professor Judith Hall is working to set up Go Zambia – a new community link between Cardiff and the Chongwe district in the Lusaka Province of Zambia. The aim is for experts in Cardiff to help the African community to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which include reducing maternal and child mortality, improving environmental sustainability and achieving universal primary education.

The exhibition marks the first public event to raise awareness of the burgeoning link and all the art on display has been inspired by Zambia. Prof Hall, a consultant anaesthetist at UHW and head of the department of anaesthetics, intensive care and pain medicine at Cardiff University, founded the charity Mothers of Africa to reduce maternal mortality and has been working in Liberia, Ethiopia, Togo and Benin. Now she is in the process of setting up this wider link with Zambia.

“The idea is to have a multi-disciplinary project which can work more intensively in this country compared to what we’ve been doing before,” she said. “The main problems in the district are communication problems – there’s one road running through the district with a modern hospital at one end and a slightly older one at the other end. But most people live inland where travel is difficult and it can take hours to walk to the road and get help.

“Access to clean water and electricity is a problem immediately after you leave the road. Healthcare is arranged around health posts most of which have no electricity. Solar panels could transform practice. “Each post is run by a qualified nurse, working in isolation. There is no continuing education for staff. As a result morale and standards are probably very low because of this. Pregnant women cannot be delivered at night because there is no electricity. Many die on their way to hospital.”

Prof Hall, a former Welsh Woman of the Year, has organised the exhibition, featuring work by primary and secondary school pupils in Cardiff and professional artists, at the Butetown History and Arts Centre during January to raise awareness of Go Zambia.”

Awesome!

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A Family Affair

The Chanters Lodge Experience – our weekly Sunday night radio show broadcasting at 20.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station – was very much a family affair last Sunday! Why? Well two of the guests were Chanters – Mike (standing) and Alexandra (right) in the photo above – they were accompanied by their friend Cleo Kashimba. We had a lot of fun on the show! Mike, Alex and Cleo have been staying at Chanters in Livingstone for a few days – visiting after a long time away.
Mike, who raps under the name of ‘Liquid Danger’ told listeners that he’s still trying to make his way on the music scene in Lusaka and has recorded about 10 tracks with FlyBy Studios. He hopes to be able to release his first album soon, meanwhile he manages to perform shows in Lusaka most weekends. We featured one of his tracks called ‘Ngwila Mic’. When I asked what the words meant (it’s performed mostly in vernacular) the assembled company, including Milli Jam and George da Soulchild, co-hosts of the show, all looked at each other and smirked saying very little! Just imagine! I had to……..
“How did you meet these people“? Milli Jam asked Cleo. “I met Mike at FlyBy Studios in Lusaka” she replied “and Alexandra cos she’s Mike’s sister”. “Are you also a musician”? Milli Jam wanted to know. Cleo replied that she was and that she had recorded three songs in her one and a half years on the Lusaka music scene. We dropped one of her tracks ‘Manzi Na Pompey’ and all agreed that she has a great voice (and looks for that matter). She told listeners that she would like to go back to school soon to study law, while still furthering her musical career. “Are you married”? Milli Jam predictably wanted to know. Cleo giggled. “In a relationship”? He persisted. “It’s complicated”! She replied. “Facebook status” said Milli Jam.
Milli Jam asked Alex how long she’d been back in Zambia and what she was doing and she told listeners she’d been home since July and that she was on something of a gap year, having completed the South African equivalent of Grade 12 in 2010. She hoped to study journalism in the future with a view to working in the media and/or fashion. “Did you know Alex has also recorded a track”? Mike asked. We didn’t, Alex explained that the song was performed in Zulu (translated as ‘Lose Your Mind’), in which she was fluent.
The music on the show was good. We played ‘Princess of China’ by Coldplay ft Rihanna, back to back with Akon’s ‘Conspiracy’ at the top of the show. After Mike and Cleo’s tracks Milimo featured ‘You’re The Boss’ a great number from Rick Ross featuring Nicki Minaj coupled with ‘Loving You No More’ by Dirty Money featuring Drake. Our oldie of the week was Westlife’s ‘Flying Without Wings’ – an easy track for listeners to guess who the performing artists were. We ask this question every week and the first listener to text us the right answer wins a dinner for two with drinks at Chanters lodge. The prize was quickly won.
The show was interrupted by Charles Chulu, Station Manager of Zambezi fm (wearing a Man U shirt and a sad look 1-6) who proceeded, to my surprise, to present me with a framed certificate from the station for the ‘Most Innovative Contribution Award’. Nice – one assumes the cash will follow behind!! Seriously I was touched and grateful.
Alex told listeners her favourite musicians at the moment were Nicki Minaj, Adele and Corinne Bailey Rae, Mike was into Lil Wayne. Cleo opted for Rihanna and a local artist Mampi.

The guys had not had much time for activities while they’d been in Livingstone but they had featured on Muja Blaze’s show on Zambezi fm the previous day, and were lined up to play at Zambezi Sun the following day. They’d also done some clubbing. The three hoped to be able to take a walk with lions and cheetah’s before returning to Lusaka. Asked about where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years from now, Cleo said ‘settled and successful around the world’, Mike ‘still on top and rich’ while Alex replied ‘married with two children, working, successful and independent’. Nice!

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The Middle Wife

The ‘Middle Wife’ by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

I’ve been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they’re welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant. ‘This is Luke, my baby brother, and I’m going to tell you about his birthday.’

‘First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom’s stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.’ She’s standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I’m trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me.The kids are watching her in amazement.

‘Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, ‘Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!’ Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. ‘She walked around the house for, like an hour, ‘Oh, oh, oh!’ (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

‘My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn’t have a sign on the car like the Domino’s man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.’ (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.) ‘And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!’ (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands mimicking water flowing away. It was too much!)

‘Then the middle wife starts saying ‘push, push,’ and ‘breathe, breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom’s play-center, (placenta) so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there.’

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I’m sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it’s show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another ‘ Middle Wife’ comes along.

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Children And The Ocean


Thanks to Judy in Australia for these Saturday sizzlers concerning children writing about the ocean!

1) – This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles.
(Kelly, age 6)

2) – Oysters’ balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)

3) – If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don’t have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (age 7)

4) – Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson She’s not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)

5) – A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head.
(Billy, age 8)

6) – My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6)

7) – When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn’t blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7)

8) – Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)

9) – I’m not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can’t think what to write. (Amy, age 6)

10) – Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers. (Christopher, age 7)

11) – When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)

12) – Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can’t go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky, age 8)

13) – On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won’t do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7)

14) – The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don’t drown I don’t know. (Bobby, age 6)

15) – My dad was a sailor on the ocean He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn’t know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)

If you didn’t chuckle at one of these, you need to find a better sense of humor.

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Quilt For Zambia


Author Sharon T Rose is raffling a quilt to raise money for children in Zambia in view of her forthcoming visit to this country and there’s a photo of the item. Here’s what she says on her blog. You can follow Sharon on Twitter @sharontherose

“The fundraiser is live!

Win the quilt pictured above!

I am raffling off the quilt in the pictures below, and your donations put you in the running to get it! Each US$25.00 that you contribute towards the kids gets you one entry in the raffle. I am keeping a list based on the contribution notices I receive via the campaign below: ChipIn: Sharon’s Zambia Trip! If you don’t feel comfortable using this online donation software but would still like to contribute, you are welcome to contact me directly by combining LilyFields Entertainment (with no spaces) and using the gmail server.

This lovely fabric was made in Zambia and is hand-stitched entirely by yours truly. Finished piece will be a bit more than a meter squared and suitable for both use and display. I will announce the winner on 1 April 2011. I will take the list compiled from donations and run it through a randomizer to select the winner. If you donated previously, you are already on the list. You are welcome to donate in as many separate transactions as you care to; the “tickets” are based on cumulative donations. Yes, I will ship internationally.

So, what are you waiting for!

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Sarah Knight

Check this wonderful picture of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with the lovely Sarah Knight in the foreground, before she climbed the mountain in aid of Sparks Childrens Charity. I got to know Sarah on Twitter where she’s @sarknight – well worth a follow!

In her usual life Sarah’s director of a regional recruitment agency – Sarah West Recruitment – and passionate about her industry, local business and her work. Mother to 2 amazing children who inspire her on a daily basis to not only aim high, but to enjoy the little things in life too.

Sarah has a ‘can do’ attitude to life and adventures, she loves life and tries to make the most of every moment and encourage others to do the same. Climbing Kilimanjaro was initially another flippant ‘yes’, little did she know that this adventure would be such a learning experience, bringing the rewards of new friendships and new experiences. That’s without even setting foot on the mountain!

If you follow her blog like I do, then I guess we’ll find out more about her climb when she has time to write. On Twitter she said it was without doubt the toughest thing she’s ever done in her life. Awesome I call it!

Sarah lives in Exeter, just 15 miles from where I was born.

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Guests Donate To SOS


We don’t often reproduce Guest reviews from TripAdvisor on the blog, as they update automatically on to our website anyway. In exceptional cases we do though and I think this most recent review qualifies as exceptional through the generosity of our Guests.

“My 19 year old daughter and I stayed at Chanters Lodge for 3 nights in January. Mr. Chanter (himself!) picked us up (and returned us to) the airport at no extra charge. He also gave us a ride to Victoria Falls (normally a $10 US taxi ride and about 10 minutes) while showing us a bit of Livingstone and giving us some travel tips ~ that immediately made us feel much more comfortable with our new surroundings.

This was our first visit to Zambia. We decided to stay at Chanters Lodge because we did not want the insulation of one of the big hotels. We are so GLAD that we chose Chanters! Our room was charming with mosquito nets (not really needed during our stay) over the beds. All of the staff at the Lodge, especially Anastasia, were very helpful in helping us choose activities and get them all arranged. It was no problem to call a taxi to the Lodge for pick-up to our activities when transportation was not included.

The Lodge has a restaurant so meals were easy and delicious. A full breakfast ordered off the menu is included with the room.

We visited the spectacular Victoria Falls two times, walked out on the bridge to Zimbabwe, bartered for souvenirs at the “curio” stands in town, had high tea on Livingstone Island, and canoed for a half-day on the upper Zambezi. Chanters Lodge is an easy walk in to Livingstone (the falls are a $7 taxi ride from town – too far to walk). Anastasia easily helped us make the arrangements for tea, canoeing, and taxis. No pressure at all for booking any trips and Anastasia shared some very helpful tips based on other hotel guest’s reviews.

Prior to coming to Zambia, Richard Chanter helped us make contact with a local orphanage which we hoped to visit with some gifts. Anastasia even accompanied us on our trip to the SOS Children’s Village. The SOS Childrens Village, by the way, seems to be a very well run home and school for 180 children. Our visit was welcomed, our gifts appreciated (we brought to large duffle bags of Tshirts and toys), and we were totally impressed with educational opportunites for the kids and the structure of the homes. A very worthy organization that operates in 130+ countries.

A bonus for us was meeting Tim and Claire, newlyweds who were on our same flight into Livingstone and staying at Chanters. We ended up doing most activities with them and really enjoying their company! Even when we were caught in a ferocious rain storm while at the Falls. We sloshed our way to the Royal Livingstone Hotel to have a cup of tea on the veranda with a beautiful view of the grounds and the Zambezi with the clouds of spray from the Falls. Walking to the Royal Livingstone for tea was an excellent suggestion from Richard Chanter.

I would heartily recommend Chanters Lodge and would definitely stay there again if chance ever brings me back to Livingstone.”

Thanks to the author! The picture? Children playing at the SOS Childrens Village.

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Ethel Mashawila & Shupiwe Mulenga


This week, for a change, on the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela – our weekly Sunday night radio show, airing at 20.30 hrs for an hour on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm – we featured two of the kitchen staff from Chanters Lodge. Ethel Mashawila (left) and Shupiwe Mulenga pictured above. Shupiwe’s our acting head cook and Ethel ‘the vice’ as she put it, when Milli Jam asked the girls what positions they held at the lodge.

Although the girls confessed to being ‘a bit nervous’ on the way to the studio they had no need to be – they were both well spoken, interesting and happy on air, as indeed they are for the most part at work. “What would you cook for us if we came to eat at the lodge”? George (Kaufela) and Milimo (Milli Jam) asked the girls. “For you Kaufela we’d cook pepper steak with mashed potatoes” replied Ethel. “Mmmm nice” said George. “You, Milli Jam, will have chitonga chicken with nsima” continued Shupi. “Why”? asked Milimo. “You look like a Tonga”! She replied, as we all laughed. The girls went on to explain the preparation of the dishes to the listeners.

Shupiwe and Ethel explained that they’d both worked at Chanters for about 2 years. Milli Jam asked Shupiwe how old she was but she refused to tell him! Pursuing the matter Milimo queried her: “aren’t you too young to be in charge of the kitchen”? Shupiwe acidly replied “leadership has no age barrier”. And that shut him up! Stunning! The presenters, as usual, wanted to know if the girls had boyfriends. Ethel told listeners that she had, and also an 8 month old baby girl, Queen. Shupiwe replied that she was ‘very single’ which made the guys sit up and take notice.

The music for the show was excellent as usual. After our opening ‘Candy’ by Aggro Santos we spun Mohombi’s ‘Bumpy Ride’ back to back with Timati ft Diddy Dirty Money and ‘I’m On You’. George chose a Zone Fam number ‘It’s Alright’ as we’d been blogging about Zone Fam during the week. This he coupled with a latest track from Ty2 ft JK ‘Ubuchende’ – “what does that mean”? I asked. “You’ll be told off air”! Was the answer…and I was! Milli Jam featured Bruno Mars with Damian Marley ‘Liquor Store Blues’ coupled with David Archuleta’s ‘The Other Side’. ‘Drop Down’ Akon ft Ludacris and Katy Perry’s ‘Part Of Me’ wound up a good play list.

“What kind of music are you into”? The girls were asked. Ethel replied that she liked Zambian music and Gospel, Shupiwe slow tracks, with her favourite artists Monica and Whitney Houston. “Stuck in the 90’s with Milli Jam” was my comment on that one! Asked about their ambitions both girls said they’d love to own their own businesses one day involving food production.

After we’d given away the usual dinner for two with drinks, I made the point that one of the least expected positive results of hosting a weekly radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm was the morale boost it gave the staff at the lodge. Ethel and Shupiwe confessed that when it wasn’t busy at work and the show was on, the Chanters Girls back at the lodge danced. “I don’t mind” I said, “I love the big smiles we get when we come back from the studio”! And I do!

In other news one of these girls said she supported Manchester United, the other Chelsea.

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The Aussies Are Back!


No! Even though it’s Ashes time this isn’t a cricket reference! The headline refers to the three Australian ladies pictured above left to right – Judy Smetherham, Kerry Hegney and Di Rapson, appearing (with furry friends) for the second time on our weekly Sunday night radio show, The Chanters Lodge Experience with The Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild, which goes out live at 20.30 hours for an hour on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm. The ladies’ first appearance was back in April 2009 on their last visit to Zambia. What brought them back? Well, when they were asked this on air, their smart reply was “we heard rumours Richard was looking much younger”! “Quite right too!” I said, while others just sniggered…

In fact the ‘girls’ were back in Livingstone for two weeks to do some of the things they hadn’t done on their last visit, including a microlight flight over the Falls, a swim in Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island and a two night, three day visit to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, leaving from Kasane Airport the next day. They also planned to do the cheetah encounter and as usual visit Maramba Market and Zambian friends they’d made during their last stay. In a way more importantly, the ladies had come from Australia via the Copperbelt in Zambia where they’d delivered 400 school bags, and over 200 soft toys to children at Chiwawatala, Chankuta and Mishikishi Primary Schools. They had to get special permission from the airlines they used to carry all that excess luggage in such a good cause. Oh! and they brought some beanies too. “Beanies”? I hear you ask. Don’t know your Aussie slang do ya? Woollen hats in real English. I only knew the slang as the ladies kindly brought me the ‘Australian Slang Dictionary’! Allows me to be rude to the Aussie cricketers on TV in their own language.

The only tinge of sadness was the news that Mr Billy Mulonda, head of one of the families the ladies had been helping in Ndola had been struck by lightning and killed the day they were leaving the Copperbelt. We sent our deepest condolences. After the Copperbelt the ladies had spent time at Mfue Lodge in South Luangwa National Park and had had a great time, seeing loads and loads of different animals.

The music on the show was awesome and featured numbers from Aggro Santos, Bruno Mars and Cee Lo Green to get the party started. George chose Cray J with ‘Chipe’ for the first of his local tracks, and then Brothahood Crew with ‘If It’s Loving’. George himself featured on this track – as I mentioned last week he’s a locally famous singer by the name of Kafuela as well as a great DJ and technician. George was hot from a live rock show at a venue in Livingstone on Saturday afternoon organized by 107.7 fm. ‘Were you mobbed by young girls’? I wanted to know. ‘Of course’! Was the short answer. Milli Jam chose 112 with ‘Only You’ and Aliyah with ‘Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number’ for his tracks, after which we moved on to ‘Bottoms Up’ by Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, ‘Love All Over Me’ by Monica and Jay Sean’s great ‘Break Ya Back’!

“What have you ladies been up to since the last time we saw you” Milli Jam wanted to know. Well, plenty was the answer. Judy had travelled to the UK and Paris, Kerry to Egypt, Turkey and Holland and Di to Bali. Di, who’d sadly lost her dad during this period, had also been to shows by Pink and Nickelback in Perth where these ladies live. “Noticed any changes in Livingstone and at Chanters”? The DJ’s wanted to know. “Plenty”! The girls replied – mentioning new rooms and the suite at Chanters, as well as Richard and Annastasia’s new offices. They’d seen that Livingstone boasted a new shopping mall.

As usual we gave away a dinner for 2 at Chanters Lodge with drinks to the first person this week who could tell us where these lively and funny ladies came from. Australia was the first answer we received by text from Karen. Result!

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Class Photo!


The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.

‘Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ‘There’s Jennifer, she’s a lawyer,’ or ‘That’s Michael, he’s a doctor.’

A small voice at the back of the room rang out:
‘And there’s the teacher, she’s dead!’

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