The prize money well spent......

Sunday, June 24th I had those who helped me on the show preparation to come dinner I cooked with their wives.......but my main counterpart did not come.....they told me that I should not have invited the both of the two wives to come togather......so I learned.......

My beekeeping was greatly supported by the head of Dept of Forestry, Ba Kanja.....many thanks for my heart that he came give my villagers a brief introduction, we will have two whole day workshop soon.....

Starting seriously on existing ponds' managements.....

Also, connecting my area's women's groups to the Government Programs, plus I got smart to have them take the American veggie seeds I have collected to make a group called "Collective Seeds Group" that they need to keep seeds and give me back twice as much in the envelope to give to the next farmers.......if all worked they should have lots of herb and veggies in few months.....

Okay, should not push my luck on internet.....been two weeks it cuts off on me half of my posting....till next time....you all have a nice long weekend ahead......Cheng   6/28/2012

Lake Bangweulu.......

Ba Lloyd and his wife and new baby girl of 10 months old came visited me from Mabumba - my Yasakwa friends......after one whole year of non- communicated.....

In the car were also their good friend's family and their supporting sisters with their own supporting sisters.....they took me in to the car and went for Lake Bagweulu for the afternoon....

we visited the post boat which is going to all three islands on Mondays and Wednesdays and come back on Tuesdays and Thursdays.....I might take this ride one of these days, when work schedule permited.....

Lake was calm and beautiful as it has been in my head and heart........

we had a little distance of boat ride....all of their first time on water, on boat.....it was a smooth ride, but noisies all the way.....

Valley Ball - all played well........

my hair is long enough to to tight up now......Cheng 6/28/2012

The big time at Agricultural Show and a big surprise....

Carmen and Mark had visitor from New Zealand and invited me for lunch, in turn I show my trip pictures of my 9 months in Seattle....Lily and Nala enjoyed the Meldives dive pix the most.... 

A girl came bring me the water, so I found that she is 14 year old and her son is 13 month old....boyfriend run away......living with 82 year old Grandmo and Aunt, who is a widow and has 6 of her own children....it took me two weeks to talk with all around to put her back in school.....now the Aunt is taking care of baby when she is in school....because of it, both of the girl and Aunt have cases at hand for Government Education Program, Social Walfare and NGO's help.....Carmen and Mark is one of her resources too.

June 22nd the Anuual Agricultural Show in Makasa Primary School, which is about one kilometer from my home, of course, I took one booth to interduce Peace Corps, me and my work in Yasakwa and future work for Makasa......

I wrote them in Bemba, so noone after me for not speaking much of Bemba with all people visited the booth..... 

The tipy-top water for hand watsh that I learned from PST in Mansa couple weeks back....

My secondary counterpart - Ba Pama. took over the presentation quick after and that is good insurance of substainable on whatever I am showing that telling here.....

I am really after villagers to go on beekeeping....

The show had profermances of dances from schools and groups....

at end they even gave out prizes for all sorts of exhibitions....

Than.....I heard the announcement of "Ba Peace Corps".....while announcer was reading the prize envelope the commissioner assistance was looking straight at me that help me to understand fully that I won the second prize........

It came with $30,000 Kwacha that equals to US$6.00 whole dollars......

What a surprise........Cheng 6/28/2012

Busying in all directions, just not yet on fishery....

Trying to make a energy saving stove at the Camp officer's Nsaka.....my counterparts smashed termit dirt to max with some sand.......

we took bricks from a fallen down house....

A Dept of Forestry officer came watch the progresses and helped to bring more bricks....

I extended the project into two burners stove with a chimeny to vent out.....

Next weekend we will take out the center brick and finish it up.....

Almost done.....until coming weekend....after I come back from PST meeting in Mansa. 

I am in Mansa now and taking the advantage of power and internet to catch up on blog. 

Hope you like it all so far.  Cheng 6/14/2012

Visited my old post home and neighbors in Yasakwa.

Kids are seemingly growing taller.....

From the left: new counterpart - Ba Maxim, Camp officer - Ba Mulele( one of few female officers I work with now), taxi driver, my village Headman, another counterpart - Ba Pama, my old post home at the back. 

People from my new site accompanied me to visit Yasakwa and shared taxi fare too.

My closest old nieghbors - they were almost crying to see me back, till I was taking pictures they were still not able to look at me straight......dear.....

I took new site people to visit Mabumba, my old counterpart - Ba Martin, the chicken house at one time and some fish ponds that were easier to get to....did not go to Lukali School, but will be soon.........

Bugs I don't see in other places were still there....

Ba Martin has been working hard on more fish ponds of his....

Ba Martin's wife and youngest son came all the way to fish ponds to see me.....

PLARD supported 2012 project for Yasakwa fish farmers to raise pigs to produce manuer for fish pond water. 

PLARD supported 2011 project on a brooding pond in Yasakwa - training on construct the pond, management and provided quality fingerlings, now they are continue counstructing three brooding ponds along side with it.

Water lilies everywhere in the wet land......

The road from Lusaka to Mansa is under the repair and re-pave by Chinese Company, it is almost done up to Mansa.  This picture was taken at close to my old post home.  If they do this last year this time, my taxi accident in July 2011 won't have happened.  Cheng  6/14/2012

Kept myself busy.......

Everday using the charcoal to make my food and bath water that brazer lost lots of heat side way so I made a cardboard modle and had the headman's son to make a revised one and proved saving me some charcoal so far.....it will be showing on the Agrecaltural show on June 22nd.

Lake Bangweulu has large fishes too....but it is noticeablly reducing the amount and the size, so our fish pond farming is still on the demend.

Sign to turn to my home......30 yards from it.

I tried all my connections to have villagers in touch with Micro Loan from their churches....but lot of them did not get any.....so I start them with self help loan that every member pay in certain amount of money every week and all take turn to receive it when their number is up.....so far all are happy.

My Camp officer's sister gave birth to a baby boy late May....what a proud Daddy, Mummy and Aunty......Congretulations!!!!

My "in-door-bath" has a drainer that was cut up water bottle turned upside down and I had it changed to what I brought over a 3" pipe with drianer, they found a 4" pipe to extend it to farther away from house......they made fire to soften the 4" pipe and used dried banana leave to tight / shrink it to connect to my 3" pipe...all would work here....no matter what...... 

After couple Saturday's kids gathering in my Nsaka and found more than half of kids can't write their names right.....I went visit the Primary School.....the above is 4 to 7 greaders....the bellow is 1 to 4 greaders.....some 4 greaders are over 11, 12 year old........

I am looking forward to have some books from PCVs when they closed their services in September.  Hope more books will encourage the interest of learning to read and write. 

Got to run to meet with my counterpart that he went to Kitwe to fix a part of the hammermill and he just called that he is back.....so we have work to do.......Hope all you are well.......I am doing fine...... Cheng  6/6/2012