Welcome to Zambia (officially)

For the past five days, I’ve been attending my official in-country induction i.e. Welcome to Zambia, we will tell you everything you need to know about security, health issues, culture, history, politics, gender, and HIV/AIDS in a nice five day package. Some of the sessions were interesting, but my brain is feeling a little numb from information overload.

In a way, I’m glad that I didn’t get an official introduction when I arrived in December. It is nearly impossible to get a grasp of what happens on a day to day basis from a lecture, even if it gives some people comfort to have a gist of what is going on. It is appropriate to address issues like safe ways to travel at night and how to assemble the water filter. However, many other questions will be answered by experience. I am all for being well informed, but the right attitude will go much further than knowing how everything works. Someone in the cultural session asked about greetings. I suppose a fair question as it’s good to know what to expect when meeting someone for the first time. The Zambian handshake involves a thumb pivot (i.e. clasp like a Western handshake, thumb pivot, and clasp). No explained this to me, but it is possible to figure out the first time it happens. I can’t imagine someone being continuously puzzled by the handshake after experiencing it a few times. Admittedly, it took me a few tries to fully get it. I think a learning-as-you-go attitude has served me well. I can’t say too much fazes me. Although, I was nervous I would not be able to follow the kneel/bow and clap a few times greeting in one community. So much of what I know does not come from a guidebook, but from day to day conversations with people, Zambians and non-Zambians.

Being told some do’s and don’ts now is kind of funny:

1. Don’t go into the shanty compounds
Well, maybe don’t walk through a compound alone at night. Not a lot of foreigners walk in compounds, but in Lusaka, people living in compounds need the most assistance and many NGOs have projects with communities in compounds. There are seven schools in Lusaka that I work with – all of them are in compounds. So, it is essential and beneficial for me to spend time getting to know the teachers and parents. I understand the warning because it is inevitable that everyone will notice you, but that would happen anywhere. I wouldn’t go looking like I had anything valuable on me. And, I wouldn’t walk through at night, but I would never have a reason to do so. Plus, I would be afraid of falling into a ditch. I think when the facilitator said flat out don’t go into compounds, it took too much of a big, bad Africa tone for my liking.

2. Only take official taxis
Official taxis are painted blue. Many other cars are also taxis. I’m not entirely clear on what makes a taxi official (aside from being blue), but there is probably some kind of registration system that involves a fee. In my opinion, a better suggestion would be to only take taxis that look to be in good condition with sober drivers. My preferred taxi guy is super religious, listen to sermons on the radio, and tells me about his children, and his car isn’t blue.

3. Wash your veggies with boiled/filtered water.
In Lusaka, I really can’t be bothered, since in most areas it is perfectly fine to drink tap water. If I lived closer to an area with a Cholera outbreak, I might actually heed the advice. The real issue is that I am too lazy to make sure I have enough filtered water to waste on washing veggies. I will continue drinking filtered water because when I took the filter out to clean, it was covered in yellowish slime. I guess it was filtering something out. And, someone recently told me that once in a while the water treatment plant runs out of chemical, so another reason to boil and filter water.