Notes from Zambia

Aug. 10, 2010

Today was another very interesting and insightful day, causing all of us to take pause and reflect on what we are experiencing in this amazing land.

The Farmers Group attended a training of Lead Farmers at the Mfuwe COMACO Trading Center. We are continually impressed with the quality of leadership that the COMACO Extension staff portray.

The Poultry and Bees Group ventured deep into the bush in the Jumbe region where they attended a training for Bee Keepers. This is a relatively new group; the roster is made up of a majority of women and is chaired by a woman, something which the group found to be very satisfying. After the lesson, we took a tour of several of this group’s hives, which make up their apiary. After this tour, team members were treated to some local Zambian fare: nshima with chicken and stir-fried greens.

The Green Market Group had the opportunity to visit some more local vegetable producers. Team members were once again struck by the passion that the COMACO Extension field representative exudes when he works and interacts with COMACO members. After this visit, Wyatt and Catharine had the great opportunity to visit Mushroom Safari Lodge and see a wide array of wildlife.

The evening time after supper allowed time for reflection and discussion among Z-Team members on a wide array of issues ranging from work ethics to poverty and health issues to positive societal/economic development. Such discussion is certainly vital to assisting us to deepen our understanding of COMACO and Zambian society.

Bring on Wednesday!