Mosi-Road

Prevention measures during COVID-19 in Zambia

by with One Comment Uncategorized

Zambians are known for having warm, loving hearts toward each other so no handshake and close contact when greeting is a strange thing. Schools are closed and playing kids are isolated from one another, which is odd for a new generation. Kids in Zambia love to play in mini-groups of 5-15 depending on the traditional game.

The social distance and quarantine are reducing the spread of the virus and resulting in fewer vehicles and people traffic on the roads. Mosi oa Tunya Road leading to Victoria Waterfalls usually full of tourists and locals on sidewalks is now merely empty.

As prevention measures during COVID 19 Zambian Council implemented also the availability of handwash buckets. Disinfected stands are found in front of the mall entrance the same with distance ribbons on the floor to direct customers of social distance. 

Hand washing is a must before using ATM Machine or any other monetary transaction.

In Zambia, as in Poland, there is a lack of face masks. Masks are handmade of chitenge fabrics. The local tailoring shops have hand washing buckets in front of the shop to prevent hand to the surface transmission of COVID 19. Before and after touching any fabrics you have to wash your hands.

Local fruit vendors are also keeping safe. All customers have to wash their hands before touching fruits. 

61 is the total number of confirmed COVID 19 cases in Zambia, including 3 deaths and 33 recoveries.

Dear Zambians – stay safe in this hard period!

christmas

Christmas in CreatIWE Home

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Ho, ho, ho!

As I was planning, I got back to Linda before Christmas, so I could celebrate it with CreatIWE Home’s Family. I’m so happy, that I could spend this time in Zambia!

Together we decorated the room with lights and balloons and sat along with the tables. We had our common meal thanks to the contribution and gifts of Polish donors. Beatrice and her helpers prepared donated food: rice, ham and meat, sweets and lollipops. The socio-therapeutic club “Ignis” from Bielsko-Biała sent us also a package full of presents. Among other gifts, there was a book with Christmas drawings of Polish children and delicious gingerbread cookies!
Thanks to the campaign “Zambia – mission of the heart” carried out in Radom, volleyball players of the team KKS Kozienice donated numerous sport gadgets and their club’s t-shirts. It was a great joy for sport-loving kids from MCH!

After dinner there was a time for singing together, talking about Christmas in Poland and in Zambia, and of course, enjoying presents from Poland, brought by Father Christmas – that’s how they call Santa Claus. It was a really magical evening!

Once again, thousands thanks to all the donors. You gave so much joy and smile to the children, who otherwise couldn’t count on a proper Christmas dinner of any gifts. We hope, that you had a wonderful Christmas, and we wish you all the best in the new year. Let’s spend it Together!

79125797_782181542203140_1232249864096579584_n

City of Zgierz patronage for MISSION ZAMBIA

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Good news! We obtained official patronage of the city of Zgierz President!

My recent meeting with the Department of Promotion and Culture of Zgierz resulted in a few exciting outcomes. There will be collections of school materials under the slogan “People of Zgierz for Linda – Zambia” throughout the whole city. From January to May 2020, the residents will be able to support the Action MISSION ZAMBIA in places such as school secretariats, the City of Zgierz Office, the Department of Promotion and Culture and the Cultural Park City of Weavers. The help will also be targeted at the specific equipment most needed in Africa.

The first event of our cooperation was a meeting with a group of over 100 children from Primary School No. 11 in Zgierz (the plan assumed 40 people!).  Additionally, we had a guest from Zambia, my friend Everisto, about whose visit I will tell you soon. He brought some of the handmade craft that Beatrice designs and makes in the CreatIWE Home, and he was willingly answering kids’ questions. With words and photos, we told about Linda, the people there and their everyday life. The next was a practical part of the workshop: children were cheerfully trying on African costumes and were attempting to carry as many grass baskets as possible – this task is harder than it may sounds! Of course, there were also plenty of photos with Everisto and Zambian chitenge. Thank you to everyone present for such a joyful commitment to our meeting!

The journalist of the magazine “Zgierz Moja Przestrzeń” was also present at the event and interviewed me about the entire project. Our cooperation with Zgierz looks very promising! I am looking forward to what will happen next 😉

What do you need to go to Zambia?

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Next departure to Zambia is coming! 

I won’t say a specific date yet, but I’m planning to spend Christmas with CreatIWE Home Family. What do you need to go to Zambia? Let’s prepare Together!

Passport and visa

Your passport must be valid at least 6 months ahead from crossing the Zambian border. Remember about it in advance – getting a new one can take up to 30 days. It is possible to obtain a visa in Zambian Consulate (in Europe: Berlin, London or Rome), online (e-visa) or to get a visa on arrival – in this case you will pay a bit less.

The cost of a single-entry tourist visa is 50$, and a double-entry 80$. Each of them allows you to stay in Zambia within 90 days from the issuing date.

Vaccines

No vaccinations are mandatory when entering Zambia, but you should definitely not ignore the topic! Due to different sanitary conditions and bacterial flora different from European ones, several vaccines are recommended.

Warning! This is not medical advice. Approximately 2 months before departure, you should go to a travel medicine doctor who will properly choose prevention and help us decide individually which vaccines we want to receive.

The most often recommendations, including the ones I have decided to follow, are vaccinations against the following diseases:

  • yellow fever (if we arrive from areas threatened by this disease, proof of vaccination may be compulsory)
  • hepatitis A
  • hepatitis B
  • tetanus + diphtheria

If you are at risk of drinking contaminated water or food or plan to visit rural areas such as Linda, you should also be vaccinated for:

  • cholera
  • typhoid (typhus)

That’s true, that health prevention is pricey. But the costs of vaccines are surely lower than the cost of curing any of the mentioned diseases, and with no doubt, easier to pay than the price of our health.

Malaria

In Zambia, there is a risk of malaria throughout the year, so it is good to think of precautions. As in the case of vaccines, taking antimalarial medications is a personal decision, which should be made after consultation with a doctor. It also depends on the length of stay. Besides that, it is good to have a mosquito net or ensure that it is available in the place where we will sleep.

Take with you (and use!) strong repellent with 50% DEET (active substance), ex. Mugga. That’s very important!

Flight tickets

It is a wonderful feeling to hold in your hand boarding pass for a flight to another hemisphere! Prices of tickets vary, so it’s good to spend a few days searching for the connection if we care about the budget. A round trip can cost us 800 – 1000€. We can also expect one or two changes during over a dozen hours of traveling. Well, the flight to Zambia is an adventure itself!

Other preparations

Preparations do not end with the above. It is important to take care in advance about accommodation at least for the first night. Despite the excitement of traveling, after such a long flight I always dream of a normal bed 😉 We should also check how to get there from the airport to avoid unnecessary stress.

What about other aspects of preparation? What to pack? What are the customs in Zambia? Don’t worry, I will tell about them as well! Prepare together with me on Maggie’s World and Together in Zambia.

Independence Day

by with No Comment Uncategorized

24th of October Zambia celebrates Independence Day!

This is the 55th anniversary of Zambia becoming an independent country, so the whole nation is preparing for the celebration of the national holiday. Creative Home is also buzzing with preparations: kids are painting flags and rehearse singing of patriotic songs. There is a joyful and sublime atmosphere – although the history of this country was not easy. 

 

The location in the depths of the African land contributed to the fact that Europeans arrived in the terrains of current Zambia no earlier than in the nineteenth century. In 1888 Cecil Rhodes obtained mineral rights in the region for Great Britain. In 1911 those lands were merged to form Northern Rhodesia (Rhodesia named after Cecil Rhodes), as a British protectorate. Its borders were drawn on maps, regardless of the number of tribes inhabiting these areas, the multitude of languages, or existing conflicts. Initially, Rhodesia was governed by an administration appointed from London, later the British government took over the control. Only political changes in the 1950s led to the formation of local parties demanding sovereignty and, as a result, the first elections.

24th of October 1964 Northern Rhodesia became the independent Republic of Zambia.

 

Outer organization and artificial delimitation of borders are the reason why nowadays we can find in Zambia several dozens of ethnic groups, speaking 73 different languages. However, the country’s motto, which we can see in the national emblem is “One Zambia, One Nation” which is to emphasize the unity of all Zambians and the desire to unite rather than create further divisions.

Anyone who was in Zambia could feel this spirit of brotherhood – regardless of language or skin color if you just open your heart to Zambian people, they will immediately accept you as one of them. Let’s together celebrate Zambian Independence Day!