International Women’s Day.
Interestingly, Women’s Day is a fairly significant deal in Zambia. From what we hear, stories people regularly share, women in Zambia are in a hard place where gender equality is concerned, in that there isn’t any. We are always quick to point out that this issue is still a work in progress in the United States as well. But, on a day-to-day basis, women in Zambia who are aware of such things tell us that, without question, a man’s word is always accepted over a woman’s. Wives are, essentially, their husband’s property. As you may remember from past blogs, Theresa is unconventional in her views and made a decision many years ago that she did not wish to be in that position. She’s not outspoken about the issue and tells us that when she offers to her friends and colleagues who may be in a difficult situation in a marriage that there is another way, she is often accused of trying to be “white.” Of course, the truth is she made that decision, against all odds, long before she met any of us or started her work as project coordinator. She was extremely poor, had little education, and no employment prospects, but she knew she did not want to be owned in that way.
To our mind, Theresa is of a Nelson Mandela league in terms of what she models and offers to her community. It is an honor to work with her, and we are incredibly lucky to have her as head of the project. Happy Women’s Day, Theresa.
We met with the English team at Castle Lodge today. After three excellent, productive meetings out in Kantolomba during the week, we realized there were quite a number of details left to work out for the new program. Jen had the brainstorm to have everyone up to the Lodge for a quiet place away from the regular schedule and the noise of 800 children (!). Coming into town and having a nice lunch at the Lodge will be a special treat, an outing the team will enjoy. Perfect. We will get it all knocked out today. What a great plan!
Not a bad setting for a meeting!
Well… you just never know—always a good thing to remember in practice. This meeting went more like they did 2 years ago. People were mostly quiet. It was hard to tell if they were tired, didn’t want to be there, or if it was just the way they are used to communicating. We plugged along until lunchtime, and then stopped to eat our “five-fingers,” kalembula and scrambled eggs, Zambian style. After coming here for 10 years (our first trip to Zambia was with Brother John, Theresa’s brother, whom Cheri met in Italy in 2004), we just found out that nshima has a colloquial name: five fingers. The name, of course, comes from the fact that you eat it with your hands. Kalembula is the greens of sweet potatoes. They eat ALL greens: pumpkin, sweet potato, chard…
People seemed perky at lunch, and we took the opportunity to breathe and let Life inform about the afternoon. What dropped in: slowly, slowly; keep it simple. We reconvened after lunch simply to go over what remained to be done, doled out some tasks, and called it a day. Later, Gertrude asked how the meeting had gone. “Well, so-so. You know how some meetings seem to soar (motion of moving your hand to signal a plane taking off) and others are more (motion of a low, flat line)…” “Oh,” she said, “You just described a Zambian meeting.” So that was reassuring; no need to take it personally. (Which, of course, we endeavor never to do!)
A group photo before we adjourned for the day.
Now just 6 hours till the At-Home workshop began at 8pm. It’s fun to be in solidarity with our European, African, and Asian fellow Sangha once in a while. And wonderful also to experience first-hand what we always hear: It is a life-line to have formal practice opportunities available at a distance.