A very very very late blog

It's been a very long time since I last posted a blog, but my excuse is I've been too busy. After I recovered from tonsillitis I spent the weekend helping set up for the Hands at Work Celebrations - an annual conference that brings hundreds of people together from all eight countries that Hands works in and also the international offices (UK, Canada, Australia and USA). I was working mostly on the audio/visual team, so I was helping sort microphones and projectors and then during the conference I spent most of my time filming and taking photographs for the communications team. It was amazing seeing so many people come together from all over the world to meet and learn about this year’s goals and focus points. I had no idea how huge the organisation was, there was over 250 people and so many more that couldn't make it, I was overwhelmed by the size of the conference. So for the next few days I filmed the conference and the singing and dancing, I enjoyed running about with my camera on somebody else’s orders for once!
 
On the first day of the conference my Mom arrived in Zambia with another person from Hands UK called David; Mom and David where here to represent Hands UK during the celebrations and the international conference afterwards. The celebrations were spread out over 6 days but with weekends Mom was here for 9 days total. It was great seeing her again, halfway through my trip, mainly because she brought me McVities, Haribo, Wine Gums and Jelly Babies! But I suppose it was nice having her around too…
 
I spent Sunday afternoon with Mom and a load of other volunteers; we drove out to a city called Kitwe. Kitwe has a huge market which is a labyrinth of stalls and shops; the part we went to was built above what smelled like open sewers, we walked on timber boards and metal sheets that made up the alleyways, taking care to avoid the cracks and broken planks. It was an amazing place that even on a quiet Sunday afternoon was crawling with people on every street. A few of us wanted to buy shitenge fabric; a shitenge is a sheet of fabric that local women use as skirts. The fabrics often have very vivid, colourful patterns and designs, I bought one to have a shirt made and another to use as a wall hanging. I was a bit dazed by the sheer choice of materials that was on sale but in the end I went for a very ‘James May’ style pattern for my shirt.
 
We then went down the road to a gelato shop called Gigibonta’s which makes the best ice creams I have ever tasted, and three flavours for Kr15 (about £2.50) was too good to miss. So five flavours later we were back in the back of the pickup truck on the way home.
 
On Monday after my first African taxi ride I was back behind the camera but this time in a community called Chbuli. I was out filming for the communications team again; it was an interesting experience because I had to find the balance of getting good shots but only when the situation felt it was suitable. I obviously couldn’t just get out my camera and film the inside of the orphan’s houses while we sat talking, it was hard finding when was ok and when was inappropriate. It was almost impossible to film at the CBO because there were dozens of children clinging to my legs wanting a photo so keeping the shots steady was frustrating. I did get one great shot of a little girl who clung to me all day, she was holding my hand and leading me down the dusty path to where the careworkers were serving food. Halfway through the shot she looks up at me and stares down the lens for ages, sucking her thumb, not looking where she’s going (and neither can I through the viewfinder). I really felt at home in Chbuli thanks to the welcoming careworkers, the smile of one woman in particular will stay with me for a long time.
 
On the way home we stopped in Luanshya where we met Russell and Adam, we were shown to a local tailor down a crumbling back-alley with cracked brickwork and peeling paint. The tailors was called ‘Quality Taylors’, at first it looked like a market stall but then I realised it was a make-shift shelter in a burnt-out shop. The tailor called Shaddy told us he had an electrical fault while he was on his lunch break one day and came back to his whole shop on fire. You could see the sky through the burnt out rafters, the paint was almost all gone and the door was charred and black. But he was a cheerful bloke and seemed to be able to make any design we asked him for. I was measured for my shirt, Adam for his suit for a wedding and Russell for his shirt and baggy trousers (like Aladdin or MC Hammer). We’re all interested to see how Russell’s trousers will turn out when we pick them up tomorrow because when he described them to Shaddy he seemed amazed that anyone would want to wear such a crazy pair of trousers. My shirt only came to Kr120 (about £22) which I thought was a bargain for a tailored shirt, what a great souvenir.
 
I was back building the following Tuesday and have been since then. We were preparing timber moulds for the concrete lintels and ring beams that would sit on top of the walls and windows. This will hold the structure together and give more strength to the walls, the rafters will sit on top and then when the roof is on the structural work will be done. I really enjoyed working with the timber moulds; I haven’t worked in wood since my college course last year so it was nice doing something more familiar again.
 
I have booked a flight out to South Africa next Friday as I will be going back to work with the communications team at the hub. On the Saturday after, two volunteers - Tommy and Morgan - will be getting married. They have asked me to do some of their wedding photos, so I’m excited to do that, it might also be an excuse to wear my new African shirt!