Oak, maple, elm…you won’t find these trees in Zambia, but
you will find mupetanzobu, musokobele, and kabalabala. These are Kiikaonde
names for trees found in my area and are used for timber, food and medicine.
I am writing my first book--yes, my first book--on trees and
their uses in northwest Zambia. I am co-authoring with a local villager, Kaonde
by tribe, who is a carpenter and expert on local trees.
This manual is geared
toward Peace Corps Volunteers and local farmers to help them learn how to
implement tree planting for food security, income generation, soil improvement,
and other uses in the villages they reside.
Alongside the book, which I hope to get published by
September, I am organizing a workshop in agroforestry for Peace Corps
Volunteers and their village representatives in northwest province. The
workshop will be three days of a variety of topics including planting and
maintaining citrus trees, how to get kids involved with tree planting, and
nursery planning and construction.
October is the month prior to planting
season, or when the rains come, so this information will be fresh in
participators’ minds when they head back home.
Busy is a word I would describe a bee…I’m more than busy.
And I’m excited to finally see my work become tangible. It has taken me a year
to build relations with the community here, as well as outside the
community. Luckily there is a government agriculture research station the next
village over where I go to get expert advice on trees and other things pertaining
to farming. I’ve worked hard which includes riding my bike to meet with the
research station to go over plans I have and just talk and make friends. I’m
networking, which is a good thing to learn how to do, especially in a foreign
country.
Peace Corps is a great program. I believe it works because a
volunteer with a unique view of the world and how things can be accomplished
lives within a community for two years. For many, two years isn’t a very long
time, but living in a place that is so different from where Volunteers come
from is a life-changing experience. Volunteers have to figure out how to get
along with a people who think and act different from ourselves. It’s not just
learning how to live without showers and electricity; it’s adapting to a whole
other world and not having close friends from home nearby to help out with the
daily stresses that come along.
It is a tough job, but is rewarding. This
experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. Being a Peace Corps
Volunteer isn’t only about helping others, it’s also about finding ourselves
and becoming something that we never dreamed of being. I love Peace Corps
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