Ethiopia, where our holidays began

Our first halt was Ethiopia, an obligatory stop over in Addis Ababa, the capital through which all Ethiopian Airlines flights pass. For long we had talked about spending some time herer, especially since we have a friend, Jennifer, who is based here. Such a pity to just pass through it each time. So, when flights schedules were complicated, we didn’t hesitate and spend three nights in Addis Ababa. Unfortunately, our friend Jennifer was out, but with her big heart, she lend us her small apartment and we settled in nicely.

Now, three days ain’t long, but we still made the most of it. Some highlights include:
- Getting pampered: going to the Ethiopian version of Moroccan baths, and getting a thorough full body scrub and massage

- Food: trying out all the local specialties, and the less local, like the delightful coffee and chocolate croissants at this French café

- Christianity: since Ethiopia was Christian long before most of Europe was, it was fascinating to see the old religious traces, and such a contrast compared with other African countries where Christian religion are often recently imported (or should I say imposed) and often marketed in a modern aggressive way. In Addis, we went out to a church that had been hewn from the stone, and which was ancient (our guide said from the 3rd century, our guidebook more likely from the 14th AD).
- Getting to meet our great-great-great-great grandmother (or should I say small?): our famous ancestor, and yet so tiny. It is indeed in Ethiopia that the bones of the famous Lucy were discovered.


So, that was our short but intense city trip in Addis. Great fun and at least some days to unwind from the pressure of finalizing all the activities from 2009, the receipts, bookkeeping etc, so I could drag it along to hand over in Belgium. Glad it isn’t just an airport anymore, but now each time we pass through it, I’ll smile and look out over the city trying to recognize some of the places we went to.

Our capoeira group social outreach programme

Here is a little video we made regarding the capoeira folha seca social outreach programme during 2009:

- at Emerald Hill and through Brazilian Embassy: an orphanage

- at Mavambo and through Volens: capoeira as a counselling tool on successful interaction

The festive season and festival

So we're going to Belgium for the holidays. A bit of a surprise, for us and our family, because initially we had planned to go back in March, but turns out that we need to travel before end 2009 in order to benefit from our development worker's ticket back.

So back to the cold and snow for Christmas and New Year in Belgium, but we also added something before and after in order to see some more of East and West Africa.

Exploring Ethiopia: we're leaving Zimbabwe on the 17th of December and are going to spend till the 22nd in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. We also have a friend there we might visit. Always stopped over there before with our flight, but it'll be the first time we're going to explore it a bit.

Ca va faire mal au Mali: on our way back, from 1st of January till the 11th, we shall go to the Festival au desert, 7-8-9 January. This takes place in Essanaka, somewhere in the desert close to Timbouctou (doesn't that sound like the end of the world).

It's the 10th edition of this famous festival, with Salif Keita, Viviane N'Dour, Harper Simon, etc. and even a Belgian band (Maak Spirit). We wanted to volunteer during the festival (hosting groups, accompanying press, that sort of thing) and thus get our entry and accommodation for free, but we're on the waiting list. Planning on teaming up with Maika, another Volens cooperant working in Bamako and friend of Thomas.

Our weekend in Kariba: goodbye to Silvija

Here is a little video, compiled from that weekend:

My name is Satã, Madame Satã - capoeira baptised and graded

This Saturday I took part in the very first grading and batizado ever in Zimbabwe. Two Brazilian Mestres, Mestre Evaldo Bogado (who by the way is the only white belt, the highest in our worldwide capoeira assocation) and Mestre Carlinhos spent one week in Zimbabwe to run workshops and grade us. It meant the entire week was extremely busy, with practice every evening and us hosting the Mestres for several days. On Saturday this climaxed into the grading of all students and instructors, a total 16 people, with the presence of the Brazilian ambassador, Sr Taunay.

In the batizado, each one has to play the Mestre and be brought down (not a hard task in my case), in order to be tested but also to learn humility. I received the green belt with the blue tip (cordel verde ponta azul), which is the third level, and am very happy with that.

If a Mestre feels inspired, you can also receive a capoeira name, which I did, though there seems to be some confusion. It was Navalha da Carne, and supposed to refer to Madame Satã. This Mss Satan was actually this extravagant man, Joao Francisco dos Santos (1900-1976), who used to dress up in drag and kick people's asses in the capoeira rhoda if the made fun of him. With Brazilian tough laws, he spent like 27 years in prison and is considered an icon of urban marginalization, being poor, gay and black, also made into a movie (2002).

I kinda like it...

Zimbabwe, een bijzondere passie

Een kennis van ons, Patrice Delchambre, had ons (nu al bijna een jaar geleden) gevraagd om een bijdrage te leveren voor haar boek, "Zimbabwe, een bijzondere passie". Daarin heeft ze bijdrages verzameld van meer dan twintig mensen, van heel verschillende achtergronden en visies.

Sommigen zijn Zimbabwanen, anderen al eeuwen hier, wij gaven een kijk van nieuwkomers, in de vorm van een dagboek. Interessante diversiteit, iedereen bekijkt de dingen anders, en hoewel ik het zeker niet eens ben met alle uitspraken of visies, de mozaïk geeft wel een goed beeld van wat we hier allemaal tegenkomen.

Dit boek is in september verschenen, en vanaf nu kan ik dus fier zeggen dat er ergens een boek met mij en Thomas als mede-schijver is gepubliceerd.

Het boek, in twee versies (ofwel grotendeels in het Nederlands maar ook met Engelse stukken ofwel volledig in het Engles, met titel: "Zimbabwe, a passion shared") is hier te bestellen voor 18Euro. Onze stukken zijn te lezen op onze blog.

Some pictures from our Zim-Bot-Namiba-Zam trip with Maninka

Almost through our holiday, here are 30 pictures from our trip, going from Zimbabwe into Botswana where we slept in the Kalahari desert, then on to Namibia, in the Caprivi Strip, back through Botswana (Kasane) into Zimbabwean side of Vic Falls, spending the night in Zambia, before heading back into Zimbabwe to spend the last three nights in safari camp Hwange.

Matobos

After one day in Harare, we started our Odyssee with Marina. First stop was Matobos, close to Bulawayo, where we spent a night at a lodge.

Next stop: Botswana

September is the month for visits! After Guy and Camille, Ingrid, Annick and little Zoélie, now we have the honor to host Thomas mother, Marina! We won't be staying much in Zim though, as we're off for Botswana and, finally, Vic Falls and Hwange. Posts and pictures will follow after the 30th of September!

Zoélie zigzags through Zimbabwe

For one short weekend, we had the pleasure of experiencing the presence of Zoélie in our house and lives, and for one weekend, she had the opportunity to discover African sunsets, elephants and lions.

Since the two mothers were in Africa for business & pleasure, they managed to get to Harare thanks to earned miles, and so surprise surprise, here they were! Short but wonderful experience!

And we even tried carrying her the African way....

Happy little family on safari!

More pictures on Zoélie's blog.

A cooperant's moto

Go with the people

Live with them.

Learn from them.

Love them.

Start with what they know.

Build with what they have.

But, of the best leaders,

When the job is done,

The task accomplished,

The people will all say:

“We have done this ourselves.”

Lao Tsu, 2.700 years ago.

Wat nieuwsvoer

Hier links naar twee interessante artikels van april en mei 2009 betreffende ontwikkelingssamenwerking van de MO, Mondiaal Nieuws.

- Gie Goris over kunst en creativiteit, iets wat heel nauw aansluit bij ons project om kunst te gebruiken met wezen en kwetsbare kinderen. Bjorn van Africalia werkt trouwens met ons samen op bepaalde projecten.

- Patrick Develtere en Bogdan Vanden Berghe over 'Ontwikkelingsorganisaties moeten zich onmisbaar maken'.

Lost Generation

Liked this clever little video...

Some downloads for our long winter/summer evenings?

Okay, time to throw my plea out there. Harare, though a nice place to live, isn't the liveliest place in the world. Culturally speaking, we get the occasional amator theater and the cinema that shows three movies every two months (or so it seems), but that is about it. So we survive and suffer in silence, but our hardship is greatly softened by a supply of movies and series on disk drives... Unfortunately, this supply is starting to run low, so here it is, my request to all of you out there reading this blog...

If you can find any of the following (obtained in a completely legal manner, of course;-)

• any movies that are worthwhile, though we already have a lot, but mostly dating from before April 2008, specific requests are below;
• The Wire (a series, haven't watched anything, but heard it was absolutely fabulous, so any episode as from season 1);
• The 4400: season 1 only, as we have season 2;
  
• Smallville: haven't got many, so any season is appreciated...
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: from season 2 onwards;
• Babylon 5, everything;
• Stargate Atlantis,
• West Wing: everything
• Grey's Anatomy: everything
• The Sopranos: everything
• Tarzan: the series (2003): everything
• Coupling
• Black books
• the it crowd
• the green wing
• spooks
• 15 stories
• True blood
• Mad men
• OZ (Australian)
• Help (British comedy)
  
• Mitchell and Webb look/situation
• Peep Show
• Specific movies: Cabaret (with Liza Minelli), the 3 Matrix, Star Trek (excepting n°6 - Nemesis and the latest one), Terminator 1 and 2, the Alien movies, 'Leeches!', SAW V, and of course, Brüno.
• Belgian movies: Manneken Pis, de Zaak Alzheimer, Aanrijding in Moskou, Ad fundum, Any way the wind blows.

I know, it is a lot. Just see what you or friends already have and can get to us. Just know that we prefer to have all of one series, rather than a couple of episodes of each,...

How to get it to us:

1. We have occasional visitors, so just drop us a line (I promise I will keep this blog updated and erase any that we have received)
2. For the really motivated amongst you, by snail mail:

Bruno Deceukelier - Volens Africa - Room G.01 and G.02, the Agriculture House- 1, Adylinn Road - Marlborough - PO Box WGT 390 - Harare, Zimbabwe

Chiedza Child Care Centre

One of our partners, the Chiedza Child Care Centre who work in the south of Harare, Waterfalls, Sunnydale and Mbare, had a video guy come in to train 10 chidlren how to use a camera and film. They made this little presentation video, interviewing teachers, staff members, counsellors, the clinic, the director etc.

Doop Loïc

Deze zondag was het de GROTE dag voor de KLEINE Loïc.

Mijn petekind ging zijn eerste zwemles krijgen in een heilig doopvatje. Loïc, 2,5 maand oud en in topvorm, werd in Gent gedoopt, met heel de familie Vandewalle en papi Deceukelier en oma Kerkhove.

Lieve, de schoonzus van moeder Domie, had de eer als meter te dienen, en ik als broer van vader Bart was verkozen als peter.

Brüno: the movie

Okay, so the first day I got into Belgium, I must admit I was flattered by all the billboards. Great was my disappointment when I noticed that this had more to do with the movie Brüno. But since my first day also coincided with the premiere of Brüno, we all decided to check it out in Gent.

Thomas and me had enjoyed Borat, but though I laughed alot, Thomas didn't like it at all. I must admit Brüno was very similar and thusnot so new. Am amazed by all the hype about it though, which I suppose is exactly what Baron Sacha Cohen wished for.

Drama as a counselling tool: Theatre of the Oppressed

Volens is also promoting existing tools that, through creative arts, can allow for children to open up and raise certain issues. One of these is done through a close friend of ours, Chiyedza (Shona name which means, as she poetically puts it:'the light that melts away the shadows', or in other words, the dawn), who is currently living with us as well. She used theatre with the kids from some of our partner organisations, of which hereby some pictures: 

How capoeira can be used to counsel on successful interaction

Here is a little video I made with the capoeiristas of our Academy that worked with children from Mavambo, one of our partners.  This module details how capoeira classes may be combined with group counselling on successfully interacting with people in life within the realms of social work.

It provides guidelines for those in charge of capoeira and counselling classes.  

The methodology is meant to be used with a specific group of participants over a number of capoeira classes – ideally over a period of at least a few months, involving at least 10 classes organised at regular intervals.  Capoeira classes will help build confidence and self esteem of participants.  The counselling methodology is designed to capitalise on learning points capoeira classes provide concerning successfully interacting with people, i.e. to the advantage of individuals and their environments. The capoeira instructor teaches participants on how to interact in a positive way during capoeira classes.  He/she continues to coach participants on putting positive interaction behaviour into capoeira practice. The central counselling tool consists of a chart on which positive behaviour of individual participants as practised in the classes is recorded - as defined by the participants themselves. Progressive filling of the chart over a series of classes measures, visualises and reinforces progress on positive behaviour put into practice.  A number of strategic questions asked when filling out the chart provides learning points on the advantages of positive interacting. These learning points are capitalised on by a counsellor in group discussions on how to positively interact in life and its advantages.

High quality:



Low quality:

Little presentation about our work and programme

Currently we have been illustrating and explaining a lot of our programme and the tools we have been developing. To this purposes, we made a powerpoint presentation which shows the trainings we have facilitated, some of the tools we have developed or are promoting, the feedback we have received through evaluations etc.

We got a lot of nice comments on the presentation, so we hung it on the walls of our offices (which were in need of some cheering up). It really helps to explain our programme to visitors...

So, if you want to watch it:

HipHop as a counseling tool - tried out at Chiedza

Volens, the Belgian organisation that sends me out, builds capacities of local Zimbabwe partner organisations to enhance and diversify their counselling of orphans and vulnerable children, using amongst others creative arts. 

Here, at Chiedza Child Care Centre, based in Waterfalls, Harare (Zimbabwe), they tried out urban dance and hiphop as a tool to have children express themselves and discuss issues like confidence, appearing sexy, trust etc. Enjoy!

Friend of ours gets evicted from her Zim farm

It is always a funny feeling when somebody you know is portrayed in the press. And this one is on the BBC. 

Catherine, a French friend of ours, had bought a farm in Zim just before the invasions began, and since it was protected under a bilateral agreement France-Zimbabwe, one of the last farmers to still have her farm. Until in February she's been kicked off. Here is a bit of her story as on the BBC website:

On February 6, a crowd of 30 men showed up on our land. Most of them were young, many of them wearing [President Mugabe's] Zanu-PF T-shirts.

I was away in South Africa visiting my son at university but my husband had stayed behind. We had a feeling that something could happen so we decided one of us should stay.

They told my husband that our farm was now being taken over by a local businessman. Their manner was boastful and arrogant. When I came back from South Africa a few days later, I was advised by the French embassy not to return to the farm (I'm originally from France). This is because in 2008 there were similar invasions of white-owned farms and it got quite violent. Back then, there were people threatening to kill us and we had to leave our farm for some time. This time, there was less violence, but I was in touch with my staff on the mobile from Harare. They told me the invaders had been menacing towards them and stopped them from working. This made my staff very angry, but they were under strict instructions from me not to lose it.

'Rent-a-crowd'

After a week, my husband and I returned to the farm. In the meantime we had obtained a court order in Harare saying the squatters had no right to our land...

Read the rest on the BBC website.

Bruno's Birthday Braai

Only the second time, but it felt a bit like a tradition. This Saturday, 13th of June, I turned 31, and that was the excuse to throw a little barbecue for our friends in Zim. I really like the vibe of our place at that time, we put up sofas in the garden, fabrics on the grass, people hang about and chat, smoke the waterpipe, play a bit of music. It's not a party atmosphere but chilled, with little groups colliding and separating...

It felt a bit funny, since last year's braai marked sort of our arrival, the beginning of our social life and networking. Compared to last year, there were maybe half the same people, but also a lot of missing ones, that have left the country, and lots of new ones. 

Capoeiristas, colleagues, neighbours, folks with kids, black, Indian, from Belgium and other expats, it's nice to see the mixture of people we hang out with.    

Several people asked me that eternal question: so, not sad that you're getting older. At first at a loss for an answer, I finally actually started saying that no, it was the opposite. It was another year of my life that was full and interesting, with learning and growing opportunities, new faces in different places, families expanding...  If I would like at my life and go: damn, already 31 and what have I accomplished, then I would feel sad. But now, no, I'm pretty content with what has happened and where I am currently... And isn't that the best birthday gift I can wish for myself?

Analysing my horoscope

One of our CouchSurfers this weekend (we again had like 5 people staying at the house), Catherine worked on a book with an astrologist and she helped me analyse my chart (conveniently done for free by this cool German website).  Can't say that I believe to much in this stuff, but it is always fun to use a tool to auto-analyse or discuss whether or not you have this personality. And with a bit of loose interpretation, you can actually make a lot of it stick...

So what came out of mine? I'm actually a triple Gemini, having it as a Zodiac sign, but also Mercury, the planet of Gemini, is in my First house, which is the House of Identity, and my sun is there  as well (ascendant), pretty rare feature, but that really enhances the Gemini characteristics.  And Gemini is the communicator, sharing and distributing information. Often teachers or journalists, they are represented by Mercury, who was the Messenger of the gods. Pretty cool huh. That First House should be read relating to the opposite seventh house, which has to do with my interaction with others. There I have Neptune, which is about exposure, travelling, getting to know other cultures and ways of thinking.

Then, next interesting feature was my fifth house, the House of Games, Sexual pleasure and relations to children. Well, I got a strong dose of that one. That is where my Moon is, another dominant influence and which symbolizes the motherly, caring side of me, which I would show through games and exciting things. Also, my True Node is there, an astoroide, which is supposedly my purpose, my meaning in this life. Mars it here too, the Warrior, which means that I would fight for the right to play and have fun (very true ;-)... 

Other things seemed less relevant, the Wounded Healer, Chiron, in my twelfth House, which has to do with the subconscious, and maybe would have indicated childhood trauma that is afterwards used to heal others or creativity. Can't really see what that is about. Anyway, it was interesting and fun, though I won't stop to check my daily horoscope from now on to see what I should do...

Waterviews...

Volens has crosscutting issues, themes that should run throughout all the programmes worldwide:
1. Gender
2. People with disabilities
3. Ecology/environment

In Southern Africa, we also added HIV/AIDS as an important issue that should be included in our approach, as well as child participation specifically for the programme I'm facilitating. 

Crosscutting means that though we have different activities, we always try to keep these themes in the back of our head and be sensitive about it. For example, if you organise 5 day workshops in Harare around food processing, it will be difficult to have women participate because they can hardly stay away from home so long. When you know that women are primarily involved with food processing, you have to adjust your programme to have more trainings closer to their homes and for less time. This is an example of how you can gender sensitive.

Sometimes it does mean sensitising our partners or their beneficiaries regarding these themes, which can be quite a task. Our programmes already ask a lot of time and effort, but sometimes you can work around these issues by simply building on other initiatives and benefit from those.  

Like here, when several embassies were organising a photo competition for children 10-14 year to illustrate the importance of water for 5th of June World Environment Day. 

Any tool such as photography or video can be used as an artistic self expression tool, and when we can have it focus on ecology, it's like killing two birds with one stone (hum, that doesn't sound very environment-friendly ;-).

In total, over 32 children from our Harare partners participated, sending in disposable camerasof each 15 pictures they had been given. The above picture, my personal favourite, was made by 14 year old Tinotenda from Chiedza Child Care Centre. 

He didn't win though, coming in a deserved fourth from over 600 pictures.

The winner was this picture:

Weekend getaway: Chimanimani Festival

Last weekend, right after my Bulawayo trip (6h busride), Thomas and me had planned to go to Chimanimani with Caroline and her husband. Chimanimani is in the east of Zimbabwe, about 6h drive from Harare, and they hold an annual festival that has become quite reknowned. Now, we have to admit, though it gives a pleasant vibe to the village, it's definitely no HIFA and we haven't watched that many groups perform. 

However, the scenery here is really splendid, rugged mountains, so plenty of possibilities to go hiking, swim in waterfalls, etc. But as always, it's just really nice to get away from Harare for the weekend, though the fact that this one falls between work related trips to Bulawayo and Kariba makes it a bit less fun...

A week in Bulawayo to develop artistic self expression tools there

Now, in our Volens programme, several tools have been developed to work with children and have them open up, or talk about certain issues. For that, we've used arts like puppetry, poetry, capoeira, theatre or hip hop. Now, most of this has benefitted the partners from Harare, but not the partners in Bulawayo. 

So, last week I went down to Bulawayo together with two of the artists we have been working with to develop some of the artistic self expression tools, Rahim and Chiyedza. It was, as always when I go to Bulawayo, intense and busy, but also very rewarding. On the Monday, we had a meeting with counsellors and artists that were interested in our approach of using arts as a tool to counsel, and the following three days, both artists rolled out their tools at one partner. At HOCIC, Chiyedza did Theatre vs. Oppression, and at Thuthuka 

Rahim did puppetry and hip hop with some of their street kids. It's hard though to sh

ow a tool in three days, the time children are getting used to it and starting to open up, it's already finished.  The Friday, we had another meeting with the 

same people, and wanted to see if, after what they witnessed during the past three years.  

Besides that, we also networked the entire week, meeting up with artists or interesting institutions, such as a theatre group that is already using theatre forum to work with youngsters. Also, and which I personnally felt was a great success, we met with some organisations for and of people with disabilities. Now, disabilities is a cross cutting issue for Volens and the Belgian government, so we are supposed to work on that theme, but so far we haven't had many ideas on how to go about it. 

Now, we started thinking that since we involve so many artists, why not get one that has a disability and have him/her teach the artist skill, thus exposing the children to a person with a disability but that has still managed to do something successful and inspiring with their lives. Might be a good starting point. 

So, it came as quite a shock for some I think when three people in a wheelchair also came to participate to the Friday workshop, which might indicate it is a necessary step... 

Anyway, we identified some artists, including one guy in a wheelchair who wants to do comics with the kids, three guys that do hiphop, one acrobat, slam poetry, and now we just have to be able to get it off the ground.

the BnT Hostel

The Harare festival draws quite a crowd, and this was also reflected in the amount of CouchSurfing requests we received. Where during the entire past year, we only hosted about 5 people, of which a couple were journalists, now, we got flooded with requests to the point we didn't really knew who was who anymore. Eventually, we hosted about 15 people in our little flat, with about 8 nationalities, from Lusaka, Germans driving to South Africa in a minibus, two Danish fact finding guys... 

Our place got very crowded but honestly, it was a fun feeling. A bit like a hostel, where you catch one playing the guitar, another two are swimming in the pool, some chatting or chilling. A relaxed atmosphere and we had copies of the keys made so everybody sort of went their own way. Bit of traffic jams for the bath room, but hey, that's why we had the pool filled up.   

An afternoon at Domboshava with the CS'ers

We decided to take Liam, Leslie and Gavin to Domboshava, after having run some errands, preparing for the influx of people for HIFA. We stocked in on water, bought an extra mattress (300USD, thank you please) and got loads of beers. After all this shopping, time for some sundowners at Domboshava, so we headed out there just in time for the sunset.

Liam is into photography (like really), and he really took some awesome pictures, with the sun setting that I wanted to share in the most narcistic manner.

Liam and Leslie make such a sweet couple. I really took to them, and the way they interacted.  Leslie comes from this tiny place in Oregon, where her travels are sometimes the topic of the local newspaper, while Liam is from sunny Brisbane in Australia. She used to work as a nanny, while he's a mecanical engineer that loves to explain why roads can get bumpy. She was brought up a catholic and still clings to some aspects of faith, while he's all into evolution and scientific proof (the god illusion). But they fitted, at least now in modus traveli. 

I liked them both very much. It is the fun and sad part about CouchSurfing, random people come and go.

They eventually left on Thursday morning, after a final treat of some belgian chocolat at Doon Estate. I must say, despite the sweet taste of chocolat, it was still sad to leave them by the side of the road hitch hiking to their next destination. 

I know, I've been in their shoes so many times, leaving, saying goodbye. No real reason, you're simply on the road, and you move on.  I've had to explain so many times without being able to. "But why do you need to go, you don't have anything in particular waiting for you, stay a bit longer..." Such a sweet question but impossible to answer.  

It did get a little tail, when at HIFA we met this Brazilian girl, Vivian, who had picked them and given them the ride. She just arrived to Harare and was interested in starting capoeira, so they had given her our phone number. It was funny to hear how the roadtrip had been... 

HIFA is here... and so is everyone

This week, the Harare International Festival of Arts (or HIfA in short) is taking place. This is THE main cultural event for all of Harare (and a lot of Zimbabwe), with lots of local and international artists perfroming during 7 days in all corners of the city (and then buggering off, leaving Harare as dead - or maybe I should say comateus - as it was before). 

Everybody's been talking about it for ages. When the programme finally came out, people had lunchons, going over the schedule, deciding what they wanted to see, which show to buy tickets for and all. Many of them have been brought in by embassies, so our diplomatic friends also have their two cents to put in. We've been a bit more laid back about it then most people, haven't even bought any tickets yet and just hoping at our good fortune to be able to get last minute tickets without having to queue for eternities. 

With this festival taking place, our CouchSurfing network has picked up once more. For those who don't know it, Couchsurfing  is a website to hook up travellers and locals, where you host them or meet up for coffee and share what you know of your city. Great system since it allows people to get a bit off the beaten track and interact more with the people living somewhere (as well as being cheaper). Both Thomas and me have benefitted of it numerous times and had great trips through it, so time to give some travel-karma back. So, since last Thursday, we have two Ozzie guys, Gavin and Liam and one American girl, Leslie ("loving America anyway") staying with us. Two Germans are scheduled to arrive this evening (with their tent), adn Thursday, some French chick from the Alliance francaise in Lusaka would be coming with 4 more friends. Others coming is still possible, so our house might get a bit hectic over the next week, but the more, the merrier, right? 

Loic, my godchild has just arrived!

Yesterday evening, we'd already turned in, at 23.30, the phone starting ringing. I must admit, it is sort of a shock. It is one of the first times I get a phone call so late, so it was funny to see what my reaction was. You just can't help wondering if it is bad news, to be calling that late. "Oh, I hope my parents are okay." "Hope it isn't any bad news for Bart". I could actually imagine a bit of those thoughts that would run through a parent's head. 

But it turned out to be the best news ever: my brother, Bart was on the phone from Belgium. The minute I heard his voice, I could guess what he was calling about. His wife Dominique had given birth, and all was well. Little boy, 2.9kg, named Loïc.

Le prénom Loïc est un dérivé de Louis. Les racines germaniques "Hlod-" et "-wig" signifient "gloire" et combat". Au fil des siècles et des monarchies, le prénom est passé de Hlodowig à Louis. 

Gosh, I am so glad! It is a bit of a weird feeling, being so far away and all, but my mind keeps going back to it. I have been looking up headlines for today's papers, the top 10 songs for this week, the name, all such. Thought it would be cool for Loïc to read later on, once he bigger, what were the headlines at the time, listen to music that was in fashion the date he was born... Shame our internet connection isn't that great, if not, I could do so much more. 

But I will definitely come back to Belgium for the party (12th of July). Have been pestering Volens to go ahead and make the booking, but it's been taking some time...

Our world, your world too

I just came across this publication for IRIN, a UN agency, about orphans and HIV, called 'Our world'. I found it quite touching and therefore wanted to share it with you. Go to their website or download a first chapter through this link. 

They also give some radio reports: 

Giving children a chance to live
 'I don't want to die alone' - the challenge of prevention
 Looking forward to life
 Children bear the brunt of AIDS crisis