One of my favorite quotes comes from a Disney movie, Lilo and Stitch. In the movie, Stitch says, "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten." Well, in Kii-Kaonde, a tribal language of the North Western province in Zambia, Kisemi means family, but the same reigns true.
While Zambia is ridden with diseases and poverty, it is astonishing that homelessness is not much of a problem. You don't see homeless people living on the sidewalks begging for money like they do in San Francisco, Las Vegas, or other urban areas. This is simply because people take care of each other. If a child becomes an orphan, aunts, uncles, grandparents and even third cousins come in to take care of the child. Most compounds and villages contain extended families, including: nieces, nephews, grandparents and cousins, all living under one roof.
The family dynamics in Zambia are truly unique. When you enter a village, at once you become a member of the family. Mothers quickly offer you a beverage and meal and insist that you stay as long as you need. I'm proud to say that I've already gained many families in Mumena. My next-door neighbors are nurses at the clinic that frequently help me clean, cook dinner, and offer entertainment, including music and card games all centered around the dining room table. My host father is the village headman, who acts like a watchdog protecting my property and cat.
Everybody plays a role in the family. The wife usually cleans, cooks, and cares for the children, while the father is usually tasked with farming and selling maize. However, the wife is often seen in the farm and selling the crops at the market, as well. The daughters help the mother with roles that are traditionally left for females and the boys help slash grass and harvest crops.
While the roles are still very traditional, women are beginning to challenge those notions by attending college and delaying marriage and pregnancy, although early marriage and pregnancy are still a huge issue in the rural villages. To help empower women in the village, Peace Corps has started a Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) camp for girls in grades 5-8. In December, the North Western province is hosting a GLOW. The girls will learn business, leadership, and motivational skills to bring back to their village and educate others.
While the family dynamics are slowly changing in the rural areas of Zambia, one thing always remains constant: unconditional love and care. America might be developed, but until homelessness, especially among children, ceases to exist, I will always be envious of the close-knit families Zambia holds.
Gracie Geremia is a Peace Corps volunteer and past Lovelock Relay for Life community coordinator for the American Cancer Society. She is now on a 27-month assignment in Zambia, Africa. The Lovelock Correctional Center sends occasional care packages to Geremia. To be part of this package program contact Lt. Olivas at 273-4279 or donations can be dropped at the LCC gatehouse. The Lovelock Review-Miner will publish periodic updates of her adventures in Africa.
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