It’s fair to say my arrival in Zambia was slightly ‘eventful’, having started with the lovely man at passport control telling me he’d only allow me in the country for 30 days (when I’m actually here for 32). I’m putting this in the ‘deal with later’ pile for now, as could tell this point was not open for negotiation at that moment in time. Next I managed to inadvertently almost steal someone else’s suitcase from the conveyor belt. I mean, what are the chances of someone landing in Lusaka having the exact same suitcase as me?! Crisis averted and I was quickly reunited with my actual belongings (although it may have been entertaining dressing as a rotund Saffa man for the week). All was forgotten when I spotted Barefeet’s Executive Director, Grace and Head of Costumes, Eva who had come to collect me from the airport. On the drive back to the house I was very much torn between wanting to learn as much about the women as I could and trying not to gawk at the people selling literally anything by the side of the road – live ducks, phone credit, brooms – you name it!
After a rather sleepless night, Grace and Eva collected me for what would be day one at Barefeet. From the eight hours we spent together, there is one thing that really stands out to me and that is the passion these people possess. We talk so much in the ‘corporate world’ about our company’s vision and their beliefs, but these people truly believe in what they do and what they’ve set out to achieve; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Grace went as far to explain to me that the team have gone without salaries for a few months when the bank balance has dried up, which is just one demonstration of their extraordinary loyalty. I suspect 99% of the Octopus team would be gone in month one of no pay, let alone two!
From our initial conversations it sounds as though their biggest struggle is gaining consistent sponsorship and sources of funding. We have a meeting with the Board on Friday, so will try and dig deeper into this throughout the course of the week before attempting to gather their thoughts. From what I can gather, these individuals have deep pockets and are very well connected in the Zambian community but aren’t as forthcoming about offering their assistance in these things, which I can sense is a source of frustration for the Barefeet team. Time will tell!
In more lighthearted news, I feasted on my first meal of nshima, which is basically thick and smooth porridge made from ground maize that is essentially tasteless until you pair it with 'relishes' (mainly kale, vegetables, beans) and meat (with today's being fish and goat). You eat it all with your hands, which includes boning the fish. I can't even bone a fish with the right utensils, so was relieved when one of the girls offered to bone it for me.
While totally edible, I don't think I'll be rushing to copy down the nshima recipe any time soon...