Monday we visited Mapenzi's family at a village about an hour's dust road (?!) off the tarmac near Macha. You can find Macha just off the tarmac road about 45 minutes away from Choma and Choma is a tarmac drive about 45 minutes away from Kasensa.
We travelled well, piecing our way to the household of Mapenzi's father, his 2 wives and their 7 young children. (from 1 - 12 years old). After the visit we were honored to dine on fried village chicken and nsima.
I had pictures of Mapenzi on the camera and that was a big hit! She is walking nowadays and has a great smile and has gotten into shrieking, just to get all of us looking! Which we do! And then have to smile back!
There is a clinic and school nearby as well Chief Chikanta's palace is very near. This chief is well known in Zambia for being concerned and progressive with his people.
Mapenzi's dad has a few cattle and the paternal grandmother lives very near the household, but we didn't manage to see her.
Mapenzi's mother died during childbirth leaving behind a 12 year old and 3 other children. The 3 others stay with the mom's side of the family about an hour's drive away on the dust roads, closer to the Macha turn off at Mapanza. Initially, the aunty on that side of the family said they'd look after Mapenzi, so....we shall see this week who the actual caregivers will be. If its aunty on the mom's side then we'll drive to Mapanzi to visit there. It was getting dark by the time we left Mapenzi's dad's place - so couldn't manage that visit on Monday night.
Village life is quite different than Kasensa life - in terms of availability of fresh vegetables and access to water and even toilets. At Kasensa we have electricity (most of the time), running water and flush toilets, full gardens a few steps away full of fresh vegetables, an orchard full of various fruits - lemons, oranges, avacados, mangos, guavas, peaches(!!)....
But...what we don't have for babies is their own family. Family. Villages are full of families and extended families. I look around and see dry everything. Village life appears harsh - especially this time of year. The sun is burning up the earth here - in the bush it looks like nothing is growing! The cattle are skinny.
Osco, our SW graduate staying with us who accompanies us on the home visits assures us that what we see in the village is okay. Its how he grew up. Actually his polygamy family had 2 wives and 19 children plus dependents. He had to walk MANY kilometres to school. He is 25 years old. He did fairly well b/c his dad pushed the kids to attend school and because he later found sponsorship with ZMF-C to complete secondary school and then along with the government of Zambia bursaries, ZMF-C and his own determination he was able to recently complete his SW degree from UNZA.
Families ALWAYS express appreciation for ZMF-C and the staff who have taken care of their baby and we always continue to teach that the best place for the baby is within the family - and while sometimes not always readily received, we receive fair feedback on that philosophy.
The dad rode along with us for a fair part of the dust road journey to the tarmac and while riding along we were able to dialogue about Deuteronomy chapter 6 where God speaks to all of us about our responsibility that we have as parents - to care for our children spiritually - to teach them repeatedly....day and night .....about God and to obey Him.
So...how about re-reading Deuteronomy 6 and remind yourself what our jobs are as parents and grandparents. For grandparents.....notice that its our job to help our kids who are now adults in their role of teaching their own children.
So let's listen well and do the work we've been called to do....
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