Pictures and more

As promised here is a picture of my newest sponsor child, Velody from Kalomo, Zambia. This sweet looking little 6 year old lives with both parents, but his father is a peasant farmer, relying on his harvest to feed his family. With drought conditions in the region it must be very hard. I can't wait to meet him!
We also received info today of where we will be staying in Kalomo, it's called The First Choice Guest House, and is a far cry from the accommodation's in South Africa. What a wonderful new experience this is going to be!



















I'm ecstatic! There seems to be a fridge in the bedroom photo! That should mean I'll be able to make my tea! Doesn't look like I'll be getting any Latte's around there though. It's only 30 days away now!
Here's some info about Zambia that I pulled off the ANIR website:
Facts
Population: 10,307,333
Climate: tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (Oct to April)
Main industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, agriculture, tourism
Languages: English (official), Bemba, Kaonde, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous
languages
Literacy: 81%
Life expectancy: 35 years old
No. of adults and children living with HIV/ AIDS rate (as of 2001): 1,200,000
No. of AIDS orphans (0-14) (as of 2001): 570,000
% below poverty line: 86%
Zambia, a landlocked country in south-central Africa, is about one-tenth larger than Texas. It is surrounded by Angola, Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. The country is mostly a plateau that rises to 8,000 ft (2,434 m) in the east. Formerly Northern Rhodesia, the country is named after the Zambezi River Land of the legendary African walking safari, earth's biggest waterfall (Victoria Falls), the wild Zambezi River, breath-taking lakes and wetlands, a profusion of birds, abundant wildlife, and raw, pulsating wilderness, all in one friendly country. The fact still remains that Zambia is a poverty stricken nation
Housing Need
During the 1920s and 1930s copper mining spurred development and immigration into Zambia (then known as
Northern Rhodesia). Since this time, the Zambian economy predominantly hinged on copper production and export. With copper prices plummeting in the early 1980’s, the economy plunged into deep debt. This led to significant job loss, inflation and poverty. Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform today, Zambia's economic growth remains below the 5% to 7% necessary to significantly reduce poverty. As urban migration increases, It is estimated that 60% of the population lives in the rural areas. Housing needs in these remote areas are considerable. People depend mostly on subsistence agriculture in the villages for their income and live in grass-thatched mud and wattle structures that require annual overhauling. Cracked and broken walls invite serious health risks, rain and rodents into the house. Families are crowded into a single room, and children are introduced daily to life-threatening conditions; compounded by the growing HIV/AIDS crisis, cities like Lusaka and Ndola are unable to provide adequate services and infrastructure needed to support the demand.

For Christmas I had sent Nikki and his family a collection of toques, mitts, scarfs, socks etc. Here's the picture I received not long back showing most of them enjoying their presents!















I was told that Nikki's father took the photo book about Canada I had made and sent over, back to Durban, to show his co-workers as 'he is most impressed with me'. Way to make someone feel special. Both Nikki and Fundwisa reported that the seeds I had sent grew well, although bugs ate some, but it seems the cucumbers grew the best.