The Lowdown - 2015-10 October

Vol. 21, No. 10, 2015

October

Could A National Park Be Lost on Our Watch?

Water’ an Exhibition Get On The Vino More Than Horses Water, Water Everywhere Star Gazer In the Garden Birds, Bugs and Bushes Asthma – Ease your Breathing Now!

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Fool On The Hill

19

5

Mole In The Hole

22

6

Red Passion

24

7

Don’t Be A Victim

26

8

Getting Started

29

9

What’s Happening

40

11

Restaurants

42

12

Employment Sought

43

13

Small Adverts

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Front Cover Photograph: Young Leopard, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia,

by L Chalcraft Editor: Heather Bender Chalcraft Layout & Design: Louann Chalcraft Published by: LH Publications Limited, PO Box 36666, Lusaka, Zambia. +26 0966 821-290 / +26 0965 821-290 editor@lowdownzambia.com www.lowdownzambia.com Winners of the 2011 Africast Tourism Journalist of the Year Award Advertising, Subscriptions and Distribution: ads@lowdownzambia.com Printed by: New Horizon Printing Press Ltd, PO Box 38871, Lusaka, Zambia. +260 211 236-637 1

Could A National Park Be Lost on Our Watch?

In 1984, Kasanka National Park was virtually defunct. Though on a map it would have appeared as a national park, none of the infrastructure was present to make it function as one. There were no roads for tourists to drive on, there was no lodge for them to stay in, and as a result, there was no funding with which to manage the park and protect its wildlife.

Fortunately, in 1985, two men took it upon themselves to revive the park. Mkushi farmer, Gary Williams, and the now late British expatriate David Lloyd invested their own time, money, and effort, building roads and bridges, and setting up the Wasa Lodge, in order to make the park a viable tourist destination.

Through tourism and charity, the park funded a management team, which worked with ZAWA to limit poaching in the area. In the thirty years since then, the park’s animal populations have grown tremendously.

The benefits of Kasanka’s revival stretched well beyond the park’s borders. Of course, the return of tourism to the area created jobs for people living around the park. It also allowed Kasanka’s management team to organize community projects, such as the Chitambo Education Project, which has sponsored both primary and secondary education for pupils around the park.

Ecologically, however, perhaps the most important benefit was realized.

by Ryan Ellis

The revival of Kasanka national park meant the continued protection of Mushitu Swamp Forest; a small, but ecologically essential forest within the park. Each year, in the months of November and December, over five million straw-coloured fruit bats migrate south from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and take up residence in Mushitu Swamp Forest. The journey of the bats is the world’s second largest mammal migration, and when the bats gather in the forest, there are over five million mammals within one hectare.

At night, the bats go out to feed, primarily on masuku fruit, which is indigenous to northern Zambia. In one night, a feeding bat can travel more than two hundred kilometers from its roosting place. As the bats feed, they distribute the seeds of the masuku fruit widely around the region, facilitating an annual regrowth of masuku

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trees. The masuku tree is extremely useful to the people of northern Zambia. Not only is the fruit edible, and useful for making sweetmeats and jams, but the root can be used to treat indigestion, and the wood is termite resistant and very useful for furniture making, and charcoal from the tree is highly regarded.

For the past thirty years, thanks to the efforts of a handful of selfless and benevolent individuals, Zambia has benefitted greatly from the management and protection of Kasanka National Park. Today, though, all of that is at risk.

In 2014, one of the park’s major sources of funding—a grant from the World Bank—ran out. At the same time, due to the growing populations of game in the park, there was a dramatic increase in poaching, and for the first time since 1985, animal populations began to plummet. Adding to all of this, over the past two years, the park has lost a number of its key management staff. When asked about the matter, the Kasanka’s co-saviour, Gary Williams, said that the park’s days are numbered if it keeps going the way that it is, and if the poaching continues.

In response the inevitable argument that poaching is a necessary means of survival for those in dire poverty, I point to an article

by Al Jazeera earlier this year, in which they gave the example of poachers who had turned to farming, due to dwindling animal populations. Without a national park protecting game populations around Kasanka National Park, there would very soon be nothing left, even for the poachers.

The loss of Kasanka National Park would be much, much more than just an environmental issue. It would be an economic, and humanitarian issue. Without 4

the park, the community projects mentioned above would all be lost. All of the tourism jobs in the area would be lost. Aid and charity money, such as the grant from the World Bank, much of which filters its way down into local communities, would all be lost. Additionally, when the inevitable deforestation creeps into the park, and the Mushitu Swamp Forest is chopped down, all of the positive effects of the bats on the region would be compromised.

As former park manager, Ernst Jacobs put it, “The park requires people who are willing to put in a lot of effort for not a lot of money.” Those involved with the park have done all that they can with what support, and what time they have. They have made personal and monetary sacrifices to preserve a national heritage that is shared by all of us. We, as the Zambian public, must now ask ourselves a few crucial questions. What makes a piece of nature worth preserving?

Do we save only what inspires awe, and is therefore financially profitable? Do we not have a moral obligation to future generations, and to the flora and fauna with which we share the planet, to preserve whatever nature we can?

It is likely that Kasanka National Park’s future will depend heavily upon whatever support the Zambian business community can put forward over the next year. Without such support, it is likely that we will see a beautiful part of our country lose its protection.

What a sad end that would be, to thirty years of selfless devotion and sacrifice. What a loss it would be to our national heritage. What a shame it would be to our generation—those of us who today make up the Zambian working population—that it was on our watch that it was lost.

‘Water’ an Exhibition by Quentin Allen From the great storms of summer to the exhausted pools of the dry season. From the morning mists of winter to the crashing falls of the Muchinga escarpment. From the wide sea like lakes to small lily punctuated ponds.

From the deep steep eroded gorges to the beds of round polished stones.

The white water of falls is already on the paper and the surrounding colours and shades are sketched in often while precariously balanced on uncushioned rocks, in very loud surroundings, as the brush dances across the paper with great vibrancy echoing the scene.

Water is such an important component in many of Zambia’s amazing landscapes. It is both reflective and transparent, it drags the colours of its surroundings down in a mirror like image or vibrant patterns creating some of Zambia’s famous landscapes.

One is totally absorbed in the scene. I was at Victoria falls once surrounded by people as I sketched away when suddenly my drawing board was snatched from me. A group of tourists had been asking me if they could take a picture of the sketch I had been working on, I had not answered, this was the only way they could get my attention! It worked, and we had a good laugh.

To sketch colourful sunsets or sunrises I make sure I have clean palettes of yellow, red, and blue ready as this requires quick clean recording of the sky and water. The shapes of trees and the bank can be added later.

I have been sketching along rivers when a passing boat or sudden wind totally alters the scene, followed by a quick swear word, and memory is required.

I have been up early on cold mornings to watch the mist totally alter the surrounding landscape, enjoying the lack of paint and time required to record gently on my white paper.

Dark clouds flashes of lightning pouring rain, a lot of Paynes grey and energy to sketch with great excitement.

I have been very fortunate to drive and hike with my sketch pads (Diaries) into these landscapes and record many such sites.

I have gone through my diaries of pastel sketches and come up with a selection of paintings on the subject of WATER for your perusal.

The Exhibition opens at Zebra Crossings Cafe at Ababa House off Addis Ababa Road on Thursday 8 October at 5.30 pm with snacks and a cash bar. The exhibition carries on until Thursday 5 November during normal business hours. For more information, contact 0979 602-062.

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Get On The Vino

Oh Oh, this looks like it could be a good one; The Lusaka Wine Show happening at one of Lusaka’s landmark hotels – The Intercontinental – 16 and 17 October.

What makes this one a little bit special is that this event showcases Boutique Wines i.e. wines produced by the ‘little guys’ as opposed to the famous estates. I might be out of line here but my gut feel is the art of wine-making is better served in the more hands-on approach rather than industrial.

And these guys are going to be here for the show. Largely at their own expense.

Trudie van Rooyen of The Wine Guys fame (she’s both of them), organiser of this (hopefully) annual event in association with Tamasa Trading has arranged for eleven of South Africa’s top boutique wine farmers to make the long trek to Lusaka bearing the fruits of their labours in bottles. One hundred and twenty varieties will be available to be enjoyed. The exhibiting vintners are Peter Falke, Babylonstoren, Black Elephant Vintners, Lynx, Hoopenberg, De Meye, Marianne, Noble Hill, Hillcrest

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by Marek Patzer

Wine and Olive Estate, Neil Joubert and Akkerdal.

On Friday 16 October the Lusaka Wine Show opens at 4 pm and runs until 9 pm and will be held in the gardens at the Intercon. On Saturday 17 October the Lusaka Wine Show opens at midday and will run till 7 pm. Tickets are K150 at the door and K125 pre-booked. Pre-booked tickets can be purchased at the Intercon or Food Lovers Market, Levy Junction … or call Trudie on 0969 525-137. Ticket price buys you unlimited tasting. Bring along a designated driver otherwise RTSA will have you in court.

On Saturday, outdoor screens will show the scheduled rugby games and there will be a range of distractions for the kids.

On both the Friday and Saturday there will be lucky draws for ticket holders where one can stand the chance of winning a couple of six bottle cases of wine. Take away!

An opportunity to do the Cape Winelands Tour in Lusaka. How about that!

More Than Horses

The Lusaka Gymkhana Club, usually thought of as an equestrian venue for horse shows and training is rediscovering itself as the perfect location for a variety of social sports.

This beautiful setting in the centre of town provides the ideal location for a variety of social sports on the lush floodlit lawns.

Their Social Sports include Touch Rugby from 6 pm to 8 pm on Monday and Thursday evenings and Ultimate Frisbee from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Wednesday evenings. Then there is the Fitcitybootcamps, one hour sessions at 6 am and 6 pm every Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

At the end of each week they have their Friday Night Lights, a social sports open night where you will find people playing volleyball, frisbee and the like under lights.

These games are not organised; rather they are spontaneous. You can arrange you own group or come as an individual and join whatever is happening. Or whip up a group when you get there.

The club also hosts live music events, open air movie nights, sports days and the occasional festival and food market. To join any event you need to be a member, otherwise you’ll pay K20 per visit. To become a member or for info, please call 096 512-6200 or visit them on Facebook ‘Lusaka Gymkhana Club’.

Regular events are: • Open Air Theatre Nights held on the second Wednesday of every month; the next scheduled for 7 October; • The Plate and Palate Good Food Market, held on the first Sunday of every month, from 10 am to 2 pm.

• Live bands and DJs once a month.

Upcoming Events in October are: • 17 October: Sesawi H20 Festival: Family water festival.

• 31 October: Rugby world cup final touch rugby tournament, big screen viewing and after party.

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Water, Water Everywhere Now, from the people who brought you the Lusaka Colour Festival ... we have the Sesawi H2O Festival!

One thing that can be said with certainty is that Zambians know how to have a good time. Despite the heat wave and loadshedding, we still come together and party.

There is a downside however. More often than not, kids can’t join in the parties and celebrations. Sesawi believe that to celebrate life, you have to have your whole family and all of your friends with you, so they have came up with the Colour and H2O festival.

This is an event that welcomes all ages. It’s a first for Lusaka and people don’t know what to expect. Here is an insight.

On 17 October, early morning, you make your way to the Gymkhana Club, in the Showgrounds ... music playing all around you, putting some pep to your step. Giant inflatable slides and jumping castles, overflowing with water and splashes to keep

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the excessive October heat at bay surround you. This not your thing? Then make your way towards the games area and participate in some healthy competition against fellow water party-goers. Join in water fun fights, water sling shot, grass tenpin bowling, and much more!

After a day filled with wet and refreshing fun, it ends with an invigorating after party, right at the Gymkhana Club. There will be a variety of DJs to keep the vibe up so that you can dance the dampness right out of your system and rave until the sun rises!

The Gymkhana Club will provide food and drinks throughout the day to keep your energy levels up.

Hope to see you there for an exhilarating and fun filled day!

Sesawi Events strives to be different and unique in their themes for parties and festivals, and makes sure that the whole family can come along.

by Gwyn Thomas

The Sky in October Messier And His Objects Charles Messier was born in France on 26 June 1730 and died 12 April 1817. He was an astronomer most notable for publishing an astronomical catalogue consisting of nebulae and star clusters that came to be known as the 110 “Messier objects”.

The purpose of the catalogue was to help astronomical observers, in particular comet hunters such as himself, distinguish between permanent and transient visually diffuse objects in the sky.

Messier discovered 13 comets: C/1760 B1 (Messier) C/1763 S1 (Messier) C/1764 A1 (Messier) C/1766 E1 (Messier) C/1769 P1 (Messier) D/1770 L1 (Lexell) C/1771 G1 (Messier) C/1773 T1 (Messier)

C/1780 U2 (Messier) C/1788 W1 (Messier) C/1793 S2 (Messier) C/1798 G1 (Messier) C/1785 A1 (Messier-Mechain) Messier did his observing with 100 mm (four inch) refracting telescope from Hôtel de Cluny in Paris, France. The list he compiled contains only objects found in the sky area he could observe: from the north celestial pole to a celestial latitude of about −35.7° and are not organized scientifically by object type, or even by location.

The Messier objects’ designations, from M1 to M110, still are in use by professional and amateur astronomers today and their relative brightness makes them popular objects in the amateur astronomical community.

The 10 brightest Messier objects are: Messier number

NGC/IC Number

M45

Common name Pleiades

Object type

Distance Constellation Apparent (kly) magnitude

Cluster, open 0.39–0.46

Taurus

1.6

Scorpius

3.3

2,430– 2,650

Andromeda

3.4

0.58

Cancer

3.7

1.324– 1.364

Orion

4

M7

NGC 6475 Ptolemy Cluster Cluster, open 0.65–1.31

M31

NGC 224

M44

NGC 2632 Beehive Cluster Cluster, open

M42

NGC 1976

Andromeda Galaxy Orion Nebula

Galaxy, spiral

Nebula, H II region

M6

NGC 6405 Butterfly Cluster Cluster, open

1.6

Scorpius

4.2

M47

NGC 2422

1.6

Puppis

4.2

Cluster, open

2.3

Canis Major

4.5

Milky Way star cloud

~10

Sagittarius

4.6

Cluster, open

2

Sagittarius

4.6

M41

NGC 2287

M24

IC 4715

M25

IC 4725

Cluster, open Sagittarius Star Cloud

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The brightest Messier Objects are shown left. They are fairly easy to find with binoculars and small telescopes.

M45

Meteor Showers Orionids

Visible 02/10 - 07/11

Peak 21/10

Southern Taurids

01/10 - 25/11

05/11

Northern Taurids

01/10 - 25/11

12/11

Diary of Astronomical Phenomena

M42

During October the 5 major planets: • Venus, Mars and Jupiter will form a conjunction on 23 October and Mars and Jupiter will be closest together on 17 and 18 October.

• Mercury is moving through Virgo, visible early morning.

• Venus is moving through Leo, visible early morning.

• Mars is moving through Leo, visible early morning.

• Jupiter is moving through Leo, visible in the morning.

• Saturn is in Libra, visible early evening.

M7

d 1 3 4 8 8 8 9 9 11 13 13 16 18 20 21 25 25 26 27 29 30

M31

M44

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Images - Stellarium

Event Aldebaran near the Moon Last Quarter Moon (23.2h) World Space Week 4-10 Venus near Regulus; both near Moon Venus-Moon 5.3° at noon Mercury stationary Mars near Jupiter; both near the Moon Venus-Moon 5.6° at noon Mercury near the Moon New Moon (02.1h) Spica near the Moon Saturn near the Moon Mars near Jupiter First Quarter Moon (22.5h) Orionid meteor shower max.

Venus near Jupiter Comet 22P Kopff at perihelion Uranus near the Moon Full Moon (14.2h) Mercury near Spica Aldebaran near the Moon

In The Garden

The jacaranda trees are in full bloom. Some are darker purple than others but they all look spectacular. October will be the turn of the flamboyants and the frangipani.

Mango and avocado trees are also flowering and promise loads of fruit. Small birds flit in and out of the branches of my old brachystegia before dipping down to the bird bath.

Trees are undoubtedly the fundamental framework of any garden. Check whether you should add one or two more when the rains come. Plan now and plant in November.

PLAN! Make this your keyword for the hot season. Annuals are the simplest way to give colour to a garden. With a little care, you can keep their seeds to use next year. This will not work with hybrid plants but the normal garden flowers can be successfully grown from seeds that you allow to ripen and dry on the plant then collect and store safely in airtight containers until next March. Hollyhocks, delphiniums, marigolds, fairy primulas, dianthus, poppies, snapdragons, pansies, dill, sweet basil and many others can be propagated in this way. Don’t forget the labels. If the seeds are tiny it is worth enclosing the old flowers in a plastic bag until the seeds are dry and drop naturally.

Hollyhock seeds on the other hand are large enough to pick by hand when they are dry. You only need to keep a few seed capsules and the other dead flowers can be picked off.

This year I have noticed seed pods on datura (moonflower), epidendrum ibaguense (the common orchid with clusters of small bright orange, purple or red flowers on long stems) and on desert rose (adenium obesum or Sabi star) and I am planning to experiment and see if I can grow them.

Look for any gaps in the garden and plan how to fill them.

Decide which creepers will cover those bare walls and which shrubs will add interest to your borders. Check the nurseries for new plants that you have not used before.

Inspect your pot plants: give attention to any that are looking unhappy, by re-potting into a larger pot or topping up the soil with good compost and fertiliser. Misting your pot plants once a day to give humidity will pay off. Clean the verandah and re-arrange the pots so that only the healthiest are on display. Put faded or overgrown pots in a hidden corner of the garden for re-planting or propagation.

Plan ahead for other improvements, especially paths.

Where feet often tread, grass gets worn and the soil compacted. You can dig up the pathway , loosen and improve the soil and replant grass. Once the rains come of course. Or you can design a pathway using flat stones or cement pavers or bricks or short planks of railway sleeper if you can get them. Hopefully people will step on the stones and the grass can flourish between them.

I plan a water feature every now and then. I have four fantastic designs ‌ but still no water feature. Anyway – the planning is fun!

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Apes, Flies and Carnivorous Caterpillars.

Of Butterflies. Innocuous, colourful and completely harmless to absolutely everything - well. Mostly.

Most butterflies - and moths, for that matter - spend their time as a caterpillar chewing away quite harmlessly on one or two specific plants, occasionally driving the odd farmer to distraction, but otherwise quite pleasant.

Then, as we all know, they grow up, sprout pretty, colourful wings and sip nectar - and occasionally sweat, urine or dung. Some moths flout this, with caterpillars feeding on dry bone and hair, and South Asian moths of the genus Catocala drinking human blood, in the vein of a large and fairly colourful mosquito, but butterflies, surely, are harmless to everything except vegetables?

Well, no. Many members of the family Lycaenidae have been documented to switch from eating grassland herbs in their early weeks, before bingeing on ant larvae in the run-up to pupation. One common local species, the oddly-named Apefly (Spalgis lemolea) never bothers with the herbs; the eggs are laid close to ant-tended mealy-bug colonies where, upon hatching, the dumpy, slug-like caterpillar immediately proceeds to make a meal of the mealybugs, as well as scale insects, aphids and just about any other small, slow-moving bug it can get its jaws on.

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Asthma – Ease your Breathing Now! Asthma is caused by chronic inflammation and hyper sensitivity of the airways to certain stimuli. This means that an attack can be triggered if a susceptible individual is exposed to an allergen or irritants. Medical scientists are growing increasingly alarmed over what they consider to be an epidemic rise in the number of new asthma cases each year. In the US for instance, the incidence of asthma has shot up 75% since 1980 (with the rate among children having increased by 160%).

Researchers are now starting to accept that our bodies are becoming overloaded with harmful factors that are placing our bodies in a constant state of “alarm”, which in turn may trigger and worsen asthma attacks.

These factors usually include pollution, food allergies, inhalant allergies and stress. The most common food allergies are to dairy products (milk, cream, cheese and butter) and wheat (found in bread, many breakfast cereals, cakes, cookies, crackers, pasta, pastries, etc.). I therefore recommend that you avoid both dairy and wheat products for at least a period of 10 days to see if that makes a difference.

In addition to trying to decrease your exposure to pollution and other factors that place a burden on your immune system, there are various nutritional and herbal supplements that can help calm the inflammation that constricts the air passages in the lungs. These include vitamin C (2 – 3g per day), omega 3 fish oil (minimum 1000mg per day), and quercetin (which has an antihistamine effect). Quercetin is also found in certain foods, especially garlic and onions, so these should be included daily.

Ginger and the spice Turmeric are also very helpful when treating asthma due to their anti-inflammatory effect. You may also want to try the supplement MSM, which helps open up airways and ease breathing.

Avoid gas producing foods, such as sodas, whipped cream, beans, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, as gas can irritate an asthmatic condition by putting pressure on the diaphragm. Likewise, eating large meals can also put pressure on the diaphragm and cause shortness of breath. Therefore, eat

smaller meals and always stop eating before you feel full. Avoid very cold drinks and things like ice-cream as the cold can shock the bronchial tubes into spasms.

We all need exercise to become and remain healthy. If you find that exercise can induce an asthma attack, try taking 2000mg of vitamin C one hour before your workout.

Recent studies show that those who took vitamin C prior to their workouts suffered no coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath.

(Please note that if you suffer from kidney stones then you should contact a health practitioner before taking vitamin C).

If exercise produces an asthmatic response, you should also check your salt intake.

According to one report, people with asthma who eat high salt diets have more difficulty breathing while exercising and immediately afterwards than those who habitually consume far less salt. Please note that the salt referred to above, is table salt.

Himalayan Crystal Salt is safe for everyone to use.

Drugs can also trigger asthma attacks.

Beta-blocking medication, used to treat high blood pressure, can constrict the bronchial muscles and cause life threatening problems for a person with asthma. Painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, etc), account for over two thirds of drug related asthmatic reactions, with aspirin causing over half of these. It is always a good idea to keep an ongoing list of things that trigger your asthmatic responses and then avoid them as best you can.

You may also want to try applying castor oil packs to the back and around the lung area.

To make a caster oil pack, place castor oil in a pan and heat but do not boil. Dip a piece of white cotton material into the oil until the cloth is saturated. Apply the cloth to the affected area and cover it with a piece of plastic that is larger in size than the cotton cloth. Place a heating pad or hot water bottle over the plastic to keep the pack warm. Keep the pack in place for 30min to up to 2 hours, as needed.

by Kim Otteby,

Umoyo Natural Health 13

My last “Lads’ Camping Trip” was a whirlwind tour of the Kafue covering 1000kms in 3 nights (Hook Bridge to Itezhitezhi and Lochinvar via Namwala) at the end of which I dropped my 12 year old at Musikili Primary on Monday morning at 0830hrs and he said “Thanks for ruining my weekend Dad!” When I told Gillie that I was planning a trip with Gabu (the same son) to Kasanka NP, Bangweulu Wetlands and over the escarpment to South Luangwa NP, she made the “Tsk!” sound and shook her head with the same look of disappointment my confessing an addiction to heroin might illicit. Gabriel was similarly enthusiastic. I bigged up the plan by inviting his best mate and his best mate’s older brother (Ben and Charlie Fleming) agreed that we would carry an arsenal of pellet guns, throwing knives, tomahawks and fishing gear and promised that vehicle time would be the work of an hour or so here and there between fabulous camping spots along bowling green smooth roads throbbing with wildlife. I threw in the company of Uncle Arthur David Harvey Ansell (our ever-so-slightly-barking-mad family friend) as a sweetener and the deal was fraudulently sealed.

The car doesn’t look too ridiculously tumescent with boy’s toys as we set off at first light. I have resisted the temptation to gaffer tape DVD players to the headrests in the hopes that through the good old fashioned medium of conversation both I and Gabu will learn all we need to know about life at St Andrew’s Prep and College in Grahamstown which the Fleming boys happily attend and where Gabu will start in January next year. Ben and Charlie ask “How long is the drive today?”. However, unlike my boys, when I tell them “Six or seven hours” they do not gnash their terrible teeth, roll their terrible eyes or show their terrible claws; instead they grin and say “YeSSSS Seven hours of sleep!” and they hunker down in a heap to get on with it. I try to strike up a conversation with my son but he clamps on his headphones,

cranks up his iPad and I am left alone in my bubble of paternal disappointment.

After a mere two and a half hours The Fig Tree hoves into view and we stop to fill up a bag of padkos and for a “Half English” breakfast.

We power on through Broken Hill, Kapiri Mposhi and Mkushi and refuel in Serenje home of the Blue Moon Hotel. Here I once filled in the multiple, inquisitory columns of the register after another guest who had written for Description, Mode of Transport and Occupation “Brown with black spots” “Footing” and “Peesant” respectively. By 1430 hours we are at the turnoff to Kasanka National Park where twenty minutes later and with almost military precision Arthur arrives. This is something of a miracle as he has come over the escarpment from Mfuwe in his beloved (by him) 25 year old Land Rover Defender. We exchange the usual unpleasantries about his choice of transport but I gain little support from my lads who are all obsessed by sports cars and cannot appreciate the classical beauty of my 1998 1HZ Land Cruiser pick-up twin cab conversion. We complete ZAWA formalities and head into the Park to sign in at Wasa Camp before proceeding across the park to Luwombwa.

With 477 bird (the same as Kruger NP at 20,000km²!) and 114 mammal species recorded in this relatively tiny (by Zambian standards) 390km² square park, Kasanka also boasts a rich variety of habitats.

Although it may not stand head to head with South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi as a mainstream safari destination it’s deserving of a good reputation amongst twitchers, specialist safari punters and at certain times of year even sensationalist wildlife spectacularists who at Kasanka can tick off the world’s largest mammal migration with 10 million straw coloured fruit bats roosting in the mushitu forests of the Park’s wetlands.

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And of the accommodation? As they say on the Natural High Safaris website “...there is a pleasing amateurishness to the tourism facilities, everything works – just, but there is absolutely no danger of running into an infinity pool or bumping into a butler here”.

The term shabby chic springs to mind.... followed milliseconds later by the sound of chic springing out again. I’d love to love this place, resurrected from NPWS failure to protect and peopled by many dedicated conservationists for the last three decades.

The facilities however always look and feel temporary, makeshift and neglected. The friends I have known who have managed it over the years were obviously so focused on the conservation of the creatures and so oblivious to their own creature comforts and those of their guests that the accommodations seem to have degenerated since a peak of the most basic adequacy in the 1990’s. The tariff however does not reflect this. But as long as one reminds oneself that the tourism proceeds are used entirely to support the Park then the nightly fee of Zmw 440 per person self-catering is quite palatable.

The drive to Luwombwa Camp on the western side of the park, takes us through plenty of good country (including the papyrus marsh where the sitatunga antelope are often seen from a most excellent tree hide) and we are pleasantly surprised by the amount of game and its calm, habituated manner. In the late 1980’s you could (and I did) drive a motorbike from one side of the park to the other every day for a week seeing only the fleeing arse-end of the occasional puku, and if you stopped for more than a minute you would need a complete blood transfusion to replace what the feeding frenzy of the otherwise malnourished tsetse flies had drained you of. The Luwombwa is a pretty, Home Counties looking river whose appearance lulls you into a warm and fuzzy familiarity allowing you to forget that there are still some hefty flatdogs lurking in the deeper pools. The chalets are quaintly ramshackle, the beds surprisingly comfortable and the kitchen facilities Dover-stove basic; but the staff are reluctant to please, lulled by low occupancies into a state of torpor from 16

which it is difficult to rouse them. There are Canadian style canoes available to hire, a few excellent ticks for novice and experienced birders alike and some fun bream fishing to be had. The kids challenge the adults to a competition which at one point we are leading 5 bream to 2 with only myself fishing. Then Arthur joins in, and in his inimitable way puts a weight, a hook and worm, a lure and a float on his line then hangs it over the side of the canoe, hoping perhaps that a fish will become so confused by all these options that it will simply surrender. Needless to say our early lead is soon brokered into total defeat by the mature choices of the younger and more experienced team.

Kasanka NP owes its resurrection to David Lloyd and Gary Williams. Lloyd was a marvellous and colourful caricature of British aristocratic debauchery who with mischievous panache and legendary generosity scattered a sizeable inheritance across several continents, many friends (with no capital and grand schemes) and not a few bordellos, before falling in love with Kasanka in 1985 and investing the remnants of his dwindled fortune and his last 25 years into what at the time was the only Private Public Partnership for the management of a State owned National Park in Africa. He and Williams formed the Kasanka Trust in 1987.

Lloyd died in 2011 and his obituary is both a good read and a worthy tribute to his swashbuckling spirit http://www.telegraph. co.uk/news/obituaries/8334051/DavidLloyd.html Williams, the unsung hero of Kasanka NP and still a Mkushi farmer has never really received the credit he deserves for his unwavering passion and commitment to the Park for the last 30 years; pumping in time, equipment and TLC to prop up the project and continuing still to support the park with his limited resources and limitless dedication.

The Kasanka Trust also runs Shoebill Island Camp in the Bangwuelu Swamp which is now managed by African Parks

under an MOU with ZAWA as the Bangweulu Wetlands Project a 7 hour drive from Luwombwa. Much of the road to Chiundapondi and from the African Park’s Gate to the HQ in the swamp at Chikuni is lined by continuous habitation, the majority of which seems to be relatively new, all of which is full of kids and none of which appears to boast any agriculture apart from a few sorry casava mounds. It would seem that the population of these two “villages” each around 40km long, relies entirely on fish from the Bangweulu swamps for a living. The unenviable nightmare of running a management project in this habitat which also contains the entire world population of some 36,000 Black Lechwe in herds of over a thousand which are ridiculously easy to hunt with a dog and a sharpened stick, must be a quagmire of conflict with stakeholders, local politics and traditional rights and would drive a sane man to climbing the walls, I imagine.

Once we hit the plains the potholed road behind is soon forgotten in the freedom of the almost limitless horizon and the biblical

size of the lechwe herds. At Shoebill Island with the campsite accidentally overbooked and under threat of an imminent Voertrekker outspanning, Boyd the manager very kindly lets us camp on the slab at the end of the row of empty self-catering tents and opens one up so we can use the ablutions.

It’s a wonderful spot 80m from a lagoon where thousands of Lechwe come to drink and teal, yellow billed, whiteface whistling and knob billed ducks jostle with spoonbills, sacred and glossy ibis, open bills, spur wing and Egyptian geese alongside skimmers, stilts, sandpipers, greenshanks and many other unmentionable waterfowl.

I have journeyed here in part to see a Shoebill Stork; a bird I have only ever observed in captivity and have longed to see in the wild since I was a small child. I am prepared to drive deep into the swamps and then charter a swarthy mokoro crew to pole us to a point where we must wade chest deep in the leech infested waters to 17

a shoebill nest on some secluded papryrus island far from the eyes of man.

However, as we arrive at Chikuni, with the strains of Supersport coming through the patio windows of the biologist’s bungalow and a large South African flag unfurled behind him, there stands the quizzical Shoebill! A crowd of fisherkids ramble past and he bats a long and effeminate eyelash and when my party of boys approach to stand two metres from him across a small channel, he can barely contain his indifference. Relief and anticlimax jostle for control of my feelings but at 52, the former triumphs....you can keep the leeches.

We spend two nights here roaming the plains and marvelling at the industry of the fishermen who have turned this remote wetland into a seasonal fishery divided up by low dikes (NB* manmade mud walls not vertically challenged women in comfortable shoes) into a series of ponds from which fish are funnelled into traps in a ruthless and democratic manner by the teams who have built the walls. It appears to be a very efficient system and judging from the number of people it supports, quite unsustainable. I’m glad to have seen this, as I can’t imagine that without owning the status of a National Park this ecosystem will survive the population growth Zambia is experiencing.

The next day is one of those rare routes that is short as the crow flies but which links up two such different places, populations and environments that one feels some of the magic of passing through the back of a wardrobe. We rise before the sun to the sound of several thousand lechwe tracking through the lagoon and are soon on the road retracing the tedious 50km trail through swampland suburbia and we then head north through Lavushi Manda National Park. Now also under the protective management of The Kasanka Trust and worthy of exploration in its own right LMNP is 1500km² of largely unexploited miombo habitat which with protection could once again support good game populations....but which ZAWA will probably de-gazette and leave to the 18

Bemba charcoal magnates. We hit the Great North Road after two hours and soon turn East and descend over the escarpment down the switchback, rock-scree, brakestomping track to the Luangwa Valley floor. We lunch, fail to catch fish and plink with our pellet guns in the Mutinondo River bed and then head down the 05 to the Mfuwe Gate. We have bumped into some other Valley residents driving Land Rovers and they are soon broken down having thrown all the oil from their rear diff. They effect that mindless, masochistic optimism common to Land Rover owners and wave us on our way. But Arthur’s beast has caught some virus from its kind and by the time I and the boys are playing in the bed of the Luwi River and waiting for the cold, sundowner beers to arrive, Arthur has switched his allegiances and become part of the jovial gaggle of limping nincompoops that constitutes a convoy of Land Rovers. I have to backtrack for an hour to find them, patting themselves on the back, winching each other up twelve degree inclines and chock full of misplaced derring-do and camaraderie. I relieve Arthur of an icy six pack and drive south again in disgust. In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. But in the land of the Toyota, the Land Rover owner is just a silly person.

As we cross the Luangwa Bridge at Mfuwe five minutes from my house trailing the line of game viewing cars I can guarantee that we are the only party to have seen Black Lechwe and Stanley’s Bustard, tsessebe, hartebeest and roan on our safari that day. And after 25 years living in the Valley having never done that, it feels great. My son takes off his headphones and says “Are we out of the park yet?” I explain where we are and how we have traversed a huge natural barrier, followed the ancient elephant and poaching trails from the escarpment to the Valley floor, crossed the mighty Luangwa and now almost by magic have entered the familiarity of Eastern Province and Kakumbi Chiefdom. “Cool!” he says “Does that mean I can shoot the doves now?”. I make the “Tsk” sound and crack the last beer.

Oh, Oh, here comes the idea of a bacon slicer!

Slim and Lovely It was very many moons ago that I was first made aware that I was too big!

I was walking the dog on Boxing Day. A splendid breakfast had been consumed, now a spot of exercise was called for to prepare for the fantastic luncheon that was organized for later. As I ambled up Cagefoot Lane I was debating whether to have a pint at the Gardeners Arms when a window shot open and Doc Squires appeared there and shouted at me. “You, boy, you’re too fat; Come and see me in the morning!” So much for his PC bedside manner, but, in his defence, he had known me for years.

Into his surgery I went; there at the side was the fish tank containing a bee hive that had diverted the attention of many a scared child from the terrors of inoculation; there was not much activity in there that morning, there was snow on the ground outside.

The good doctor appeared to me to be over concerned about my weight, after all I was only 30 stone and very tall; the correct terminology, so I believed, was not fat or obese but magnificent!

He said that I should diet and went through all the usual miserable restrictions, no bread, no beer, no potatoes, forget sugar, the Walnut Whips, the rum and cokes to keep the weather at bay, blaah blaah.

He saw that I was depressed at the prospect so he then said “Or, there is an alternative”.

“I have been reading the Lancet over the holiday, and there is an article about an idiot, err, I mean patient, who also had a weight problem.” (The past tense sounded ominous, did he die?). “He was put on a diet of multivits and water and told to get on with his normal life and it worked very well. Do you want to try it?” You scheming old sod, you were just after a guinea pig.

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Off to the chemist with a prescription to receive a big bottle of pills, with the instructions; one three times a day! Do not drop the bottle; there is a month’s food in there.

It was St. Augustine who once said “Abstinence is easy, it is moderation that is the difficulty”. I mulled on the idea.

Surely, giving it all up could not be all that bad, could it? The holiday over, I returned to work, surveying on the snow covered slopes of the South Downs above Newhaven. Every now and again I felt dizzy, I fell over a couple of times but the snow in your face was reviving albeit unpleasant. I permitted myself an occasional howl, vivid dreams of luscious pork chops haunted my dreams at night, you felt very empty all day but after about three or four days you get over the withdrawal symptoms; because that is what food really is, a drug! Another side effect is that the taste in your mouth from cigarette smoking becomes so foul that you give that up too.

A major discovery is made. The day does not seem long, it is interminable. You had not realized how much time was taken up in the day purchasing, preparing, consuming and ENJOYING food. Now day dreams and nightmares have but one inspiration and you can guess what it was.

David Copperfield wanted more; lucky little lad, all I wanted was some!

The weigh in after a week was eagerly anticipated and it was good news, two stone lost, only another 13 to go, that can be knocked off in another 6 weeks, this is a piece of old tacky. OK, it has been hard 19

but now I have the strength to carry on, the results have buoyed me up.

Off to Leicester where there was a large area to survey. The city did not look its best, all grey and miserable, slush on the ground, sleet in the air. The first task was to find some digs in which to spend the couple of weeks that the work would take.

Some were found but a little difficulty was experienced in setting the rates. The rather shabby foreigner, the owner of the place, announced that it was 17 shillings and sixpence a night, bed and breakfast. “Aah, but I do not eat breakfast, so how much of a reduction will I get? The gentleman, faced with this query, pondered at length and then came up with the only other English that he possessed: “Payable in Advance”.

Oh, well, I think it would have taken a lengthy course in Turkmenistan to be able to explain the dilemma; life is too short.

The work in Leicester progressed, the smell of greasy bacon being cooked for breakfast drove me out of the house early, the early return to the digs forced on me by the winter darkness was not pleasant, the place was cold and damp and the nights were long but, there you go, it’s a living.

Round comes the weigh in day. Wearing the same clothes as before I proceeded to a Woolworths. Inside of every Woolworths, just at the entrance there is a large weighing machine where, for only one penny, you may read your weight. I discovered that I had lost but one ounce. I do not cry often and very rarely in public, but on that day I shed copious tears.

It looked as if my schedule was a little optimistic but the bit was between the teeth. I was determined to carry on.

Leicester was a depressing place, I was glad to leave it and head home to Norfolk where wife and baby daughter could cheer me up.

Out into the wilds of Norfolk I went to carry out surveys in preparation for major road improvements. For an assistant I dragooned a cousin to hold the level staff as I plonked level control down the road to be improved. At lunch times he was fond of advising me not to eat too fast. He would 20

bring a large thermos flask full of pork and beans and assured me that, if I was good, he would let me have a smell of it! Who needs enemies when you have relations like that!

I faced the next weigh in with trepidation but was relieved to find that I had managed to lose 7 lbs in the week. That remained the trend and after a total of 16 weeks I found myself with my bodyweight halved and in need of a new wardrobe. My first meal was a small amount of scrambled egg on toast.

It was fantastic.

Now, everyone knows that the easiest thing was to put weight back on after such a diet.

I was no exception to the rule but I found that, after a year of enjoying what I called normal living, a return to the diet for a month managed to get the weight back to where it was supposed to be.

This I used to do for some years but, eventually, fearing for my life and her sanity, my wife forbade me to repeat my extreme regime. Of course, I cheated, as the sundry diets that were put upon me did not seem to work.

There was the Atkins diet, the Banana diet (Good one that, the highlight of the week was to have three glasses of milk and 7, yes, you heard me, 7 bananas as your total daily sustenance), the Carbohydrate diet; indeed just about every letter in the alphabet diet, it drove my long suffering better half mad.

This blasted moderation is all very well but what is a chap supposed to do when organizing a mammoth braai, or a pig roast and it is so hot by the fire that beer has to be consumed aplenty, and, having cooked up a feast, it would be a crime not to sample your efforts.

Every now and again the Madam would shunt off to the UK to count grandchildren and I would go into hibernation and go on my tried and tested system diet. It would save on the washing up. Out here it required extra pills, more vitamin C and a salt tablet but it still worked well, a splendid result after a week, nothing the second

Zam b

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week and then a steady diminuation of the weight and the waistline thereafter.

But time moves on and the willpower wanes. The mind still thinks that you are capable of consuming vast quantities of food and drink but the body fails. All of a sudden there comes the realisation that you are now eating a quarter of what you used to and, my goodness me, that was another dry week that you had!

But, that is all very well, you may not be eating all that much yet you have still managed to slowly accumulate 25 kilos over what you should weigh. Life is just not fair. Every day the TV shouts and screams about obesity, about too much sugar, salt and doughnuts consumed. The junk food we are all stuffing down our gullets is going to kill us all if the alcopops do not get us first. Then, what is the food manufacturing industry going to do when it has killed us all off?

I do not eat junk food, I have no sugar in my tea, the milk in it is fat free, but still the weight goes on. What the heck is happening? Well, it is obvious, you are retired, you are no longer thundering about underground, blowing things up. It is your new, sedentary, life style, that’s what it is, get to the gym, you idle peasant!

So there you go, into a place that I never thought that I would frequent. All this gleaming machinery, weights, treadmills, instruments of torture all. The place is supervised by amiable sadists, determined to make me fit, lean and very much better looking all the way round.

We are now offering..

Now, some 4 years later I have learnt one or two things. Going on a treadmill or a bike hurts my poor old plates of meat (Feet) so I am reduced to a rowing machine. Once I could row away, admiring all the lovely, yummy mummies exercising away whilst their little offspring were in school, though the main muscle exercised seemed to be the most powerful in the human body, the tongue!

Now the rowing machine has been moved away from “the body of the kirk” and I sit, tucked away in a corner, grunting away on the machine until 8000 metres are clocked up and 400 calories of dreaded blubber have been burnt away.

A steam bath reminds me of some of the ghastly places that I used to have to work in so, emerging from that into the early morning air, is a joy.

Off to home, all virtuous, where a frugal breakfast is consumed. None of your eggs, bacon, sausage and fried bread, all washed down with a mug of hot, sweet builder`s tea, oh no, none of that, you are now a better person. A scattering of oats in the bottom of the cereal bowl with a drop of plain yoghurt is washed down with black coffee during which I read yet another diet book. It informs me that I have just consumed more calories than I have exercised away. I do not care, I shall abstain, I shall overcome but then, in the bathroom, after getting off those stubborn, stupid scales that seem to always go up not down, I catch sight of myself in the mirror and the dreadful truth comes to me “You are never going to be lovely either!”

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Red Passion

I love tea. Growing up and into my teenage years, I always drank tea plain with a touch of honey to sweeten. It was only when I went to the UK that I discovered people put milk and sugar in their tea! At that time, I found this incredibly strange and it took me years to adopt this custom, although I must admit that these days I love the combination, at least when it comes to “normal” black tea.

But standard black tea with milk and sugar can hardly be classed as healthy. A much healthier option is green tea. Black and Green tea actually come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. In both cases harvesters pluck the uppermost buds and leaves from the plant. So what’s the difference? It comes down to processing and oxidation.

To produce Green Tea, leaves are harvested, withered, and then heated through steaming (Japanese style) or pan-frying (Chinese style).

This process halts oxidation so that the leaves retain their color and delicate fresh flavor.

To produce Black Tea, leaves are harvested and withered and then crushed, torn, curled, or rolled and allowed to oxidise before being dried. As a result the leaves darken and develop a stronger flavor and aroma.

Black tea tends to have more caffeine and not as many antioxidants as green tea. Also, you would never be tempted to put milk and sugar in green tea!

Another favorite is Rooibos Tea, also known as Red Bush Tea. When I travel to Europe, it always amazes me how expensive and exotic Rooibos is there. Whereas to many of us here in Zambia, it has become a daily

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by Kim Otteby,

Umoyo Natural Health

staple, due to its abundance in South Africa.

In fact, Rooibos is ONLY grown in South Africa.

Rooibos has its own set of health benefits, such as its anti-inflammatory properties and it is very high in antioxidants. Just don’t spoil it with loads of milk and sugar! If you really like your tea sweet, try natural sweeteners that don’t raise blood sugar levels, such as Stevia and Xylitol. Never be tempted to use artificial sweeteners that are widely available in our supermarkets as these are terrible for our health (proven to cause cancer).

I am so excited to share with you the launch of Umoyo’s new Health Tea – Red Passion - which has quickly become my all time favorite tea (indeed, I make a huge pot of it every morning!). The combination of Hibiscus flowers, Cinnamon and Lemongrass, gives this tea a beautiful tangy citrus flavor, which is smooth around the edges from the sweetness of the cinnamon.

Great hot or cold. Plus, it has amazing health benefits: Hibiscus – Helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. High in anti-oxidants, and helps in weight management.

Lemongrass – Helps cleanse the liver and kidneys. Anti-bacterial and antifungal.

Cinnamon – Helps stabilize blood sugar & blood pressure. Anti-inflammatory and helps relieve pain.

Currently, we are brewing this tea fresh in all the Umoyo Shops, so that you can come in and taste it (Arcades, Woodlands, East Park, Umoyo Health Clinic). With its bright red color it is unmistakable! Hope to see you soon.

Don’t Be A Victim

Crime is a global reality. Obvious. We live with it. The trick is to not be a victim. Therein lies the rub. Solution? “Be Prepared” to quote the Boy Scouts. In our country “we are used” and a lot of us sleep comfortably behind bars, with guns and dogs, high walls and guarded gates. We have to if we can afford it. That’s the way it is here.

Even so, things still happen … it happens outside our personal fortresses … as well as within. And life being what it is we can’t be prepared for everything. But we try. Problem is things are getting pretty desperate here … things are falling apart … lots of people are losing their jobs and “when hunger walks in the door ...”.

Crime is on the increase as well as scams old and new … be prepared.

Single women drivers are being targeted at the Kafue roundabout at rush hour by an aggressive gang operating with impunity … trying to get handbags etc out of the car. Solution? Windows closed, doors locked, handbag out of sight. It’s a good policy generally to drive locked and sealed.

Hope you got aircon. The old “You’ve got a puncture” scam is still being played.

Somebody taps on your window indicating you’ve got a puncture on one of your rear wheels? Smile, stay in your car and drive off. There’s a couple of them out of sight just hanging to get into your car and take whatever is in there. If you really have a puncture you’ll notice soon enough.

Then there’s the guy who’ll come up to you as you’re parking or leaving a parking lot and say “You’ve just driven over my foot” Long story short he wants money or he’ll call the police. Tell him “Go for it” and drive off. Then there’s the polite, well-dressed gentleman who greets you like an old friend saying something like”… you don’t remember me? From the airport?

Immigration officer?” Or something like that, ending up with a request for taxi money or something similar.

24

Driving at night – especially late at night – is inherently dangerous due to driving practices here but having said that there are reports of patrons leaving clubs and restaurants being targeted on their way home … being forced off the road and robbed … and that recently coupled with rape and assault. Can’t stop people from having a good time but would like to suggest that having pepper spray might give one a fighting chance.

Banks and ATM’s. You are being watched.

Drawing large amounts of cash on a regular basis from the same bank for wages or whatever is not a good idea but if needs must then go with the ‘safety in numbers’ option; have some big people come with you. Could write a small book on the stuff that could go wrong at an ATM but fortunately for us most ATM’s at malls come equipped with security in the form of an AK47 attached to a police person. Shop with plastic whenever possible. Don’t leave your handbags in a shopping trolley. Jeez ladies, handbags! You put your whole life in them no wonder people want to take them away from you. Moving on . Do not accept assistance from strangers when offloading shopping. It is a vulnerable time. And, to state the obvious, if you leave valuables in your car when parked there’s a very good chance that they won’t be there when you come back and you’ll have to replace a lock or window. Very inconvenient. Burglaries from cars at the various shopping malls are also on the increase.

At home you are at your most vulnerable when you arrive at your gate. Those long seconds that it takes for the gate to open.

That’s when you really need to be aware of what’s happening behind you. Or to the side of you. Better still that awareness should kick in before you get to your gate.

The long and the short of it is that crime is on the increase and so should our vigilance exponentially. Don’t be a victim.

Soaps, Scrubs, Lotions & Potions

It’s a wonderful feeling washing your face for the first time, with a soap bar you have made yourself.

There is also something really satisfying about creating your own beauty products from scratch.

Gentle, Kind and Mildly lathering handmade soap cleanses without drying and it leaves even the most sensitive skin feeling moisturised, soft and beautifully fragrant.

Essential oils plays an interesting part in the soap making process and as our sense of smell is so closely linked to our emotions, the fragrance of your products are an important consideration which makes the production and creative process even more interesting and exciting.

Soap Making is surprisingly easy and this adventure need not end in the bathroom. Think about making products for the kitchen, your pets, giving thoughtful gifts or even starting a home business. The array of end products is amazing, perfumed body soaps, products for cleaning you home, hair shampoo, body scrubs and face creams or lotions.

All tailored to your specific needs.

The beauty of making these products, is that this is no more challenging than following a recipe for baking a cake.

When you make your own soaps & beauty products you know exactly what 26

is going into them. Recipes do not need to be complicated and you don’t have to be a domestic goddess. Soap making is also not limited to women – some of the finest soap making is done by men and there is no age restriction with one small exception. Unfortunately this is not a hobby for unsupervised children. Cold Process Soap Making involves using Caustic Soda (Lye) and this would require an adult’s supervision. However children can still be involved with the Melt and Pour method and they do really well, stretching their creativity.

Soap is made of 3 Basic ingredients Water, Lye & Fat (Oil).

When a Lye and Water solution, is mixed with Oils, a reaction takes place called saponification, and the end result is a substance which is 5 parts soap and 1 part glycerine.

Glycerine is a rich emolument (moisturiser) which is retained in handmade soap making. Unfortunately in commercial soap making this glycerine is removed, leaving behind a dry hard bar which is no good for your skin. Commercial soaps do the job of getting things clean, but being full of synthetic fragrance and harmful lathering chemicals, they leave your skin feeling dry and unnourished.

Handmade soap on the other hand, lathers mildly, is naturally fragranced and moisturises as well as cleansing. The skin feels clean, soft and wonderful. Homemade soaps are full of beneficial ingredients such as plant oils, herbs and essential oils for fragrance. Working with Essential Oils is an art but can be kept really simple and deliver quick interesting results.

Perfection will take practice, but if you like to create and enjoy experimenting you will become addicted to the Soap Making process. Working with herbs, Essential Oils and making homemade artisan products can soon become a way of life Soap making is a craft with a difference, requiring only the most basic of ingredients and equipment, most of which you will probably have in your kitchen. If you have not tried soap making before – now’s your chance. The Living Life Creatively - Easy Course will share recipes & ideas. We cover 3 soap making methods and all the basics required to get you off to a really good start.

Soaps can be moulded, stamped, decorated and wrapped – all allowing you, the maker to express your creative spirit. You will find it a pleasure working with the wonderful scents, colour palettes and textures.

Soap Making History dates back to as early as 2800 BC. The original soap makers, it’s believed were Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans. Products were made using animal fat, oil and alkaline salt from wood ash. According to ancient legend, Soap got its name from Mount Sapo. The Soap making discovery was by accident, when water running off the mountain across the remains of wood fires, which had been used for cooking animal fat, resulted in a clay soapy sort of substance being left on the river banks. Soap Making as it is today has evolved and come a long way from those early days but the basic principles remain the same.

Making your own beauty products and in particular soap using old traditional natural methods has never been more popular than it is today. The purpose of using beauty products is predominantly to nourish, revitalise, moisturise and protect you skin. Plant based oils like Olive, Sweet Almond and Grapeseed oils have the ability to penetrate the skin and nourish the skin cells. The use of beautiful home crafted soap full of aromatic plant extracts & Essential Oils used to fragrance your products, means there are no synthetic

chemical in your products. Essential Oils are released as you bath or shower.

Aromatic bathing is a fabulous way to relax, unwind and reenergise at the end of a long day. Essential Oils also have great healing abilities as they are antiseptic, antiviral and to some degree antibacterial. They also stimulate skin renewal and look after us mentally and emotionally. Their curative and restorative properties are balancing and harmonising helping the entire body stay in tune and able to heal.

Just a word of warning – don’t be fooled by Natural Looking products, packaging and advertising. Stop and read the labels. Avoid Petrochemicals, Paraben preservatives, artificial foaming agents (Sodium Laureth), Synthetic dyes and fragrances. These can do your skin unbelievable harm.

The Good news is there are healthy alternative but nothing beats making your own Soap and Beauty Products. Each time you try a new recipe, you will be mixing and transforming different aromas and basic household products, like Epson Salts, Salt, or Sugar, into something really special, therapeutic and fabulous to use. It’s fun, it’s creative, it’s cost effective and it’s a really rewarding pastime or business but most importantly – it’s HEALTHY. Enjoy the unexpected - It’s addictive. Once you Get Started there is no limit to creating.

Lavender and Vanilla Hand Scrub The Perfect way to exfoliate and repair dry skin. Leaves your hands glowing and healthy. They will feel like silk.

• 1/2 Cup Sugar (125ml) (White or Brown Sugar) • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil (125 ml) • 1/4 teaspoon of real vanilla extract • 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (Available at Living Life Creatively) Mix all the ingredients together. Store in an Airtight jar. Use 1 Tablespoon as needed.

Scrub your hands with the mixture and rinse well.

Do you have a topic you are knowledgeable about that you’d like to share information on? Or perhaps you’d like to learn something and share while you teach yourself. Write us a Getting Started on what interests you! Email editor@lowdownzambia.com 27

Conditions - The articles and information contained in this newsletter are copyrighted to The Lowdown. They may be used in other publications or reproduced on condition that credit is given to the source. Photographs may not be used without written permission of the photographer. While reasonable precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of advice and information given to readers, The Lowdown, its advertisers and printers cannot accept responsibility for any damages or inconvenience that may arise therefrom. Any material sent to us will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and will be subject to The Lowdown’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. The views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily those of The Lowdown. All advertising sales are subject to space availability and the discretion of The Lowdown.

Thursday 1 October: International Day of Older Persons Friday 2 October: International Day of NonViolence Friday 2 October: Music Event. Venue: The Web, Kafue Road. Time: 7pm. Tickets: K100.

Featuring 5 bands in one night: Naming James, Tamryn Jones, Southern Gypsey Queen, Jaco Mans, Gareth Wilson & Jamie Acheson.

Saturday 3 October: Crayfish and Wine.

Venue: Lilayi Lodge. Time: 1pm - 5pm.

Cost: K150 (all you can eat crayfish).

Crayfish and White Wine poolside braai with Collett’s Crayfish. Bring swimming costumes for a day by the poolside. INFO: reservations@lilayi.com, 0971 002-010, www.lilayi.com Sunday 4 - Saturday 10 October: World Space Week Sunday 4 October: French German Cultural Week | Opening Concert. Venue: UNZA Chapelle. Time: 5pm. Entrance free.

Sacred music from Germany, France and Zambia. With Lusaka Chamber Orchestra, Vox Zambezi, St Ignatius Choir and International Soloists. INFO: AFL: 0211 253-467 | Ngoma Dolce: 0964 140-151, ngomadolce@gmail.com Monday 5 October: World Teachers’ Day Monday 5 October: World Habitat Day Tuesday 6 October: French German Cultural Week | Chamber-Music Night.

Venue: Alliance Francaise. Time: 7.30pm.

Entrance K60 (AFL K50). International Soloists play together with the best Zambian Instrumentalists. Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Wagner and Ravel.

INFO: AFL: 0211 253-467 | Ngoma Dolce: 0964 140-151, ngomadolce@gmail.com Wednesday 7 October: French German Cultural Week | ChanSong-Night. Venue: Alliance Francaise. Time: 7.30pm. Entrance K60 (ALF K50). Chansons, songs, Lieder, and 29

Friday 9 October: World Post Day Friday 9 October: Wine Tasting Dinner with Allister Kreft. Venue: Lilayi Lodge. Time: 7pm. Cost: K375. Three course meal with 7 wines. INFO: reservations@lilayi.com, 0971 002-010, www.lilayi.com Friday 9 October: French German Cultural Week | The Magic Flute by W.A Mozart.

Venue: Alliance Francaise. Time: 7pm.

Entrance K100 (AFL K80). The World Famous Opera for the first time in Zambi, with Lusaka Chamber Orchestra, LMS Choir and brilliant soloists from Europe, South Africa and Zambia. INFO: AFL: 0211 253-467 | Ngoma Dolce: 0964 140-151, ngomadolce@gmail.com Saturday 10 October: Wine Tasting Dinner with Allister Kreft. Venue: Lilayi Lodge. Time: 7pm. Cost: K375. Three course meal with 7 wines. INFO: reservations@lilayi.com, 0971 002-010, www.lilayi.com Sunday 11 October: International Day of the Girl Child melodies interpreted by some great voices from Zambia and South Africa. INFO: AFL: 0211 253-467 | Ngoma Dolce: 0964 140151, ngomadolce@gmail.com Wednesday 7 October: Soap Making Course.

Venue: Near Sandy’s Creations, Lilayi. K200 per person. Make gifts or start a small home business, have some fun & be Inspired.

Products, moulds, packaging for purchase.

INFO: Sue 0966 565-374 Thursday 8 October: Quentin Allen invites you to the opening of his painting exhibition titled ‘Water’. Venue: Zebra Crossings Cafe.

Time: 5.30pm.

Thursday 8 October - Wednesday 4 November: Painting exhibition titled ‘Water’

by Quentin Allen. Venue: Zebra Crossings Cafe.

Thursday 8 October: French German Cultural Week | Fine Music, Drink and Food. Venue: Latitude 15º Hotel. Time: 7.30pm. Entrance K130. Maxime Zecchini - Piano. Pieces

by Chopin, Skrjabin & French Film-Music.

INFO: AFL: 0211 253-467 | Ngoma Dolce: 0964 140-151, ngomadolce@gmail.com 30

Sunday 11 October: French German Cultural Week | Children’s Corner - The Magic Flute for kids by W.A Mozart. Venue: Ngoma Dolce Academy. Time: 5pm. Entrance K20.

INFO: AFL: 0211 253-467 | Ngoma Dolce: 0964 140-151, ngomadolce@gmail.com Sunday 11 October: Fund Raising Food Fete ‘Kairali’ hosted by the Zambia Malayalee Cultural Association. Venue: International School of Lusaka, Nangwenya Road. Time: 10.30am. Taste a variety of authentic dishes from exotic cuisine of Kerala - God’s own country – in South India. Proceeds to charity.

Come and taste irresistible “dosa and iddly”, sumptuous “appam”, delicious chicken and mutton dishes, braai, South Indian sweets & savouries and many other special items.

Jumping castle, horse riding and skill games for the children.

Tuesday 13 October: International Day for Disaster Reduction Thursday 15 October: International Day of Rural Women Thursday 15 October: The Lowdown November Edition Deadline.

Friday 16 October: World Food Day [FAO]

Friday 16 October: The Lusaka Wine Show.

Venue: Intercontinental Hotel Lusaka. Time: 4pm - 9pm. Tickets K150 (door). Eleven of South Africa’s top Boutique Wine Farms will present more than a 120 varieties of their finest wine for unlimited tasting organised by Tamasa Trading and The Wine Guys Zambia. Lucky draws - stand a chance to win a free box of 6 wines. INFO: www.tamasawines.com Saturday 17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Saturday 17 October: The Lusaka Book Club is reading ‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl’

by Harriet Ann Jacobs. Next month is ‘The Lives of Others’ by Neel Mukherjee. INFO: 0979 454-765.

Saturday 17 October: The Lusaka Wine Show. Venue: Intercontinental Hotel Lusaka.

Time: 12pm - 7pm. Tickets K150 (door).

Eleven of South Africa’s top Boutique Wine Farms will present more than a 120 varieties of their finest wine for unlimited tasting organised by Tamasa Trading and The Wine Guys Zambia. Lucky draws - stand a chance to win a free box of 6 wines. INFO: www.tamasawines.com Saturday 17 October: French German Cultural Week | Fine Music, Wine and Dine A Glyndebourne Night. Venue: Lilayi Lodge.

Time: 5pm. The Magic Flute Open Air. INFO: 0971 002-010, reservations@lilayi.com Saturday 24 October: Public Holiday.

Independence Day Saturday 24 October: United Nations Day Saturday 24 October: World Development Information Day Saturday 24 - Friday 30 October: Disarmament Week Saturday 24 October: Independence Day at Lilayi. Venue: Lilayi Lodge. Time: 1pm - 5pm.

Cost: K195. Gourmet Buffett in the restaurant with Braai under the Mango trees. INFO: reservations@lilayi.com, 0971 002-010, www.lilayi.com Tuesday 27 October: World Day for Audiovisual Heritage [UNESCO] Friday 30 October - Friday 6 November: Lusaka International Film and Music Festival.

Theme: Inclusive Communities. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957 Saturday 31 October: World Cities Day Monday 2 November: International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists Friday 6 November: International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict Sunday 8 November: Fund Raising Cricket Tournament. Hosted by the Zambia Sri Lanka Friendship Association. Venue: Lotus Cricket Grounds. Time: 8am. Teams: Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, India. Food stalls, kids entertainment, sky diving. INFO: 0975 015497, 0966 256-763, 0966 633-641 Monday 9 November - Sunday 15 November: International Week of Science and Peace Tuesday 10 November: World Science Day for Peace and Development Saturday 14 November: World Diabetes Day Sunday 15 November: World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 31

Monday 30 November - Tuesday 1 December: Senses at Sensorium is hosting a presentation on new techniques done by Dr Clark. Take the opportunity to ask all about all aesthetic procedures from the expert with years of professional experience. Call to book your seat. INFO: 0211 257-330 or 0969 740-440.

6pm; Ndola: No 3, Table Hall, Ndola, 7pm; Chingola: No 4, Golf Club, 6.30pm. All extablers welcome INFO: 0955 791-414.

‘Craft Markets & Markets’

Diplomatic Spouses Association (DSA).

Meetings: Last Tuesday of the month.

Members and spouses from diplomatic / international missions, honorary consulates & expatriate community accredited to Zambia are all welcome. INFO: soraya.king@hotmail.com

Dutch Reformed Craft Market. Venue: Dutch Reformed Church, Kabulonga. Time: Last Saturday of the month.

Foxdale Court Farmer’s Market: Venue: Foxdale Court, 609 Zambezi Rd, Roma.

Time: Sundays; 7am - 5pm. INFO: 0973 315185, 0211 295-793, info@foxdalecourt.com, www.foxdalecourt.com St Columba’s Craft Market. Venue: St Columba’s Presbyterian Church, Nangwenya Rd. Time: First Saturday of the month.

Konzani Gardens Market Day. Venue: Plot 7053/M Lusaka West. Buy and Sell vegetables, chickens, eggs, clothes, toys, books, paintings. Time: Monthly, Last Saturday, 9am on. Stands: K20. INFO: 0976 549-777, konzanigardens@gmail.com Waterfalls Precinct Gourmet Market. Venue: Portico Restaurant, Lusaka Showgrounds.

Time: Monthly, Second Friday, 7pm. A community event where you can buy and sell authentic food. INFO: 0969 442-753 oscar@waterfallsprecinct.com ‘Business Associations & Community’ The Association of 41 Clubs of Zambia.

Meetings: First Wednesday of the month, (except Chingola - first Friday). Lusaka: No 1 Kunzubo Guest Lodge, Zambezi Rd, Roma, 6pm; Kitwe: No 2, The Ravens Country Club, 32

Chishawasha Children’s Home has a regular stall at the Dutch Reform Church Craft Market. Available are hand-made crafts and quality second-hand books. INFO: 0211 214557, philplusm@gmail.com

HI Alumni. Lusaka Chapter. Time: Monthly third Saturday, 8am - 9am. Venue: Ndeke Hotel, Longacres. INFO: 0977 774-168, 0977 792-424 InterNations: Expatriates, expand your social and business network, join the largest fastest growing online community, mingle with other expats at our monthly events. Activities include lunch groups, dinner groups, Sunday afternoon coffee groups, photo walk groups etc. INFO: emmswood@gmail.com or sarahe@tinytimandfriends.org International Women’s Club. Meetings: First Wednesday of the month. Venue: Poolside, Southern Sun Ridgeway. New members welcome.

Lusaka District Business Association.

Meetings: Last Wednesday of the month.

Venue: ZCSMBA offices, Showgrounds.

Time: 2pm. A member of the Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Associations (ZCWMBA). Come and enhance your business integrity. An ideal forum for sharing business knowledge, ideas, skills etc.

Rotary Club Meetings. Mondays: RC of Nkwazi; Barclays Bank Sports Club; 6pm.

Tuesdays: RC of Lusaka; Holiday Inn; 12.30pm. Wednesdays: RC of Maluba; Radisson Blu; 12.30pm. Thursdays: RC of Lusaka Central; Taj Pamodzi Hotel; 12.30pm.

Fridays: RC of Pamodzi; Taj Pamodzi Hotel; 12.30pm. Saturdays: RC of Kusinta; The Courtyard Hotel; 9am.

Baptist Mission of Zambia: Venue: Baptist Guesthouse, Corner of Nangwena Rd, Margrat Tembo. Bible Study. Time: Sunday 4.30pm. Times are tough, Life doesn’t seem to be getting easier, troubles everywhere you look - But there is hope. Classes for all ages.

Come join us as we study God’s Word - the only hope for our daily lives! INFO: 0211 292-143

Stuttering Association of Zambia. Meetings: Monthly, Second Saturday. Time: 2.30pm.

Persons who stutter or stammer, spouses of people who stutter, parents of children who stutter, speech therapists and anyone with an interest are welcome to join.

INFO: 0977 863-363, 0977 841-576, stutteringz@gmail.com

Eternal Life Fellowship: Venue: Old Black Velvet Building, The Groove. Time: Sunday 9am. INFO: 0211 294-430 or 0977 853-298.

Zambezi Toastmasters. Would you like to improve your public speaking? Venue: Lusaka Hotel. Time: Twice Monthly (Second and fourth Thursdays, 6.15pm - 8pm).

Toastmasters in an international organisation that builds communication and leadership skills. INFO: 0978 390-464, 0979 454-765, or like ‘Zambezi Toastmasters’ on Facebook.

Zambian Women’s Institute: Meetings: Every Wednesday morning. Venue: Longacres (next to the Red Cross Building). INFO: 0977 419005, 0977 760-375, reginafinni@gmail.com ‘Faith-Based’ American Orthodox Catholic Church: Desire to celebrate the old Catholic Divine Liturgy (not Vatican). INFO: 0977 707-367.

Bahá’í Devotional Gathering: Venue: Bahá’í Centre, Alick Nkhata Rd, beside Mass Media Complex. Time: Sunday 10.30am - 12pm. All are welcome. Children’s classes and Junior Youth Groups. INFO: 0975 179-967.

Gospel Outreach Fellowship: Venue: GO Centre, Nangwenya Rd. Time: Sunday 8.30am or 11.30am. INFO: 0211 255-234, 0955 451-271 www.go.org.zm Greek Orthodox Mass: Venue: Hellenic Association Club, Kafue Rd. Time: Sunday 10am - 12pm.

Ladies Interdenominational Bible Study Group: Venue: St. Columba’s Church, Nangwenya Rd. Time: Wednesday 10am.

INFO: 0977 799-623.

Lusaka Family Church: Venue: Mulungushi Conference Hall, Mulungushi Village. Time: Sunday 9am - 11am. Children’s Church: 6 -12 yrs, Toddlers Zone: up to 5 yrs. Youth Life: Sunday 11am - 1pm, Life Groups: Thursday 7pm. INFO: Arnold 0211 293367, 0978 090-982, Gisela 0976 722-892, www.lusakafamilychurch.org Miracle Life Family Church: Venue: Miracle Life Family Church, Zambezi Rd, Roma.

Time: Sunday 8am or 10.30am. Dynamic children’s program for ages 3 - 12. INFO: 0211 292-286, www.mlfc.org Ngombe Family Church: Venue: Flying Angels Academy, Zambezi Rd. Sunday 33

5.30pm - 7pm. Wednesday evening Pastors Bible Study 6pm - 7pm. INFO: 0978 090982, 0977 607-087, 0978 959-571 Quakers who would like to contact other Quakers in Lusaka call 0966 761-754.

Redeemed Christian Church of God: Sunday Service: Venue: Chrismar Hotel Sable Conference Room, Longacres. Time: Sunday 8am - 10.30am. Bible Study. Time: Wednesday 5.30pm - 6.45pm. INFO: 0977 866066 Rehoboth Assembly: (Redeemed Christian Church of God). Venue: Plot 7449 Cnr Katopola & Twikatane Rd, Rhodespark. Time: Sundays, 9am - 11.30am, Thursdays, 5.30pm - 7pm. INFO: 0955/ 0966/ 0977 710-440, rehobothassembly@gmail.com South City Church: Venue: Baobab College Hall, Sunday 9am | Zebra Crossings Cafe, Sunday 10.30am | Chisamba Congregation Martin House School, Sunday 9am. INFO: 0978 289-998, info@southcitychurch.net, www.southcitychurch.net Zambia Messianic Fellowship: Venue: 34285 Shantubu Rd, Rock-field, Lusaka. Sabbath meeting. Time: Saturday 10.30am - 12.30pm.

INFO: 0977 858-061 zmf@microlink.zm | www.zamf.org ‘Four-Footed, Feathered and Environment’ BirdWatch Zambian meets once a month for a bird walk in the countryside. BWZ members, their families and friends head to the woods and wetlands around Lusaka and beyond. Walks are led by experienced birdwatchers who guide both newcomers and long-term birders through a morning of observation and exploration. INFO: 0977 485-446, www.birdwatchzambia.org 34

Dog Training. Venue: Showgrounds, Lusaka & District Kennel Club. Sundays.

Learn to teach your dog good manners, general obedience and some seriously impressive tricks! Bring along your dog with his lead, collar and valid rabies certificate (and some patience) and join us for some fun dog training! INFO: 0962 001-686 lusakakennelclub@gmail.com Lilayi Elephant Nursery. Elephant viewing times: daily 11.30am - 1.30pm. Venue: Lilayi Elephant Nursery, Lilayi Rd, 6km off Kafue Rd. Watch the elephants feeding and playing from the viewing platform. No fee, donations gratefully accepted. INFO: www.gamerangersinternational.org Lusaka Animal Welfare Society (LAWS).

Donate K100 to become a member of the only organization in Lusaka that takes care of abandoned or neglected domestic animals.

You also get a LAWS key ring and 20% off all LAWS functions. INFO: 0966 005-297 (0966 00LAWS) Nature Trails for Conservation. Raising funds for Game Rangers International.

Time: Monthly, Third Saturday, 8am - 11am.

Venue: Lilayi Lodge. Come and enjoy 2.5km, 5.5km or 10km trails. Children and bicycles welcome. Price: Adults K30 | Children K10.

INFO: sarah@gamerangersinternational.org ‘Health and Sporting’ 12 Step: Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA).

Time: Saturday, 4pm to 5.30pm - 17:30 Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Upper Room, East Wing), Ridgeway. A program for men and women, who grew up in alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional homes. We meet to share our experience and recovery in an atmosphere of mutual respect. INFO: 0967

980-229, aca.lusaka@gmail.com (Int website, www.adultchildren.org) 12 Step: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Lusaka.

Time: Monday, 6pm & Friday, 5.30pm Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Upper Room, East Wing), Ridgeway | Tuesday, 12:30pm – Kalemba Hall. INFO: 0973 154-222, 0954 210-446 12 Step: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Livingstone. INFO: 0962 804-137 12 Step: Al-Anon. Time: Wednesday, 5.30pm to 6.30pm - SHARPZ, 220C, Mutandwa Rd, Roma. A group for relatives and friends of alcoholics where they can come together to share their experiences, strength and hope. INFO: 0977 697-628, 0966 621806, lusakaafg@gmail.com (Int website, www.alanon.org.za) 12 Step: Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) Women’s Support Group. Time: Thursday 5.45pm to 7pm - SHARPZ, 220c Mutandwa Rd, Roma. A fellowship that helps women learn to look after ourselves, share experiences, strength and hope. INFO: 0962 213-708, coda.lusaka@gmail.com (Int website, www.coda.org) Aerobics by a Personal Trainer: Venue: Kaingo Leisure, Barclays Sports Complex, Club Rd (Showgrounds). Time: Tuesdays, Thursdays 6pm - 7pm. K25 / session. INFO: 0977 174-140.

Aikido Classes: Beginners welcome.

Venue: Central Sports Club, Longacres.

Time: Monday, Wednesday 5pm – 6.30pm.

Price: K20 / month INFO: 0972 260549, chisangakaluba@yahoo.com (1 Dan ITAF China).

Ashtanga and Pre-Natal Yoga classes. In the comfort of your home. Individual classes: K300 per class. Group sessions: K100 per person, per session. Contact: 0978 507-986, 0966 507-986.

Beginner Belly Dancing. Venue: Shakespeare Court, Leopards Hill Rd. Time: Wednesdays 6.30pm - 7.30pm. Saturdays 10am - 11am.

Cost: K50 - Small classes designed to give all women the opportunity to learn.

No previous dance experience required.

INFO: www.shimmyglisten.com or elisabeth@shimmyglisten.com Beginners Polocrosse. Venue: Leopards Hill Polocrosse Club. Time: Tuesdays. Introducing riders of any skill level to Polocrosse. Age 12+. The clinic will give you an easy, no pressure, leg up to start you playing. INFO: 0965 801-256 Bump, Birth & Beyond Special Events.

Time: Fridays. Venue: 4145 Nkanchibaya Rd, Rhodes Park. INFO: 0974 148-856, bbbzambia@gmail.com Chilanga Hackers Golf Society welcomes golfers of all abilities to join in the fun of convivial golf and interesting social activities in a pleasant atmosphere with emphasis on friendship and enjoyment. INFO: 0211 290-818 (evenings), 0977 790-900, seawing@coppernet.zm Children’s Playgroups and educational activities. Baby groups, toddler and pre-school. From 0 - 7 yrs. INFO: kidsclub.lusaka@gmail.com Counsellor / Therapist: For handling Depression, Stress and Anxiety, Drug or Alcohol abuse, quit smoking, etc - using

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Hypnotherapy and NLP. INFO: 0955 999727, priyabala@microlink.zm Cricket. Venue: Lusaka South Country Club, Mukwa Rd, Lilayi. Country & Districts cricket. Home and away matches, Kids coaching, tours and T20 tournaments. Time: Practice Wednesdays, Fridays 5pm. Kids coaching, Saturdays. INFO: 0977 860-797, 0966 437-808, 0966 751-643.

Daily Children’s Playgroup. Venue: Bump Birth & Beyond, 4145 Nkanchibaya Rd, Rhodes Park. Daily Educational activities and children’s playgroups, music classes, arts & crafts, ballet and more! Ages: 0 to 6. INFO: 0974 148-856, bbbzambia@gmail.com, kidsclub.lusaka@gmail.com Dynamic Diabetes Support Group. Time: 2pm - 4pm, Fourth Saturday Monthly.

Venue: Umoyo Centre, Great East Rd. A safe place where those who are Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetic can meet and share their experiences and learn about new medical research, as well as alternative therapies.

Different endocrinologists and specialists will be brought in as speakers. Diet, recipes, exercise, stress, symptoms and treatments will be discussed. INFO: 0978 028-146 Inside Story. Ante-Natal Classes, Postnatal care and baby massage classes.

INFO: 0977 446-054 / 0211 274-985, margotbham@gmail.com Karate & Weapons Training. Venue: Lusaka Showgrounds. Luke 5th Dan. 0977 314-511 / 0978 710-102, lukphiri@yahoo.com Lusaka Dolphins at Lusaka Amateur Swimming Club. Venue: Olympic Pool.

Group training for competitive swimmers; ‘learn to swim’ for non swimmers; or ‘swim at my own pace’. INFO: 0966 761-547 Lusaka Hash House Harriers. Time: Saturdays, 3pm. Meet new friends and join us for a run or walk in the bush. INFO: lusakahash@zambia.co.zm, G2S 0971 946937, CM 0977 159-935, Thickette: 0978 532744, or visit our facebook page.

Martial Arts. Karate Classes. Weapon classes for brown and black belts. Monthly self defence classes. INFO: Raymond (7th Dan) 0977 783-537, shihanray@hotmail.com

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Mazabuka Tennis Club. Ladies tennis every Tuesday morning at 07:45. Mixed tennis every Saturday afternoon at 16:00.

Meditation. Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Centre. Opposite Northmead shops. Monday - Saturday 5.30pm and Sundays 2pm. Free introductory courses. INFO: 0211 250-685 / 254-518 bkrymc@zamnet.zm Motorbike Lessons Best of Bikes Academy.

Venue: Central Park, Cairo Rd. Time: Sundays 9am. Learn to ride a motorbike safely in a controlled space, with experienced instructors. INFO: 0211 236-912/3, 0964 584-778, 0973 584-778 Mountain Biking Club Leopards Hill.

Open to adults for Saturday morning fun mountain bike in the bush. INFO: mtblusaka@gmail.com Optimyze Kare Health. Time: Last Thursday of the month; 5pm. Advice on all aspects of health (fitness, diseases, nutrition, mental health, beauty, lifestyle and wellness, and different alternative and complementary therapies) addresses by professional speakers.

The purpose is to teach you to be ‘whole’ naturally. INFO: 0955 / 0966 847-777, optimyse@gmail.com Polo X. Venue: Lusaka South Country club, Mukwa Rd, Lilayi. All skill levels welcome.

INFO: 0979 505-152.

Running Group. Time: Sunday 6.30am. Trail & road. Mixed running ability. Options to modify distance (between 10 - 17 km). INFO: 0977 801-463, c_ngoma@yahoo.com Salsa Dance Classes. Mondays and Fridays 6.30pm Intercontinental Hotel. Thursdays 6.30pm Melsim Lodge, Alick Nkhata Rd Cost: K30. INFO: 0979 400-538 Self-Defence (Short Courses): Practical, easy to learn for youths, women or security personnel. Children & adult Karate Classes also offered. The instructor is the All Japan Martial Arts Federation - Zambia President & Chief Representative. INFO: 0977 783-537, shihanray@hotmail.com Skydive Zambia (ZUSC): Special offer on Tandem dives, no prior training required.

INFO: antoinettedurand46@gmail.com, 0966

622-516, rowles.dave3@gmail.com, 0977 790-500, edmund@skytrailszambia.com Soccer For Kids: Little Eagles Soccer.

Time: Saturday / Sunday 9.30am. Ages 3 - 12: Barclays Sports Club. Ages 6 12: Bump, Birth and Beyond Zambia.

Outdoor soccer-based fun for kids. INFO: littleeagles@zambia.co.zm, 0976 135-788, 0950 265-989.

Social Bowls. Venue: Central Sports Club.

Bowling section. Time: Saturdays. 2pm. New bowlers welcome.

Social Cricket and Polocrosse. Time: Thursday. Venue: Leopards Hill Polocrosse Club. New members welcome. All experience levels welcome. Family, friendly environment. INFO: 0963 881-149 Swimming Teacher. All Ages. Venue: Swedish Embassy School. INFO: 0955/0977 328115 Tennis Section, Lusaka Club. Invites players of all ability levels to join in social tennis.

Venue: Lusaka Club. Time: Saturdays, 1pm - 6pm. Cost: K20 for court use, balls, coffee and snacks. Last Saturday of the month: Half Price Social Tennis; K10. You can be signed in for up to 3 sessions by members thereafter you have the option of joining the club. INFO: 0977 964-121, lusakatennis@yahoo.com Touch Rugby. Venue: Gymkhana Club, Showgrounds Time: Monday and Thursday 6pm. All welcome (Male & Female) INFO: 0965 126-200 NEW! Trichotillomania (pulling hair, picking skin) Free Support Group. Time: 3pm, Third Saturday, Monthly. Venue: Ibex Hill area. INFO: 0975 240-592, dsavvidou95@gmail.com

Ultimate Frisbee. Venue: Lusaka Gymkhana Club; Wednesdays 5.30pm - 7.30pm | American International School; Sundays 9.30am - 11.30am. Everyone welcome.

INFO: 0973 370-973.

Umoyo Natural Health | Great East Rd near Munali Roundabout | Live Blood Analysis Test - daily - K300 | Zumba - Mondays to Fridays, 6pm - 7pm | Baobab Shots Wednesday Mornings - K15 each | ‘Reclaim Your Health’ Talk - Thursdays, 10am - Free & free samples | Fit Club - Full Body Fitness - Mondays to Thursdays, 5pm to 6pm or 6.30pm to 7.30pm | Therapeutic Yoga Mondays to Saturdays, 9am. INFO: 0966 800-600 Umoyo Natural Health | Woodlands Shopping Centre | Live Blood Analysis Test - daily - K300. ‘Reclaim Your Health’ Talk Thursdays, 4pm. INFO: 0967 800-313 Umoyo Natural Health | Weightloss Wednesdays! Visit one of our Shops for 5% off all Herbex Weight Loss Products every Wednesday! Locations: Arcades Shopping Centre, Foxdale Court, Woodlands Shopping Centre and at Umoyo Health Clinic on Great East Rd near Munali Roundabout NEW! Wellness Classes. Venue: Sunningdale near DG Office Park, Chila Road. Free.

Aimed at nurturing the self through courses on personal awareness and meditation, nourishing yoga, Inch loss yoga, kids yoga, Satvik cooking and nutrition advice. INFO: 0965 494-744, yogarays9@gmail.com Yoga with Iyengar slant. Mats available.

Contact for location and times. INFO: 0966 728-911, towani@kuthuta.com

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DON’T MISS:

November

Zambian Cancer Society. Venue: Independence Avenue. Time: Last Friday of the month. 6pm - 7pm. Female cancer survivors support group. Support offered via telephone or email. 0955 226237, info@zambiancancersociety.org / zambiacancersociety@gmail.com Zambia Taekwon-Do Association. Venue: Municipal Sports Club. Time: Saturday, Sunday: 10am. Tuesday, Thursday: 5.30pm.

INFO: 0211 254-090.

ZOCA Dance: Looking for dance classes for yourself or your kids? ZOCA dance fitness is a fantastic and fun way to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. You will groove to popular African and Caribbean beats to get in shape! 3 convenient locations.

ZocaMAX classes are great for toning and sculpting. Classes for Kids 3-12 years old too.

INFO/Schedule: www.zocadance.com, 0967 795-816, zocadance@gmail.com Zumba Keep Fit: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays. Venue: Alliance Française of Lusaka. Time: 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Entrance: K30 per session, K150 per month. INFO: 0976 100-727 or register at reception.

‘Leisure’ Art Classes. Venue: Zebra Crossing Café, Ababa House, Twikatane Rd. Time: Wednesdays, 9am - 12pm. All Mediums - Sketching, Painting in oil, acrylics, water colours and more. Beginners welcome! Art supplies available at The Art Shop. INFO: 0974 279-107, info@theartshopltd.com Camera Chat Group. Venue: Coffee Gallery, Nangwenya Rd. Meeting: Third Saturday, monthly, 9.30 am. Relaxed discussions for DSLR enthusiasts who want to improve their technical skills. INFO: rosegarden@hudzam.com Evening Art Class. Tutored by Richard Kirby.

Venue: Zebra Crossing Café, Ababa House, Twikatane Rd. Time: Thursday Nights. Cost: K50 per session. An extension of the regular Wednesday workday sessions to suit afterhour artists. Beginners are welcome. INFO: 0974 279-107 info@theartshopltd.com French Storytelling Workshop. Reading to children. Venue: Alliance Française. Time:

Wednesday, 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Children aged 5 - 16.

Helen O’Grady Drama Classes: Afternoons & Saturdays. Kiddy programmes Tuesday, Thursday & Friday mornings. Public speaking courses, Tuesday & Thursday evenings. INFO: carlyn@dramaafrica.com or janet@dramaafrica.com International Wine & Food Society. The Lusaka Branch hold regular themed events in both Restaurants and Members’ homes.

Interested in hearing more? INFO: Ken 0977 829-467 or 0979 473-555.

Irish Wild Geese Society. We’d like to welcome anyone from Ireland who has arrived in Zambia. Fun monthly events and St Patrick’s ball in March, (proceeds to local charities). INFO: 0979 875-097 Lusaka Bridge Club. Venue: Main Lounge, Lusaka Golf Club. Time: Monday, 6.45pm, Duplicate bridge. Monthly & international tournaments held. INFO: 0211 264-432, money@coppernet.zm Lusaka Garden Club. Meetings: Second Saturday of the month. Members visit different gardens, Garden information and talks. Flower Shows in February for members only and during the Agricultural Show in August open to all. Subscription K100 per year. INFO: 0977 741-996, 0977 784-448.

Lusaka Road Bikers. Venue: La Mimosa, Arcades. Time: Sundays, 9am. Meet for a chat, coffee/breakfast and a ride to various venues. INFO: 0966 766-896 gintym@seedco.co.zm, 0955 801-954 murryfieldfarm@zamtel.zm, 0966 858-733 mcrop@zamnet.zm Serbian Buffet Lunch. Venue: Nena’s Restaurant. Time: Monthly First Sunday.

INFO: 0211 239-541.

Singing. Lusaka Music Society. Do you like singing, have you sung in a choir, or would you like to sing in a choir? The Lusaka Music Society meets once weekly for rehearsals and perform three concerts a year. Meet new people and learn new music. Musicians welcome. INFO: molly.care@gmail.com or 0977 780-883, annew@iconnect.zm

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Small Ads; 01 - 20 words: K40 / 21 - 40 words: K80 / 41 - 60 words: K120 | Property Prowl: K400 Deadline: 15th of the month preceding publication

Carpenter available to do odd jobs around the house, make furniture and repair broken furniture. Can also do tiling and roofing.

Contact 0974 347-255 Centricia Lodge - Kasama | Travelling to Kasama and need excellent, affordable accommodation? Join us at Centricia Lodge, located in Mukulumpe. We offer excellent accommodation with en-suite bathrooms, DSTV, bar fridge, kettle, comfortable workstation, a lush relaxing garden in which you can enjoy our tasty braaied signature T-bone. Reservations: 0976 702-063 / 0963 708-306 / centricialodge@gmail.com / www.facebook.com/centricia.lodge Citrus Tree Trimming. Improve the health of your citrus and other trees. Contact 0966 747-990 Compost & Manure: Quality guaranteed!

Compost: 25kg bag for K45. Manure: in 50kg bag for K25. More than 10 bags free delivery in Lusaka. Shaun 0976 030-311.

Employment / Operating Space Offered: Perfect space for a Nail Bar or Nail Technician in Lilayi. Surrounded by craft centre and Hair Salon. Please contact Sue 0966 565-374 Employment Sought: Baby Sitter / Housekeeper / Cook. 8 years experience.

Resides along Kafue Road. Please call 0976 137-032 Employment Sought: Caretaker / Sales Lady / Housekeeper / Office Orderly. Sober Lady, traceable reference, 3 years experience.

Can cook. Please call 0971-884-541.

Employment Sought: Cleaner / Office Orderly / Waitress / Sales Lady. Please call 0965 951-118

Employment Sought: Cleaner / Sales Lady / Office Orderly / Waitress. Please call 0969 934-968 Employment Sought: Cleaner / Waitress / Sales Lady / Office Orderly. Please call 0964 732-422, 0978 673-473.

Employment Sought: Diploma Hotel Management. 9 years experience: Accounts, Housekeeping, Food Preparation, F&B Management, can train manpower.

Please call 0979 991-626 Employment Sought: House Keeper / Cleaner / Cook . Female, resides in Mutendere, 8 years experience. Cooks: English, Zambian, Baking. Please call 0972 471-211 Employment Sought: Housekeeper / Cook / Maid / Caretaker/ 5 years experience.

Resides in Mutendere. Please call 0961 365-594 Employment Sought: Office Cleaner / Orderly. Female, 2 years experience. Able to do various office errands. Please call 0978 457-022 Employment Sought: Office Orderly / Cleaner / Sales Assistant / Maid / Housekeeper. Please call 0950 523-006, 0971 854-852, 0950 397-053 Employment Sought: Secretary / Sales Lady / Cleaner / Caretaker. Lady, 5 years experience. Please call 0974 554-275, 0969 177-998.

Employment Sought: Stores Assistant / Sales Representative / Shop Assistant / Distribution. Male, references, 5+ years experience. Please call 0973 204-750 Employment Sought: Waitress / Sales Lady / Cashier. Please call 0961 340-895 43

English Language Tutor. For SAT, IGCSE and GCE preparations, Cambridge Checkpoint. Contact: 0950 228-130 marthe1030@yahoo.fr

Need Landscaping, Digital landscaping design, manure, compost, maintenance of private offices and parks. Design-a-gardens.

Karin Monge 0977 716-954.

For Rent: Cottage in Leopard Hill. One bedroom, self contained, open plan kitchen and dining room, fully furnished, developed gardens. 2km from AIS and next to Oxygym with main road frontage. Telephone installed and internet (has to be connected).

US$900 per month. All inclusive. Call 0979 165-050 during working hours.

North Kafue National Park. Mayukuyuku Bush Camp offers full board, and camping. Excellent game viewing and fishing. Access for two-wheel drive vehicles, 4 hours from Lusaka on good roads. www.kafuecamps.com | info@kafuecamps.com

For Sale: Toyota Land Cruiser in Lusaka.

Short wheelbase in mint condition. Extra’s include winch, bull bar, roll bar, 5 speed, mag rims. US$15,000 onco. Contact 0979 165-050, keptcool@keptcool.com For Quick Sale: Executive Car. BMW X5.

2009 registration. Panoramic sunroof, leather interior. Automatic Petrol. Lady driven - in excellent condition. 48,000 kms. Please contact 0972 208-530, 0979 450-282.

Luangwa Valley Private House for Rent | Jake and Gillie’s Valley Retreat. Large family home (8 adults, 4-6 kids) five minutes from Park Gate in Mfuwe. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, large upstairs area, nursery, self contained cottage. Great Wildlife, Swimming pool, ZESCO, furnished, equipped and staffed. Activities, a-lacarte restaurant available by arrangement at nearby Flatdogs camp. Contact jakedamotta@gmail.com 0211 213-841 jake@buckskinmoon.com 0977 897-779 Mukambi Safari Lodge is a comfortable 270km (3 hour) drive from Lusaka and the closest lodge to Lusaka in Kafue National Park, the biggest National Park in Africa. Elephant, hippo, all the big cats and antelope are common sightings at Mukambi. Please visit our website www.mukambi.com or call reservations on 0974 424-013 or email reservations@mukambi.com for our unbeatable rates for residents!

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PetVet | Pet Travel - Import, Export and Micro-chipping. Pet Parlour - For all your grooming needs. Pet Boarding - In our country kennels. Contact Us: Kabulonga, Roan Road; 0211 265197 / 0968 883-284/ 0976 080-387 / petvetzambia@gmail.com | Lilayi Road; 0977 401-813 / davidzuludr@gmail.com Showgrounds Vet Clinic - Dr. Lisa Oparaocha | For Veterinary / Grooming: 0977 770-940, showgroundsvet@gmail.com | For Pet Shop (Spoiled Pets): 0967 764825, esuesta@yahoo.com Therapeutic Counselling: Relationship issues, crisis, abuse, anxiety, life changes? A safe confidential place to explore the way forward. Available services include face to face, skype, email, house visits. Contact: 0975 240-592 Twickenham Recruitment. Christian maids, chefs, gardeners, poultrymen, piggerymen, agriculturalists, auto / IT specialists, estates, excel and pastel accountants, translators in French to English (books, syllabus, newspaper tabloids, articles and stories for publishers, NGO’s, embassies or governmental). 0977 146-524 / 0975 574204 / dericky08@yahoo.com Wanted: Crafty People to teach their crafts.

Do you knit, cook, scrapbook, garden?

Would you teach a class for kids or adults?

We have the perfect space and want to hear from you! Please contact Sue 0966 565-374

FOR BOOKINGS +260 (0) 213 324 630 reservations@phlivingstone.co.zm proteahotels.com/livingstone

BUSINESS? PLEASURE? OR BOTH?

LUXURY AND STYLE AT THE VICTORIA FALLS.

Nearby leisure activities include bungee jumping, white water rafting, fishing, helicopter rides, game viewing and much more. With up to 500MB complimentary Wi-Fi per day, you can stay connected with those that matter most.

Terms and conditions apply.

PHDS 32118/15

Protea Hotel Livingstone is situated on the outskirts of Livingstone, only 10 minutes from the famous Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, there’s never been a better location to escape to or find yourself in. The hotel offers well-appointed deluxe rooms and family rooms.