Hut Improvement

Shortly after returning to Zambia, I decided that my hut was in a very dilapidated state and thus needed repairs. First on my list of to dos, was to have my bathing shelter redone. For the previous several months, 2 walls of my bath house had been eaten by termites so I was essentially bathing for the world to see. Granted, I am quite isolated so I never had problems with peeping Mulengas or anything like that, but it is nicer to have it looking nice again.

As part of the community's agreement to get a PC volunteer, they are to upkeep the house, pit latrine, bathing shelter, etc. But I feel bad making the same few guys come over to my house to help me out, so as compensation, I bought a couple of chickens and had my 'mother' cook lunch for the 4 guys who came over. The same day they completed my bathing shelter, I also had them patch some areas of my roof. It didn't leak too badly last year, but there were visible holes in it now and I was sure I'd get soaked if I didn't have it patched. So, after biking ten 30 lbs. bundles of grass from the local grass salesman, they spent the afternoon fixing my roof. Very nice.

The last upgrade to my estate was to have a chicken house made. I've been out a bit too much to have bought chickens already, but I had them build a house on stilts for my future chickens. Tomorrow I leave for my village until early January, so my first goal is to get some chickens to provide me with eggs upon my return. That, in addition to my garden really starts to make me feel like a farmer or something.