An Amateur takes you on a tour of the Visitors Compound

So this is my first attempt at linking a video to my blog. I made a short clip of the Visitors Compound at Iris Zimpeto for your amusement. Sorry about the weird screen width I took it on my iphone and didnt realise I really should have turned it the other way.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy :)

Food in Africa or way to be grateful!

The food in Africa was a very interesting experience.

Obviously eating at airports was pretty standard but Mozambique and Sth Sudan had very unique food flavours that unless you have African neighbours you don't get to experience in a Western culture.

Mozambique Food Fare

Breakfast

Cereal is not common. You can buy it in the supermarket. It's expensive though as it's imported from South Africa and there is only long life milk.

Instead bread and sweet tea is the order of the day. No not bread in slices. Cute loaves that are broken in half. It's a good day when you get two (this photo was taken on my last morning in Zimpeto- hence why I have two)
The children eat it plain but we bought margarine from the supermarket which made it alot nicer.
You can get spreads too like jam or marmalade. The bread is actually quite pleasantly salty so I found butter was enough.

They also drink very sweet tea. I loved it.  Way too much sugar but as mostly everything else is sugar free it definitely wasn't too bad a thing.

Bread and butter for breakfast

Lunch and Dinner

I hope you like rice!

Big pot of rice ready for lunch

Rice is the main staple in Mozambique. It is cooked for lunch and dinner and was given out in abundance at Zimpeto.

The toppings do vary slightly but it's generally beans or fish or potato, or  pasta (starch on starch).

 

Fish and potato- I couldn't eat the head!

Rice and beans with Fanta from the Servo



Rice and pasta

Salad is only served once or twice a week. Apparently the secret ingredient to a great salad in Zimpeto is chicken stock!  Salad days are good days!

Me helping to hand out salad

It's a special day if you eat chicken. Chicken is a celebratory food and so we had it for Christmas Dinner  Chicken, chips and rice with salad. YUM! Plus everybody was excited because we got soft drink (a big treat)

Winner winner Chicken dinner!

We also had soft drink again for New Year with sausage on bread. This soft drink was in glass bottles. Oh the number of bottles that broke all over the floor. Oy vey!

We were able to walk to the local fruit and vegetable market. About 15 minutes away. So cool! There were heaps of little stalls selling tomatoes, cucumber, bananas, yellow passionfruit, coconut and my absolute favourite PINEAPPLE! So yummy!

15 minutes in the other direction was the Service Station. A good place to buy whole nut chocolate (hazelnut), soft drink and even a whole punnet of neopolitan ice-cream!

The water was safe to drink from the tap- only on the base though.


There is a western style Supermarket called Shoprite that has everything else food wise. I even bought some steak one night. Was craving meat. .

The day we went to the market to buy souvenirs we had an Italian lunch at a Shopping Centre. Pizza, Pasta, burgers. Was good to eat something Western.


Food and Drink  in South Sudan

Rice is expensive in South Sudan. Thursday was rice day at Iris. An exciting day. I swear one of the best meals I had was rice and beans one Thursday.

The rest of the time...


POSHO! (also called Pap in South Africa and Ugali in Kenya and Tanzania)

Aka maize flour mixed with water and boiled to make a thick paste. It is quite deceptive and looks like mashed potato. I really struggled to eat this. It is so bland and unappetising. The best way I found was to mix the topping really well into it. Otherwise I was eating bananas!




Posho with beef. Lots of sauce not alot of meat

Posho with greens- a little hard to stomach

Posho with Matupa- spinach

 Breakfast was bread and sweet tea again. Or one morning we ate sweet potato. The sweet potato aren't orange. But white. Very interesting.

Sweet tea and sweet potato

Iris was blessed with a well that pumped good clean water. No running water here. Just one communal pump. This was definitely the community gathering place. The kids learnt from an early age how to pump water. It's actually harder then it looks. You need a bit of muscle to get the water to come out of the down pipe.

Jumping for water

We were recommended to buy bottled water as the well water
would have taken awhile to get used to. This is only half my water consumption.
I drank at least 3 bottles a day.

Village kids use the well too

 If the kids want treats they have to grow them themselves. G had grown peanuts and spent a long time with some other kids from her dorm, shelling them and roasting them. Then she'd grind them twice using this flat stone and another stone on top. I got to have a go. Such hard work! The second time the peanut butter would drip off the edge of the stone into a bowl. It was tasty!

Homemade peanut butter

We got to go the market- too far to walk. So you'd travel by boda (motorbike) no helmet! Lots of fish products (very stinky) Apparently they come from Uganda. Plus yellow passionfruit, bananas and pineapple.

They did have some small supermarkets. Was able to buy some noodles, baked beans, pringles (expensive) and soft drink.

I am so grateful for the simple things in life. Even posho! It has taught me to be grateful for what I have and not to waste food.

Excerpts from my African Travel Journal Christmas Eve 2012

Today was a super busy day. Laura rang and decided that going to the piscina wasnt going to work as there would be alot happening. Instead when I got my breakfast bread the kitchen worker said how busy his day was because the kids from the Bocaria were coming for lunch and so I offered to help. Peeling carrots with a knife is a little deadly but you soon get used to it. One of the kitchen staff said that she liked the pants I was wearing and I said that we should swap and I'd have her capalana (material wrapped around the waist to make a skirt). A little later I came back with reinforcements I gave her the pants she was so excited. She gave me a choice of capalanas- which was so lovely I chose one with a Mozambican style print. Very cool. We then spent a busy morning chopping capsicum and watching Kevin from South Africa try not to sweat himself into oblivion over the deep fryer as he deep fried chicken.

We then went and helped Laura's dorm blow up balloons the boys were so excited and were running around like loons batting them this way and that. So cute!

During lunch today we were asked to help serve dinner and wash up as the kitchen staff wanted to go home. Apparently the President had declared today a Public Holiday. Before that we helped serve lunch to 105 kids from the Bocaria (Garbage Dump). Pretty exciting- chicken, chips, rice, soft drink. The kids were so excited and came dressed in their best clothes.

Serving dinner tonight went well. I washed 2 massive pots one full of rice and one for cabbage. I was covered in grease!

Later on we had a special candlelit service for Christmas. Everyone was there and everyone was given a candle with a plate for drips- including the toddlers. It was so beautiful! The kids were in awe of the lights. Definitely the way a Carols by Candlelight Service should be!

Excerpts from my African Travel Journal Sunday 23rd December

Got up extra early this morning and made it to the markets. Still a HOT walk even at 8am. Lots of rubbish piled up on the sides of the roads. Flattened plastic water bottles making up a high percentage of it all. Heaps of people everywhere. Bought so much- so CHEAP! Fresh pineapple- amazing! mangoes, cucumber, limes, capsicum, onion, garlic and COCONUT! So funny some random Mozambican guy was like "Hey baby!" You like my mangoes! When I shook my head he's all like no? Why not! Hahha! Was glad I asked the capsicum seller where the coconuts were. I bought 2 they were delicious! Also loved the look on the garlic lady's face when I told her she could keep the change. CLASSIC!

Church at 10am mandatory skirt wearing today. Was pretty good. The kids swarmed again and I spent the entire service with my arm around some kid. He loved the affection! These kids are so easy to love. After church we cracked open Steve's coconut. So funny to watch the process- drank some fresh coconut milk. Then we walked to the servo. Bought some wholenut (hazelnut) chocolate and some soft drink.

After a good nap I went to the baby house again. The kids were playing outside under the trees in the big playground. It was lovely and cool under the trees with the breeze. I kept collecting more and more kids on me at one point I had 6 sitting on my legs at once. One little boy just sat for a good hour in my arms. Later on I fed him dinner and he upchucked half of it on me. Heat I guess! Getting covered in baby vomit wasnt really part of the plan though.

Dinner tonight was more rice with potato (starch on starch!) with 2 smoked whole fish- head, eyes and everything. Not that bad really.

Excerpts from my African Travel Journal Saturday 22nd December 2012

Day 2 Zimpeto Children's Centre
Portuguese Words learned:
Ola!  Hi
Obrigado/Obrigada Thankyou (m,f)
Bon dia Good morning
Comte shama What is your name?

Slept in this morning- I must have needed it! My new Kiwi friends had got me some bread from the dining hall for breakfast. So grateful! After breakfast we got ready and then drove in the van with a bunch of others to a place near the city where we would be helping with Street Ministry.

It was a long way away and traffic was insane. Cars everywhere! Lots of utes with people standing to capacity in the back. Also saw a goat tied to a flat bed truck on top. Remarkable!

Lots of African women carrying things on their heads. Quickly worked out that they roll material and place the object on that. It makes the stuff sit flat.  The Street Ministry location took us past beautiful ocean. So pretty and flat. Lots of small wooden fishing boats bobbing on the water and capalanas for sale flapping in the breeze- so want to buy some the patterns are incredible!

Street ministry itself was a bit anti-climatic. We were told we would be helping but didn't really get to do much. They had praise and worship first and then a message. They handed out a little book that complemented the message. The mostly young men seemed to engage quite well with it all. Then they handed out bags filled with a white box that had chicken and rice, bread and an apple. With a fizzy drink too.
We weren't allowed to help hand out the food in case the people got into a frenzy about who was getting what in what order. Understandable but still disappointing. Prayed a lot for the people as we watched it all unfold.

When we got home Natasha took me to the Baby House. Oh my goodness I loved it!! The Baby House or Casa de Bebe is actually for babies who aren't newborn and toddlers. The kids were outside playing in the sand and within like 2 seconds I had toddlers swarming all over me and wanting to be picked up. Adorable Carmina was there too- my heart goes out to her. She is so needy. Jesus heal her.

Some of the kids were getting their hair braided for Christmas and put into coloured hair ties. So stinkin cute! The poor kid in question wasnt having that much fun though lots of tears! The kids soon went inside and I helped feed a little one dinner. Lots of rice! I really enjoyed my afternoon. So going back for more!

Hello little one!

Toddlers everywhere

Mario with a sandy nose

These kids love attention

It's OK I know I am cute!

Mario is a twin... I am holding his sister Carolyn in a later photo

Hair in braids with a coloured tie

Don't you just want to take him home?

Me with Carolyn

After dinner a group of us went and helped in Laura's Dorm. Laura has 30ish boys between the ages of 5-8. She wanted some help as the boys decorated for Christmas. I handed out a plethora of tape stuck a lot to noses and foreheads just for fun. Also helped pack and label the gift bags they'll get on Christmas Day. Was excited to discover that my koala clippies were going in the bags.... Also impressed that we had to label all the toys. It meant that each toy actually belonged to a child and it wasn't just communal. Loved hearing Laura's story. She is one inspiring lady- single too- which impresses me and encourages me!  check her out at www.clearlyliving.blogspot.com 

Laura instructing the boys before the paper-chain frenzy begins

The boys hard at work

Check my progress Claire! I love doing this

Super Secret Squirrel Business... packing and labelling gifts with new friends

Excerpts from my African Travel Journal 21st Dec 2012

Day 1 Zimpeto Children's Centre

Am staying in a room with a lovely lady called Mel from the UK. She is so helpful. Met a lovely couple from South Africa and 3 Kiwis.  Belinda and Kevin took me to the Special Needs House to visit 6 special kids

1. Rafael 4 years
2. Domingos 13 years
3. Paulo 10 years
4. Alfredo 5 years
5. Carmina 9 years
6. Lucas 9 years

Especially taken with Lucas he apparently has a degenerative muscular illness. He had the most gorgeous smile I had ever seen. I got to feed him breakfast he would interrupt me every now and then with a big smile- so infectious!

Belinda, Kevin and I then took all 6 of them to the local "piscina"swimming pool. Apparently they never get to go understandably as all the kids walk there (about 20 minutes away) The kids loved it! Lucas got so excited and was splashing everywhere! Got back in time for lunch- rice and beans not bad considering!

Then we drove in the van for 45 minutes to get to Shoprite the local supermarket. The lines were insane! It was absolutely crawling with people, being so close to Christmas. It seriously took forever to shop because I was constantly dodging people and trying not to elbow people in the ribs. The queue for the checkout took literally an hour and a bit to get through. So bored! I did manage to learn the Portuguese words for rice and sugar- arroza and pucara as this was what they were selling in the line I was in- It went halfway up the aisle!

Shoprite Supermarket- people everywhere!

Excerpts from my African Journal 20 Dec 2012

In Flight to Johannesburg!

Finally here! Its been a long wait for this moment so exciting worth it!

So blessed I knew I'd have to pay for excess baggage for my 7 wedding dresses (to be donated to Iris Zimpeto- not for freaking out some hot potential husband) But was a bit shocked to discover that it would be $550 as they were going to charge me per kilo.

Thankfully after a quick prayer heavenward QANTAS were happy for me to pay the new baggage allowance charge which was per piece $120 is a big difference!

Praying that the baggage charge between Jo-berg and Maputo is minimal (it was- no charge at all!)
Happy so far- comfortable seat by the window. No one next to me so I can stretch out and I just got handed a menu. Definitely not a chicken or beef kind of day.

GOD is GOOD so GOOD!

5am Johannesburg time 10:23 minutes of flying time left 3 hours elapsed.

Lunch was really good- 3 menu items to choose from I chose the Braised Beef with artichoke and pinenuts with roasted chats and peas and broccoli. YUMMY! Plus amazing Cookies and Creme mousse melt in your mouth amazing. Not really getting into any of the movies so far- am enjoying watching some of How I met your mother which helps to past the time and then hopefully I can nap
AFRICA I am coming!

8pm Maputo time Thursday 20th
SO INCREDIBLY TIRED!

Didnt sleep at all. Too wired! Grateful for more room to stretch out some. Finally arrived in South Africa to discover that the Travel Agent had stuffed up my tix and I had missed my connecting flight to Maputo because I had to drag all my luggage through customs and then re-check in. GOD is so incredibly GOOD I spoke to ground staff who took me to where I needed to go and explained what happened to the LAM Air they reissued my tix for the last flight of the night- no $$ required.

Plus plus no excess baggage for those dresses! Because I had some time up my sleeve i sat on a bench to re-orient myself and looked up to discover I was outside a jeweller. The ring Mum gave me for my 30th birthday had got really tight on my finger in the heat and was VERY stuck. I went in and asked if they had pliers that would cut off the ring. They didnt but they said go to duty free. (as if you would think to ask them!) I went and a lovely lady took me into her office out the back and her colleague found some red pliers and cut off the ring. What a relief! My finger is still super swollen.. imagine the agony if it was still on my finger!

Oww! Swollen finger from the heat... minus tight ring

Went and had some dinner at a buffet at the airport in South Africa, pretty ordinary meal but considering that I have to eat before I reach Zimpeto (dinner finished 2 hours ago) it was important!