Lufupa and Kufue Rivers

Malochite Kingfisher

This morning we took a boat to spot wildlife along the Lufupa River. Right after we started, the camp team reported that a leopard had been seen nearby. Would we rather see the leopard or go on our river trip? They were shocked when we said we'd rather see the river animals. We saw a large variety of birds. Our highlights were a Giant Kingfisher who was tossing his speared fish to swallow him headfirst and an African Darter eating his fish. Other birds we spotted include: the beautiful Half-Collared Kingfisher, fruit bats, Green-backed Heron, African Pied Wagtail, African Fish Eagle, African Openbill,  Red-eyed Dove, White-Fronted Bee Eater near their river bank nest, the Jacana also called the Jesus bird since it walks on water, Reed Cormorant, and the spectacular Malachite Kingfisher. Of course, we also saw a lot of hippos in the water. They would periodically dive around us and then reappear with a snort, but none of them obliged us with a hippo yawn. As the weather got warmer and the river cooler, the hippos would leave the water using the hippo trails along the shore. We also spotted several crocodiles and a Serrated Hinged Terrapin (turtle). As we were returning to camp, one of the staff insisted we come see the dead hippo they had found that morning away from the camp. Instead of a dead hippo, we found lunch served under the trees. A great morning!

In the afternoon, the women were taught about the uses of the Kitenge, the colorful cloth we see women using everywhere. They were taught how to carry a baby, use it as a headscarf, or a cushion for carrying loads balanced on their head. It also can be used as a diaper, skirt, table cloth, curtains, or a bedspread. Then we had a lesson on how to pound peanuts into peanut butter.

 

Sanction with the ladies in their Kitenge skirts

We went out in the boats along the Kufue river for a little wildlife spotting. We found Hamerkops, a Giant Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Water Thick-knees, Dark-Capped Bulbul,  and a few crocodiles. We drifted along the river while the sun set. As we were drifting our guides tested our knowledge of animals and told us stories. A thoroughly pleasant evening.

Marriage in Zambia

Lydia, the camp manager, gave us a talk about Zambian culture, particularly life in the villages. In a village, everyone is from the same tribe and is considered family. Thus, a child has many brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles from within the village. Each village is led by a headman. A boy in the village will be taught how to hunt and fish from an ‘uncle’, chosen by the father. At the age of 10-12 he will be taken into the bush for 2-3 months. During this period he is to talk to no one, and is taught all that a man needs to know (except for sex). In fact, he is told that girls have a long tunnel between their legs, that he might fall into. Later in life, when he finds a girl, he asks an uncle to help arrange a marriage. Uncles discuss the bride price with the girl’s family (usually cattle or money). The engagement occurs when the uncle offers two white plates with money stuffed between them.

Girls are expected to be keepers of the house. Their mother will choose an ‘aunt’ to learn the skills of a woman. They are taught how to take care of her husband, her children and other relatives. Women are taught to be submissive, when addressing a man, they should kneel or keep their eyes down. At puberty, they are taught about feminine hygiene and how to be friendly to a man in order to get a marriage offer, but there is no ‘dating’.  Women should never approach a man.  They are taught that men have long snakes between their legs and you don’t want to be bitten. If a man approaches a woman in secret, the relation will usually last less than a month before marriage occurs.

Marriage is not just between a man and woman, but between the two families. The bride price and the union of the families, make divorce near impossible. Before marriage the boy and girl are taught about their obligations, sex, and family life. The marriage ceremony is usually a party for the entire village. (In the cities – a western style marriage might occur, and the marriage is registered with the local government.) A child is expected within the first year. If not, the man may search for a second wife, polygamy is fairly common (30% have more than one wife). If there still is no child, the man may be given a potion to have him fall asleep and a brother or uncle will impregnate the woman.

We noticed when we came to this camp, that there were only 2 women here and about 10 men. Our camps in Botswana were 50-50 men and women. This is largely because women seldom work in Zambia (also true in Zimbabwe). In fact men consider a woman who works as rebellious against society. There may also be a fear of being overpowered by women. Lydia is actually divorced and has three children.

As mentioned earlier, divorce is very rare. If there are problems, the headman will work with the villagers to help with the problem. Continued violence between the man and woman is one of the few times a headman will grant a divorce. In Lydia’s case, her family kept the original bride price.

Lydia