Day 9: Chidobe — Learners, Lost Notes, and Seeing Through Their Eyes

Today we visited a homestead near Chidobe and met the headman and his family, had a snack there, and then went on to the Chidobe School, which Overseas Adventure Travel’s charitable arm supports.

OAT builds a few core elements into every trip — not just seeing beautiful places, but having a true “Day in the Life” connection with the communities alongside the route, and supporting local projects through the Grand Circle Foundation. Today was very much that kind of day.

I’m frustrated to say that I took a LOT of notes on my phone (instead of my trusty notebook and pencil — I should know better) and they have completely gone walkabout. All that is left is one lonely note: school costs about $25 per term, and there are three terms.

So I’m going to do this the old-fashioned way: from memory.

We learned that each village is made up of a number of homes, overseen by a village headman. Then the headmen fall under a chief. The homestead we visited was led by a headman responsible for more than ninety homesteads.

Abe had purchased for us (courtesy of OAT) beautiful stiff, batik-like wrap cloths to wear. He told us, though, that if any of the women wanted what we were wearing, we had to give it up.

So… I don’t have one anymore.

First, we headed to a local market area, were split into four groups, given some money, and tasked with getting staples (big bag of maize, cooking oil, brown sugar, salt, soap). We were bringing these to the headman and his wives.

We learned a lot about their lives — and they learned about ours. We tamped maize down into flour. Everyone but me had a peanut and pumpkin-leaf stew over maize.

In trying to get away from the peanut smell, I stepped backward into a tree full of wasps.

Immediately stung three times on my hand.

YOWZAH.

It hurt terribly, and my hand began swelling right away. Abe saw it and asked the headman if there was anything that could help. He went into his house and came out with a salve, which he rubbed onto the bites.

The pain stopped almost instantly.

My hand is still a bit swollen — especially where two stings landed right on my knuckles — but I was quite thankful for the salve!

From there, we headed to Chidobe School.

The school is supported through OAT’s philanthropic efforts, and it was such a joyful, energetic place. We were each assigned a “learner” to show us around. I got two boys — their names were long, so I ended up calling them “older brother” and “younger brother.”

They showed us classrooms, the grounds, and the daily rhythm of the school.

But what they were most interested in…

was Herbert’s camera.

I put it around older brother’s neck and showed him how to take photos on automatic. He went into his classroom and around the property taking pictures of everything that mattered to him.

Then I made him teach younger brother, and he did the same.

We were joined by the vice principal, who told us these boys would receive enormous cred for being trusted with such an expensive camera.

And here is the BEST PART:

All the photos in the slideshow (and below) where taken by the boys. Slideshow HERE.

Yes, I deleted quite a few — trees, grass, the side of a building, a truly artistic close-up of nothing — but the ones that remain are wonderful.

It is the school through their eyes.

We took a group photo, and then we were off to lunch at a local restaurant.

Back at the Shearwater afterward, Mary, Lynn, and I headed into the market Fran had found the other day, because I desperately needed an over-the-shoulder bag to replace the one that fell apart at the airport.

I found two and made a deal: not only would he reinforce the straps (he had a sewing machine), but he would give me both for $20.

Then we wandered into the indoor market building — which was entirely men, entirely intense, and entirely in-your-face.

Mary and Lynn said they were overwhelmed, so I started holding my finger to my lips, or telling vendors that if they spoke to us, they would owe us money.

One guy got huffy.

But one young man heard what I was doing and simply stood silently, indicating his wares without saying a word.

Naturally, I bought from him.

I was looking for a tiny beaded hippo with its mouth open. The silent vendor had little wire animals with beads slid onto them, and I found a few I liked. Mary and Lynn made the final choice.

Eight dollars. 🙂

I was very happy to have not one but two replacements for my critical “carry-on shoulder bag.” (I tested them with the merchant by dumping the camera bag inside — some had too narrow a neck.)

Tomorrow, we head off on a “rhino hunt” in Zambia — which is why we needed the dual-entry visa and why we must carry our passports. We’ll cross into Zambia, spend time there, and then return to Zimbabwe.

And after that…

It will be time to pack up, in anticipation of flying off to Stellenbosch.

Onward.

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