Travelogue 10: Loving the Unlovable

A dozen people are working frantically under the burning sun. With pick axes part of the group is breaking up the red clay soil. Another group comes along behind shoveling the dirt out of, what will soon be the latrine floor.  At the edge of the pit, a lone figure, clad in an orange jersey stands nonchalantly surveying the work. He stands sideways to the group, arms crossed. He is not four feet away, bored, with apparently nowhere else to be. After some fifteen minutes, he wanders away.

Zambia is a country of contradictions.  There are motivated people who work hard and love the Lord. As in any culture, I suppose, there is a large population of people who invest little in their quality of life.  

There is a legacy of hopelessness. The problem is systemic.  It started with colonialism no doubt. Countries came in and plundered resources. In Ndola, those resources were minerals, in particular copper. Another contributor is the history of the mines. The mines were heavily unionized. This created a patriarchal society with the union as big papa. In turn this fostered an attitude of entitlement. Zambian independence, I’m told, also perpetuated entitlement. In the early 60s, the government invested a lot of money into education and healthcare. Little was spent on sustainable economic growth.  Nearly two generations later, people who are highly educated have no work or hope of securing a job that pays a living wage.

Theft is common. One of the team members from COST had his back pack with his laptop, passport, cash, and book stolen from our host’s car.  Tools and gloves disappear from the job site. Even those you think you might trust are duplicitous. Many homes have guard dogs. Almost all homes, apartments, and businesses have bars on the window. Many employ full-time guards.

Today we started building the school latrine at Mapalo. Community turn out was poor.  The ones who did turn out were women. We had plenty of men stand around and watch.  I wanted to scream at them DON’T YOU KNOW WE ARE DOING THIS FOR YOUR CHILDREN?  One of the male volunteers from Seeds of Hope said the men were probably too busy drinking beer. 

Oh, some of the community turned out—just not the way we wanted. We had jugs of water for the workers. We were digging latrines in 100 degree heat.  A well-dressed man came up to me and demanded water. He was wearing dress slacks, a silk shirt, and the kicker, a Dolce Gabbana belt. (imitation, no doubt).  He did not look poverty-stricken. I said, “The water is for the workers. Do you want to work?” He said no but that he wanted water. I said “No work, no water.”  At the same time, I’m thinking “We’re Lifewater. How can I begrudge someone water?” Nevertheless, I was incensed. Now granted, I don’t know what this guy’s situation is but his attitude got me riled. He grabbed a cup, helped himself to the water, and then sauntered off. This was the second time this had happened that day. 

In Africa, it is estimated that women do 90% of the work and yet hold less than 10% of the wealth. This must be true.  Women strapped their babies to toddlers, picked up homemade shovels and dug latrines. They toted heavy logs that will be turned into latrine floors. They moved barrels of water men could not lift. Women in Zambia want a better life for their children. 

As a volunteer in a developing or in this case, a declining nation, it is easy to become disheartened.   Over the last two weeks I’ve mentioned my struggle with love. I could not love the guy in the orange jersey.  I was reminded of the passage in the Bible (can’t find the reference right now) where it talks about how it is easy to love those who are like us. The challenge of Christ’s love is loving the unlovable.

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