Aaaah! The familiar smells, sounds, feelings and sights of Africa enveloped my senses as I stepped out of the British Airways plane on to the tarmac of Lusaka airport at sunrise. Nothing like it! Stepping into a universe where all your senses come alive and vibrate to the rhythms and energy of this fabulous continent.

I spent my first week in Lusaka, Zambia setting up our storage facilities, organizing trucks for our expedition to the borders of Angola. This is the dry season and I was here to experience the Mukanda ceremonies (initiation of young boys) held throughout the western provinces of Zambia. This is the culmination of two previous trips, negotiating and organizing the possibility of my experiencing parts of the process.

I did my usual purchasing and mingling with old friends. Met some new and interesting people whose knowledge and information were invaluable.

Along the way at the Mbunda village of Kalamba, I was lucky to be invited to a  “Muali” dance (one of the stages of the female initiation process). I was permitted to play the drums during the daylong dance. An experience that transported me into a beautiful trance, where the singing and rhythms ebbed and flowed in the dry sunny afternoon. Read more about the “Muali” dance here.

In the next two villages, Kamandonga and Muanche, I experienced two different Mukanda rituals. In Kamandonga I was permitted to enter the actual camp and see the young boys being trained to dance. I saw where they lived, some of their masked characters and helped make a drum to be used during the dances. In the Muanche village we were sitting around when unexpectedly screaming and shouting came towards the village. All the women ran. Into the clearing came two masked characters – Chikunza and Utenu. They were there to demand food to take back to the Mukanda camp of the region. They danced and cavorted around while I and the villagers gave food and produce to Utenu. A mind-blowing trip! Read more about the Mukanda ceremonies here.

I slept in huts along the way, helped make “katsasu” (malt beer), experienced the Juju removal of bad forces from a hut, made some stunning purchases (including two Juju Mukanda books) and made my way unknowingly to the orphanage of Sister Mary Moloney - The Kaoma Community Care Centre.  Late one afternoon our truck got stuck in the sand. We couldn’t get out. There was no one around to help. Fretting over how we would get out of there we lay under the night sky to get some sleep. Looking into the universe, seeing so many stars so close you could touch them! I finally relaxed feeling at home knowing everything would work out one-way or the other.

In the morning three men appeared out of the bush. They offered to help us get out of the sand. After a struggle we were free! As they were on there way to the village of Kaoma (a days walk for them) we offered to give them a ride. After we dropped them off we took a wrong turn on the road and stumbled across the orphanage of Sister Mary, an elderly Irish Roman Catholic Nun who has devoted her years in helping the people of this region.

For the last year, Basil (my partner) and I wanted to do something more for this beautiful land. Something directly hands on, where the benefits of our efforts can be clearly seen. Here it was, right in front of us. A place where love, caring and passion overcome the tragedy of Aids and the sick children and orphans that are left behind. We have decided to set up a process on how to help Sister Mary and we ask you all to do a small part. Read more about the orphanage and how to help here.

This trip was very fulfilling on many levels. Intellectually, emotionally and spiritually gratifying. I can’t wait to go back again!

Yiannis

August 2005