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Atlanta I feel you…


A week plus into being in Atlanta and there moments I still feel homesick and missing so many things about Zambia. Well I guess home is where the heart is as they say, however we thank God for the gift of friendships because they are able to give us some form of coping Mechanism.  My new friend Terri Gonzales has been instrumental in helping me calm down in my moments of challenge and confusion but it’s been so soothing. This is notwithstanding the fact that there has been mad love from my friends from all over the states that for some reason my phone appears to have become a switchboard too.

After a week long search for housing which was a nightmare but a blessing at the same time I am finally settled in a very beautiful area in Atlanta. My bedroom has a beautiful view of pine trees that give it a sense of serenity and peace. It reminds me of the year I spent researching on traditional ceremonies in Zambia. Atlanta is a very green place there are trees everywhere and its amazing how many trees surround this place.

The Green trees of Atlanta remind me of a place back home that is over 9 hours away from the Capital City of Zambia. A small cozy place called Mwansabombwe , which I fell in love with at first sight. That is one place that really gets green with Mango and indigenous trees, with beautiful thatched houses that have paintings of mermaids in most instances and triangles as well as other designs. The Sound of young kids laughing and the view of the Paramount Chief Mwata Kazembe’s Palace as you walk around the village. These thoughts make me miss being at the Mutomboko ceremony. The sound of women singing, “Kapale ebo wikala nabo bakutemwa pamenso…”.

Anyways coming back to Atlanta my new home, today woke up to being a part of a discussion on Diaspora Voice an online radio that brings different people from the diaspora to discuss various issues related to Zambia. Today’s show featured two remarkable Zambian young women, Saboi Imboela a renowned musician and Grace Mukupa a Fulbright scholar supported by the United States Government.  The discussion revolved around art in Zambia, the role of women in development, Food Security,  AID, disability vis a vis citizens and government’s response to disability issues. It was a great experience being able to connect with Zambian’s from diaspora whose sole interest and point of convergence is the place we call home …Zambia . You can tune into www.blogtalkradio.com every weekend at 8am EST and here s a link to the discusssion i was a part of... http://www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice/2012/08/11/girl-power


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