Zed Love

I am currently sitting in the Emirates Business Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport, en route from San Francisco to Lusaka. Five years ago I was at in this very airport returning home from LA after my masters, excited by what was to come as I transitioned back to living on African soil. Is it coincidence that there are so many parallels to my journey when I started this blog? Methinks not.  Methinks the universe is trying to tell me something. I would be foolish not to listen. So thought I would ruminate over a coupla things on Thursday ;}.

 

I have clearly missed writing, and I am glad I have found my waxing lyrical mojo once more. I am so excited to go back home. I am so at peace with myself, and I am not worried about losing this feeling once I land.  When I left Ghana in 2014 I wanted to stay on, as I felt I would not be able to bottle that spirit I found in me there and dose myself every time I needed a pick me up.

 

What I want to say in this post is, a year on from Zambia's 50th, despite the recent woes with Zesco's crippling, schizophrenic loadshedding, the Kwacha plummeting - further adding to the debilitating situation caused by our energy crisis, and tradition/ religion being twisted to be used as a scapegoat to continue bad practices, to excuse unethical behavior/ decisions, as well as to quell the masses by passing the buck of responsibility on to a higher power/ dogma, I see a bright future.  There are still people out there finding a way to be and to do regardless of the situation.  I still firmly believe that the way to

  Being un-CEOrious during
#ZambeefInYourTown
e18hteam national tour, photobombing
a picture with Zambeef Manager
and audience members in Lusaka.
Photo Credit: PR Girl

survive and thrive is to not base your dreams, goals and route to success on who is in power, whom you have to accept as the people have chosen and respect their decision and just get on with it.  And if they haven't, well it is what it is, isn't it, so unless you can do something about it, once again you just have to find a way to live with that too.  The same goes for waiting on the perfect conditions arising, or any other fixed parameters that people can use and abuse for their own ends. If all is just right great. More often than not it isn't, so you just have to find  way to work with the cards you have been dealt. Zambia is far from stable enough to bank on things being just right and so I continue to adhere to the school of thought of just get it done.  Be aware of the current environment, the possibilities and the pitfalls present and the potential for either in the near and distant future.  Ultimately work with what you have and innovate perpetually, as being flexible and adaptable, is what is required.  If you are in constant evolution, you can ride whatever wave you encounter as you navigate the treacherous sea that is development, the state in which Zambia and much of the world is still in.  Even places in the developed world are no longer predictable, stable or giving, even when you do everything right.

 

Life is not meant to be easy, or there would be no point in living it as the highs and lows, the extremes and all that lies in between, is what makes it a great ride.  Zambia provides that in spades.  I like the challenge of it.  I now have found a way to thrive in it. I am no longer there to prove a point, that I am meant to be there.  I am now there because I choose to be, because it is the only place that affords the life that I cannot escape from, nor do I want to anymore.  I was able to reflect on this at the most beautiful sanctuary while at my 10 year Stanford Reunion on Independence Day. I am truly blessed to  be able to save to travel to my global family now because I live and work in Zambia, where I do not have to spend much to live a great life.  I don't know how I would have survived being away from the majority of the people who make my life worth living without the internet. However, the nuances of communication are largely lost and so in the end, it becomes necessary to see people in the flesh and to feel physical places and reconnect with environments and certain milieus singular to places and congregations of specific people. I have found the beauty, the humour, the work hard play hard balance and the company to make Zambia my permanent base to interact with the world.  Here are some more pictures from instagram that illustrate this:

  

The humour

 

#tbt #workhardplayhard Important to have a sense of humour in my line of work. #Chipata #ngoni #man came up on stage to tell me even if I don't know him, he knows me lol! Nikuziba - I know you... Styled in consultation with @mafashio_zambia. Photo credit @chishi #ZambeefInYourTown #e18hteam #dibili #fun #zambia #zambian #africa #african #rural #life #lol #proudlyzambian #travel #roadtrip #travelnoire #traveller #carefreeblackgirl #fake #selfie #throwbackthursday

A photo posted by Ngosa Whoopi Chungu (@whoops.c) on Sep 3, 2015 at 6:32am PDT



 

Work hard play hard

 

#aboutlastnight this #afropolitan was "berry #cosmopolitan" and need to get my mitts on another one as a little tipple makes everythang better lol 😉. Getting ready to fly to the US rather stressful. Too much to do... #proudlyzambian #zambia #africa #fashion #zedfashion #mafashio #fashionista #kamangawearday #kamangawear #chitenge #kitenge #ankara #africanprint #pink #croptop #workhardplayhard #e18hteam #zedtonaija #zedtocali #pelliefun #lusaka #type4hair #naturalhair #liciouscollections #baller #onfleek #likeaboss

A photo posted by Ngosa Whoopi Chungu (@whoops.c) on Sep 23, 2015 at 10:13am PDT



 

 Great company

 

#NoSV #PellieFun with #zedcreatives strong, articulate, vocal #Zambia women. Proud to know the majority of these beautiful ladies who enrich my life by sharing who they are as friends and/ or impact Zambia through their passions and views with their work. I was styled by @mafashio_zambia. Photo credit #PRGirl #lusaka #swedishembassy #baller #onfleek #trill #africa #proudlyafrican #women #carefreeblackgirl #mafashio #zedfashion #africanfashion #fashionista #type4hair #zediannaturals #afro #hair #kamangawear #workhardplayhard #friends

A photo posted by Ngosa Whoopi Chungu (@whoops.c) on Sep 11, 2015 at 2:36am PDT

Can't wait to land in a coupla hours.  Hope the heat won't kill me though, it's scorching out there and the temperature differential is over 20C!

For more information about my journey this year and to keep up-to-date with everything going on with the film as well my other projects in Zambia and globally, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

TODAY 16:00 CAT On Internet Radio

Will be talking about my work researching, script-writing and presenting Today with Zamtel show: Zambian history, culture and traditions.

If you missed the show live, audio has been posted here:
Diasporan Truth -Ngosa Chungu | Business Forum- Rabson Tembo 01/26 by ZambiaBlogTalkRadio | Blog Talk Radio

My Recent Bout Of That Icky Nervous Condition...

I have been spending most of my time posting my thoughts as they come on Facebook: a manifestation of a relapse of my nervous condition, which I first became aware of in the USA when studying for my first degree.  I travelled far into the depths of despair and unwittingly allowed the media to suck me into the black hole of hopelessness and anger but have managed to navigate my way back to the light, and I am now finding peace and perspective on the stories that I have been following about the world and in particular about Africa and Black people.

This post is mainly for any of my friends who may have been confused, offended or felt ostracised by any of my statements. While I stand by everything I've said, they were not meant for to be taken personally from individual to individual and I apologise for any confusion caused.  People are not always a mirror image of their countries or of organisations and countries through the governments and organisations do not necessarily reflect the sentiments of individuals and citizens.  In the same why I believe faith and state should be separate, I believe in assessing each person I meet on their individual merits and not their country's or any organisation claiming to work in their name.  So I am not upset with my friends I am lucky to have all from around the world whom I treasure very much.  I am upset with a group of people who either are ignorant to the nuances of the world or who just don't want to see the world for what it is, that I have not had much if any contact with and that quite frankly scare me, as they seem to be able to wield a tremendous power to organise and lead people in frightening ways thanks to the power of the media and in particular the Internet!

I first came across this video thanks to MR. GIRAFFE who had sent this to me last year, and my OLDER SISTER reminded me of it a coupla weeks ago.  I commented that this video seemed to be hunting me down and retrospect it needed to.  I watched it last week to remind me:

"not to get sucked into whatever angle the media have decided to take on any story. Right now the BBC, CNN and Sky are reporting on any racist behaviour in the Western world making it seem like everyone is out for Black blood mainly due to the killing of Trayvon Martin and continued instances of prejudice against Black football players in Europe. I have posted about the Hunger games and was shocked at the abuse thrown at at Black youth being arrested in England who had the sense to record the incident on the phone. However, I have to remember that luckily, the people I know all around the world are open, loving, intelligent and committed to exposing and telling multiple stories about the world and its people. And there are many other people whom I don't know who are too, or at the very least are willing to learn and grow and shed prejudices they may harbour."

If you haven't, I'd urge you to look at my posts on Facebook over the last month as though schizophrenic, they show the roller-coaster of hope and pride as well as the despair that I have felt and how I have tried to balance out positive and negative stories.  I am not saying there aren't serious problems and that we of the world are not the source of it: what I am worried about is that the negativity is winning, and in particular that African and Black stories are being limited to tragic and/ or disheartening ones, rendering us helpless and in need of rescue by the West.  I am afraid that age-old stereotypes about we of the "dark continent". 

Today I happened to tune in just before Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, appeared on Fareed Zakaria's GPS on CNN.  She more eloquently and succinctly  made the point I have been trying to drive home in bursts on Facebook about the issues I have mentioned above, and other stories I have posted about in the last month.  It's not that I don't want the Western World to help: everyone has something to offer and when they can help they should.  It's the manner in which they do it that is important.  She was talking about Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, practices (which Zakaria really needed to clarify only occurs in certain parts of Africa, not across the whole continent) in Liberia and how her father saved her from it, (:) women's rights need to be championed by both men and women), and also how the world, particularly the West should approach lending their support and affecting change, which I feel can be generalised to how the West interacts with the continent:

She said that when the West helps, they should be supportive, waiting to hear what is needed before charging in and electing what should be done.  She said that problems with a distinct cultural underpinning are best understood by the people on the ground experiencing them, and they should be the trailblazers in finding the tools to weed out and extinguish the problem from the inside out, not vice versa.  She went on to say that outside-led interventions do not work because the people from the community who are used to carry them out are considered puppets of the West, which causes people to reject the necessary change.  Instead the West should seek out people who like herself, have taken it upon themselves to be vocal and active in changing  things and finding solutions to problems,  allow them to lead the interventions and ask them what they need to continue to do so, and then assist them when called upon to do so.

She also said about living through the war in Liberia that she realised after a couple of years that no "Superman or Nelson Mandela" was going to come and save her - she had to save herself if things were to change.  She said others in Liberia realised this too and that is  how they all banded together to bring an end to the war, and in particular for her, start the conversation about women's rights and putting in place the infrastructure to stem the tide of abuse and to find solutions to problems such as FGM.

This is the model I think that the continent and Black people need to continue to put into practice :).

Roland Garros - Roger Federer And Venus' Outfit

Unlike Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who had a horrible 5-set win in the first round :(, Roger Federer has started off the French Open in true defending champion style, breezing through his first round match.  He Fed-Exed his opponent back to Australia in straight sets: 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

Federer is both a Swiss and South African citizen and it is quite clear that his je ne sais quoi is directly linked to his mother's South African blood ha ha ha ha! He has been active in promoting tennis in South Africa and his foundation currently has projects in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia as well as in Switzerland. I wonder if it is a coincidence that South African Airways is an official Sponsor of the ATP World Tour?

The Williams sisters are both off to a great start, with Venus causing a bit of a stir with her outfit. She seems to have raided Sharapova's wardrobe, she is usually bang on with her designs.  I don't understand the lace and why did she have to wear nude underwear, if she wore black she wouldn't have been looking like she was flashing everyone! I'm all about fashion, style as well as comfort on the court but this time you went too far, and being in France, the fashion capital of the world does not excuse your silliness Venus I'm afraid...

Didier Drogba, Les Elephants And Eye Candy :)

Didier Drogba has been honoured with a place on Time Magazine's 100 list for 2010. Considering his influence not only in Cote D'Ivoire, but also in the world through football, this is not surprising.  You would think that seeing as I have bled blue since 1996 I would be a real Drogba fan but alas I am not.  I find him quite a petulant childish man on the field, and if he was not so talented a player I would not care for him at all.  I suppose it is the nature of the striker to have a bit of diva in them, but sometimes I think that he indulges this to ludicrous points that overshadow his football and puts a sour taste in my mouth watching him.

If we are talking Ivorians I love Kalou. He is such a clutch player and I love his little mohawk, love that he is silent but deadly.  His efforts are often overshadowned by his more flamboyant teammate, both at Chelsea and when representing Les Elephants, but he is a vital cog in the  machine on both teams :).  My love at Chelsea however is Essien.  He has such grace, such style, such power, and he's good looking to boot.  PERFECT :}.  My friend COMBINE (com-be-nay) will not be amused by my proclamation because she is convinced that she is his future wife.  Ha!

My second pet peeve is Drogba's hair. WHY? I know all these footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, (with whom he features on the current Vanity Fair cover) like to experiment with perms, relaxers, length, gels, colour, braids and anything else they can think of, but really, I do not enjoy a lot of their hairstyles.  A little too prima dona and metrosexual for me these footballers.

However, I have come to respect and like Drogba off the field the more I have come to know about him.  This article shows how he is growing as a man, and how he knows that he can be a bit of a baby.  I also like his hyperawareness of his position in society and how his actions have a butterfly effect with quite grandiose consequences at times.  His devotion to charity and hospitals redeem his on-pitch antics.

I do believe that Drogba can lead Kalou, the Toures and the rest of the boys to victory at the World Cup. Les Elephants are set to trample all those put in front of them if he keeps his head.  They are in a difficult group though with Brazil and Portugal in the mix (this is group G with Korea DPR as well). Qualifying out of this group will be a herculean but not a sysiphean task. We will have sangomas, juju and mother Africa's protection on our side he he he ;}! He himself is cognisant of the weight on his shoulders and how he carries the dreams of Africa.  He is already championing for his team, letting everyone know they are a force to be reckoned with, and that 2010 is the year to present Africa to the world in a different and more positive light.  You can read his thoughts here.  You can also read what Ya Ya Toure has to say about Cote D'Ivoire and 2010 here.

Drogba is actually quite a soft spoken man for someone who hurls obscenities at referees and dives about in grass so much I'm convinced he is at least part fish.  Here is a video of who he feels is the most influential person in his life.



And here is some eye candy featuring footballers participating in the World Cup next month, including Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o of Cameroun and Sulley Muntari of Ghana. Unfortunately, they will not be so skantily clad when playing next month :(

Prescriptions Without Consultation

This article asks the question whether foreign aid is bad for Africa.  First of all, most of what is considered aid is actually loans that cripple our governments with payments and interest far beyond the borrowed amounts, although people around the world think its free money given with no stipulations like payback.  This article does however touch on something that plagues my beloved continent: a specific group of well-meaning Westerners who have no clue what is going on in places of need, but seem to think they have the answer.

People don't realise that most Africans go around clothed, unless they are the Himba in Namibia and other tribes that have managed to maintain their way of life far away from the modernity of urbanisation. And they wouldn't want the clothes if you offered either.  In fact, a lot of people get the clothes given for charity and sell them for profit: salabula baby ;)!  The good thing about the man in this article is that he was able to readjust his unoriginal plan to send T-shirts to Africa after aid workers berated him for his arrogant ignorance.  However Africa needs money, investment and corruption to stop, and not just on its own shores either:  It's a two way street - enablers and enforcers on all sides.  Although this has nothing to do with aid, the case of Lesotho suing a Canadian and German company who bribed their way into working on a project comes to mind.  I read a case study on this that likened the tiny Lesotho to a mosquito that was able to defeat the elephants.  Lovely metaphor that.  African governments also need to start acting like adults, not like petulant children who take what they want and then have to be chastised with sanctions, repayment schemes and other stipulations that continually disallow them from thinking for themselves.

The issues of aid, charity and donating brought to mind the New Zealand lady who thought it was perfectly feasible to send dog food to the starving children she had heard about from her daughter in Kenya.  Why?! Why?! But why would you think this is ok?! These kinds of things just make me so sad inside there is nothing to do but just ask why?! I just don't understand how you would not think this is insulting.

The funny thing is that after September 11 Kenyan Masaai donated prized cows to help those affected.  The BBC called this an "unusual gift". How is it unusual, people eat cows all the time, it's called beef!  Drugs I tell you drugs is all I can say to explain this! That seems a logically compassionate gift to give.  You see people in need, you give what you can.  You empathise, you don't give them something you wouldn't take!

And no one ever talks about the African diaspora who are in the millions but remit billions home every year.  We are always portrayed as sitting around or dancing about waiting to be saved instead of taking control of our own destinies.  We are, if only we would be allowed to in public! And the rest of us that aren't, its time that we do :)

Thanks ALICE for bringing this my way :)