Admittedly we make a strange team...
I am the 6'2", young Misungu with ridiculously long, puffy hair and a multicolored beard. In stark contrast, my Bataata stands about 5'8", is 67-years-old, dark in complexion (even by Zambian standards), with a cleanly shaven head and face. I laugh just thinking of the impression we must present: I arrive in shorts, a T-shirt, Chacos, and the only bicycle helmet in the village (along with the only bicycle that has not only gears, but brakes as well!). Ba Kasonde arrives in his foam, black, Stetsson (No, i didn't type-o, haha) Cowboy hat and full-length, red and blue, cotton sweat suit (despite the weather being over 80 degrees every day)... all completed with the always fasionably sound neon pink, rubber bath flip-flops.
Yet despite our aloof appearance, he and I are successfully encouraging fish farming in the communities surrounding Chibo. Lessons are held 4 days a week, each presented to a different village, with a different fish farming organization. Mostly, I sit to the side and try not to attract to much attention (harder than you might think, being the only white guy around)... Meanwhile, Ba Kasonde teaches in Bemba. While this description may make me sound lazy or uneager to do my job, its actually accomplishing one of the main goals of Peace Corps: I'm eliminating the need for my job, or another Volunteer in the area -hopefully. So, Ba Kasonde is teaching community fish farming groups about aquaculture while I add color commentary, in Bemba, to the lessons. Because of the language limitations, I'm probably about as effective as John Madden (ironic after all the bad-mouthing of him I've done) - "Mubike Amenshi mucishiba, elyo Mulefwaya ukubika isaabi mucishiba", which translated Madden-style equates to "You see, what we want to do here, is add fish INTO the fish pond... but only AFTER adding Water".
While I'm ridiculously lucky to have so much interest from the surrounding communities (keeping me busy teaching, demarcating, digging, harvesting, and paying farmer visits), I'm even more lucky to live with such a selfless family. Even my host mother/brothers are involved with voluntarily helping the community - following Ba Kasonde's lead.
In a way, so am I... While he calls me his 'boss', only somewhat sarcastically, he is helping people in a way only a true leader can - by example. In that regard, we've almost fully repaired his damaged pond, and have only been delayed because we are so busy helping others' Fish Farming interests. With Ba Kasonde's help, we'll be able to leave the community with self-sustaining Fish Farming groups with all the necessary knowledge to perpetuate themselves (hopefully).
According to Lao TzuA "a leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him....But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did it ourselves".
Maybe these villagers will remember the Misungu who lived here, played guitar, and ate Nshima (a true test of Zambian integration). But hopefully, they will remember the man the sweatsuit and foam Cowboy hat for even longer, as they harvest fish and grow fat.
