Hi there! It has been long since I blogged. We are still traveling but our vacation is coming to an end soon. I had planned to blog while in Zimbabwe but it was difficult to get a good internet connection. I did not want to travel to get internet so I decided to not blog while I was there. I did not miss it, i think it made my stay in Zimbabwe more enjoyable.
Our trip has been with its challenges, including a hospital stay for Leo Jr. Both families have been so happy to see Leo jr and he is also happy with all the attention he is getting. They have been so happy that my father and father-in-law have each slaughtered a cow each for their grandchild! My parents even threw a get together for him, it was nice to see relatives that I have not seen in more than six years.
Life in Zimbabwe is hard right now, it is not 2008 bad because you can buy food in shops if you have money. A lot of people are not working and some are going for months without getting paid. I knew all this before coming home but its hard experiencing it. The gap between haves and have-nots is so wide. I have seen a lot of mothers who only buy diapers for the day and only do it again the following morning. They get the diapers for US$0,25 each. At the end of the month it is more expensive than buying the whole pack but most of these women only have a dollar for their daily expenses.
Electricity cuts happen daily so a lot of people now use gas stoves and solar for lighting. One of the changes, is that most households now use prepaid electricity which means they only pay for what they use. I actually do not mind the electricity cuts because you can always find alternatives, it is water cuts that I hate because water has no alternative. People who live here are always prepared for the water cuts but I think they deserve better since they pay for the water.
As difficult as life is in Zimbabwe, people are genuinely happy. They joke their way through their problems. Children shout for joy when the electricity is switched back on. People don’t go about hanging their heads, they still have weddings and parties. Sure its not ideal but it has helped me appreciate the little things in life that I usually take for granted. I pray for a better day for Zimbabwe especially the mothers who have to carry the brunt of this economy.
Leo was so happy in Zimbabwe, I think it was that he made so many friends who spoke the same language as him and he could play outside all day long. When we are in Bermuda he is happy, but in Zimbabwe he is a different child altogether. Both his grandmother’s spoil him rotten. According to them he can not do any wrong.
There is so much I had planned to do. I managed to partly renovate my mom’s kitchen which was really important for me to do. I also took some pictures for some posts. I will blog about everything in the next posts with lots of pictures too.