Chik and Ester

Since one of the reasons to visit Zambia was thefriends who are working there we returned to Chikankata for a few more days. There must be some sort of irony in the contrasts...playing Guitar Hero III (badly) on a Wii, and visiting in the local market.

It was at the market that we met Esther. She had eight children of her own, but now cares for 24 grand-children. Seven of her children had died, and she has taken on responsibility for their orphaned children. No social security benefits, no government support...just a small plot of land to grow some crops, plus her own initiative, and efforts. One of those initiatives is a little restaurant near at the market.


In Africa there are many people like Esther - many of them grandmothers, some of them barely older thatn the children they care for. While there are many organisations that are set up to help the scale of the problem outwieghs the resources available.


We salute Esther, and those who like her care for children who are not their own, and need to work out how to most effectively make a difference in the long term.