UPDATE FROM SITATUNGA FARM

Finally we have news and pictures after 3 months with nothing. There is a reasonable reason for that, like we said there was some temporary stop in the construction work at the farm. Now, the building is picking up again. First of all that means finishing the chalet.

The windows are starting to show.

So are the doors –

-And the walls are reaching roof level.

It looks like a house!The patio is also taking form.

Plastering of the walls are almost done.

One day this will be luxurious accommodation, eco style.

And we were worried that the chalets was, not small but, not as big as we wanted them.

Shopping for materials in Lusaka, for the roof!

Waiting for transport to the farm.

And more to come! Hopefully the roof will form soon too. The tachter is ready to start.

Planning ahead

The work on the chalet will continue and when it’s finished we have to sit down and calculate costs. We can already say that the price is going to be way higher then we dreamed of though.
So once this chalet is up, the work will have to take a time out for a while.
We have no money...
It’s not funny, but I do have to laugh. We have been saying that for ages but people don’t seem to believe us. Like workers and salesmen that we are creating a business relationship with and are negotiating with. They are hearing what we are saying, but on heaps of them you can see on their faces that they don’t believe us.
Nevertheless that is how it is; we don’t have more money right now. We are working on our business plan to apply for small business loans, and we are also working (at our jobs) and putting whatever money we can into it.
So if anyone is interested in investing or contributing in any way please let us know. You can e-mail us at sitatungafarm@gmail.com or contact Laura, Chris or Tove.

Norwegian:
Arbeidet på hytter vil fortsette, og når den er ferdig må vi sitte og beregne kostnadene. Vi kan allerede si at prisen kommer til å være slik høyere da vi drømte om selv. Så når dette chalet er opp, arbeidet vil måtte ta en pause en stund. Vi har ingen penger ... Det er ikke morsomt, men jeg må le. Vi har sagt at i det uendelige, men folk synes ikke å tro oss. Som arbeidere og selgere at vi skaper et forretningssamarbeid med og forhandler med. De hører hva vi sier, men på hauger av dem du kan se på ansiktene deres at de ikke tror oss. Desto mindre det er slik det er, vi har ikke mer penger akkurat nå. Vi jobber med vår forretningsplan å søke om småbedrifter lån, og vi jobber også (på våre arbeidsplasser) og setter alt penger vi kan inn i den. Så hvis noen er interessert i å investere eller bidra på noen måte kan du fortelle oss. Du kan sende e-post til sitatungafarm@gmail.com eller kontakt Laura, Chris eller Tove.

Environmental Education Centre

Sitatunga Environmental Education Centre (SEEC) – Concept Note!


The proposed construction of the Sitatunga Environmental Education Centre (SEEC) aims to work with the community around Kayuni area (where the farm is situated) and link them to tourism activities in Lochnivar National Park, an Important Bird Area (IBA). The overall goal of the project is to reduce environmental degradation by building capacity within youth for poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihood. The community’s ability to address poverty will be strengthened through their involvement with Sitatunga Environmental Education Centre, Eco lodge and Campsite.


At the moment we are looking for funds to construct the centre, which is our main priority. Once the centre is up, we shall start focus on a number of skills training activities. The activities are meant to promote sustainable livelihood projects as integral to the eco lodge and campsite from selected Community Based Organisations. The centre will link the community to the eco lodge. The centre will provide training to the youth (young women and men) on environmental issues faced in the area such as deforestation, poaching, unsustainable farming practises, which have led to effects in change of climate such as droughts and floods and how to respond to these environmental issues. Other capacity building activities will include training the youth on tour guiding especially bird guiding (as we already have the expertise in Bob ‘the birdman’ Stjernstedt, a very experienced and well respected ornithologist in Zambia and around the world. The SEEC will also provide a base for inter cultural exchange between the north and south.

At the moment, we are busy developing proposals to secure funding for the construction of the centre!

WATCH THIS SPACE!

NORWEGIAN
Norsk tekst er direkte oversatt fra dictionary.com
Den foreslåtte byggingen av Sitatunga Environmental Education Centre (SEEC) har som mål å arbeide med samfunnet rundt Kayuni området (der gården ligger), og koble dem til turisme aktiviteter i Lochnivar National Park, en viktig Bird Area (IBA). Det overordnede målet med prosjektet er å redusere miljøødeleggelser ved å bygge kapasitet i ungdomsarbeid for fattigdomsbekjempelse og bærekraftig levebrød. Fellesskapets evne til å ta opp fattigdom vil styrkes gjennom deres involvering med Sitatunga Environmental Education Centre, Eco Lodge og campingplass.
For øyeblikket er vi på utkikk etter midler til å bygge senteret, som er vår hovedprioritet. Når senteret er opp, skal vi begynne å fokusere på en rekke ferdigheter treningsaktiviteter. Aktivitetene er ment å fremme bærekraftig levebrød prosjekter som en integrert del av Eco Lodge og campingplassen fra utvalgte Community Basert organisasjoner. Senteret skal knytte fellesskapet til Eco Lodge. Senteret skal gi opplæring til ungdom (unge kvinner og menn) på miljøspørsmål møtte i området som avskoging, krypskyting, ikke bærekraftig jordbruk praksis, noe som har ført til effekter endring av klimaet, som tørke og flom, og hvordan å svare på disse miljøspørsmål. Andre kapasitetsbygging aktiviteter vil omfatte trening av ungdom på turné guiding spesielt fugl guiding (som vi allerede har kompetanse i Bob 'the Birdman "Stjernstedt, en meget erfaren og godt respektert ornitolog i Zambia og rundt om i verden. SEEC vil også gi en base for inter kulturell utveksling mellom nord og sør. For tiden er vi opptatt å utvikle forslag for å sikre finansiering for bygging av senteret! så følg med!

1st SLEEPOVER @ FARM

We are going back to the farm for the 1^st sleepover. And for the last time beforeTove goes back to Norway. 3 months goes so fast.

Our goal was to at least have 1 brick in the ground before she left, so we can safely say we achieved that.

This is how far the building of the chalet has reached on Friday 2^nd of April.

The front and patio.

There should be enough bricks.

And brick force.

Inspection by Laura.

Kay, Laura’s cousin, is getting the grand tour.

Great builders, & cooks, not so great with washing dishes.

Maybe we have to start an ant farm?

The house is looking great after a coat of cement,

almost like a home!

Laura preparing chicken.

Boys putting up walls in the toilet.

Kay is simmering the chicken.

The chalet is being inspected by good friends, Marina and Perry.

Cheers for Sitatunga management!!!

Getting the bonfire going.

As people gather around.

We’re having a proper candle light dinner @ the farm.

And everyone is waiting for the food.

Which is finally ready – and looking good!

Eating.

Cleaning up.

And putting things away.

Midnight walk to the tree.

And that is the way back to the house – or is it?

Breakfast.

And relaxing before heading back to the real life – Lusaka and Norway...

Construction in progress!

The farm before the action starts

Oh, no. The truck delivering river sand is stuck...

... and have to off load on the spot

Coz it it’s seriously stuck

Using branches...

... and manpower to get it out

Only to get stuck again when it tries to turn. It’s dark & it stopped being funny long time ago,

so we leave it till the next morning

The bricks have been moved & we’ve organised transport

so “peace workers” are busy loading

And then off loading @ the farm, just before the gate

Coz this truck is stuck too...

Here we go again

And stuck for the 2^nd time again...

Manpower x heaps is not working

Let’s try Jeep power. No...

The owner of truck, and a good friend who is doing us a great favour,

had to come with another truck, to assist

Finally, after sunset again, it’s out

In the meantime Laura has arrived from Lusaka, with reinforcement

And crush stone, which was supposed to be here @ lunch time, arrives. Without getting stuck!

We have now earned our drink @ NZango.

Tove is drinking brandy & coke out of recycled plastic after she broke the glass

& they refused to give her slippery hands a new one...

The builder from Lusaka does not waste time,

unlike some people in Monze who we had to let go...

The land for the chalet has already been cleared

Too bad we come and tell them it’s too close to the bar (tree).

We have a lot of land, let’s use it and spread out

The bricks now have to be moved with cart & cows to the building site

While back @ the farm house our other brick layer is busy

renovating it by putting in big windows with burglar bars & gauze netting

Looking good, with light & air, & even the cow smell is gone

Digging @ the new location of the chalet

The cows also have to move the crush stones from the house to the site

While management rests

Jani, Chris’ nephew, is filling the drum with water

But rolling it is heavy...

Meal time! There is activity @ the farm today, & it’s very nice

Laura, once a mummy – always a mummy, takes over cooking for the working men

And then she does laundry like a true African house wife

The next day the cement foundation is down

And to spare the cows a bit we hired a tractor to help move bricks

2^nd well @ farm

Chinga, Chris’ nephew, is sawing in deep concentration

Our first wild pet @ the farm, James the turtle

Discussion of rules & conditions with the workers

Still working on the windows.

Except we wanted the small one where the big one is & vice versa.

That’s life, you have to be very specific, & repeat details over & over again

Some boys have been digging a pit latrine,

since we now have people staying @ the farm

Inside the house, which is now storage @ bedroom

What was once the kitchen is now firewood for cooking

The builder is making fire for supper

Packing up the house in Monze to move to the farm, lease is finished

Building of the chalet is in progress

Chris is discussing distances

Furnitures from the house has arrived

Along with 32 bags of cement

And we can even make an office outside

Windows are done, but the house also needs some patching