Life in a Hwange Village

Part of the OAT experience is to learn about the people in the places we are visiting. We set off on the 45-minute jeep ride from our camp, then the hour-long bus ride to a ‘shopping center’ (series of very small buildings) to pick up some groceries for the family homestead we would be visiting. This is one homestead of many that make up the 2,000-person Dick village.

The head family has hosted OAT groups before and seems to welcome visitors. The matriarch, Francesca, showed us around the camp—the living quarters, the goat pen (baby goats!), chicken coop, and how they build their houses. We helped them fix some traditional foods—polenta (sadsa); a spinach and other vegetable dish with peanut butter; and Mopane worms (caterpillars), which are washed, dried in the sun and then sautéed with onions and other vegetables. They were a little chewy, but quite tasty.

Most of the family members were away at a meeting (we didn’t find out what), and the children were over at another homestead. But Francesca and her husband Phillip invited about 8 other neighbors (all women, of varying ages) to welcome us and help with the demonstrations. After our meal, we were able to ask them questions about their life, and the women asked us questions. They wanted to know about marriage arrangements (does the man pay a dowry, etc.). Also, why do American women only have two kids—don’t their husbands love them? It was great to have a two-way exchange of information and didn’t feel awkward or voyeristic. They seemed proud to share their lifestyle with us.

Before leaving, we brought over all the staple foods we’d bought (OAT paid), and the women sang and danced.

On the jeep drive later, we saw more elephants (there are 45,000 in the National park), and our guide, Albert, stopped for interesting demonstrations—many based on his childhood activities, and augmented by his studies to be a licensed guide. For example: the spear grass can be pulled apart to make darts. So when the boys would be out with the grazing cows and goats, the loser of the dart game would be the one who had to go fetch the herd when they got too far away. A fascinating phenomenon of the spear grass is that by moistening the seed end of a strand of it in your mouth, it will curl and spiral like it has a little motor in it. This is how the seed is planted into the ground when the rains start.

We’ll catch you up at the next wi-fi opportunity!Read more