Zambian Elections

Corruption and the well-trodden issue of tax appeared to dominate the airwaves in the run up to Zambia's general election. It will be the fourth election since the return of a multi-party system in 1991 following 18 years of single-party rule under Kenneth Kaunda.

Tomorrow an estimated 4 million Zambians will cast their vote and choose between five presidential candidates. The race is said to be largely between two men; the incumbent President Levy Mwanawasa and Michael Sata, leader of one opposition party: The Patriotic Front. Disappointingly, Sata has been heard praising Zimbabwe's current President Robert Mugabe, he was quoted saying

"Mugabe hasn't done anything wrong. It is the imperialists, the capitalist-roaders who say he is a villain...The people of Zimbabwe are not suffering. They are much happier."

Check out the BBC news website for up to date coverage, to hear from the voters themselves and to view pictures form the candidates' campaigns. The results are expected to be announced on Saturday.

I only wish we were already there to see it all in action for ourselves.

Easy rider!

Challenge #1: Learn to ride a motorbike.

According to my job description I'm going to be riding around on two wheels when in placement. When I first found this out I thought great! - it's all part of the adventure, but as the reality of having to wear heavy duty gear, gloves and big black boots in 35degree heat plus a huge helmet on my usually curly head, the mini-adventure appeared a little less welcome.

Despite my reservations, my Speedway-style helmet arrived promptly in the post and I set off for my five day training course and thankfully came out the otherside unscathed! All thanks to my instructor who came complete with aviators (in the rain), stories of racing other bikers round the Paris périphérique and campaigning against deisel spillages on tight bends! If only I'd managed to get his picture.

So, the challenge now is to figure out how on earth I'm going to get the helmet on the plane! I suppose this is when the bag packing practice runs begin!

One month to go...

Now the count down really can begin. If all goes to plan one month from today we should be boarding a plane to Lusaka.

So, this seems like a pretty good time to explain how exactly I found myself waiting to be shipped off to Southern Africa.

My 12 month (hard-worked filled) adventure has been organised as part of Youth for Development or YfD, a programme run by Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) open to 18-25 year olds. In VSO’s own words: ‘YfD offers young volunteers a chance to use their skills and to make a tangible contribution to fighting poverty.’ Volunteers are matched to a placement with a VSO partner organisation based in the global south and work with that organisation as if they were any other normal employee for up to 12 months.

As part of yfd I have to undertake a Global Education Project the objective of which is to increase international understanding and challenge stereotypes. The majority of my project is going to take place in a primary school in Chipping Norton, a small village outside my home town of Oxford, UK. Hopefully I’ll be able to post some things about how that’s going up here. The other part of the project will be this blog – so if anyone has any thoughts, comments, questions or corrections! please do post them up.