Olympic Games Lusaka

Zambia voted on 28th September (that's how you say dates here) but no official announcement has been made. It sounds like the "Man of Action", Michael Sata, won the Lusaka and Copperbelt districts by a considerable margin. But as votes trickle in from the rural parts of the country, Levy Mwanawasa is slowly coming back. Friends say this is how it felt in 2001 when Mwanawasa took office shortly after Mazoka gave his premature acceptance speech. Results should be in by the end of the day today.

Amidst the presidential election, the Olympic games were held in Lusaka. The event didn't garner too much (any) attention from the local press but one sprained ankle and some pictures are proof that they occured.

We planned to have reduced client visits on the 29th, the day following the election and Michelle suggested that we rally the staff to compete in the ZEHRP Olympics. Over the last month, Michelle planned the event. The day consisted of 8-10 games; three-legged race, egg relay, balloon toss, tug-of war, etc. Judy, our project lunch lady, made nshima for the staff. People all thanked me for throwing such a fun event. I explained that it really was Michelle's planning and execution that made it work. Still at the end of the day, I was the one asked to address the staff as the brains behind the operation. Seriously, it was Michelle...


Michelle laying out the ground rules with the team captains. The four teams were instructed to come up with team names. Michelle was part of the Rockie Stars. Strangely, one team named themselves Team Titanic and I was part of the Challengers. In the end, I wouldn't recommend naming your team after a historic disaster...the names strangely coincided with the podium results. The Challengers came in dead last.


We found a guy to donate two big old truck tires for the football kick game. Here's Masauso giving it a try.



This is "walk the plank". A team of 5 must coordinate their steps to walk the planks as quickly as possible towards their waiting teammates. The game is much easier when your team consists of 4 imaginary people and no planks.


We played this game at Julianna's graduation party just before leaving the states. I think Uncle Tom or Terry Lavoie made it with pvc pipe and it probably didn't cost more than $10. I found that they don't have pvc pipe in Zambia (at least not the strong kind) so I commissioned the head maintenance guy to make one out of metal pipes. I'm embarrassed to say how long it took to make along with the final cost (much more than $10). And you can't take it apart either. People enjoyed it though...hopefully I can get people to play again. This is Kaz taking a shot.


The egg relay made for the funniest pictures. People (including Phillip, one of our project drivers) were really pretty good. Many of the women here can balance crazy stuff on their heads. Balancing an egg on a spoon didn't prove that great a challenge.



This is the championship tug-of-war match between the Rockie Stars and the Challengers (which was also a personal grudge match between me and Michelle). I wish I could remember who won...I guess it really doesn't matter in the end, right? It was more about having fun...


The victorious Rockie Stars shortly after the results were annouced.


The Challengers...by far the oldest team in the competition. I suggested multiplying our final scores by the teams average age to determine the winner. Michelle didn't go for it. It probably wouldn't have made a difference.