A ONE member&VSO volunteer's perspective on living in Zimbabwe (via the ONE blog)
on Z for Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), 26/Mar/2011 14:57, 34 days ago
I wrote another article for theONE blogand it waspublishedyesterday (Yess!).They made a couple of edits, including thetitlethat I wouldn't have necessarily put myself, but otherwise it should be a good read :)I've included the full blog post below:Tzviatko Chiderov is a ONE volunteer from Chicago and has been a member since 2007. He is currently on assignment in Zimbabwe with Voluntary Services Overseas. Keep on the lookout for more posts like these in the series“Z for Zimbabwe.”Living in Africa for four months now, I can honestly say that it has been the most amazing experience of my life. Its natural beauty never ceases to amaze me. Wild animals roam freely in their natural habitat, and the landscape is breathtaking. However, my life in Africa is not what you may think.Many people think that everyone in Africa lives in a mud hut and walks barefoot on a dirt road two hours every day to fetch water. While this is true for many rural areas, things in the bigger cities are much different. While some regions are as poor, congested and dangerous as it gets, some of the suburbs here are as posh as Beverly Hills. I currently live in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.The city of Harare has a well-developed infrastructure and there are many nice cafes and restaurants, busy shopping malls and shiny banks. However, there are parts of Zimbabwe that I have visited where I’ve had to take bucket showers and use candles for light at night.I get to interact with tons of people in Zimbabwe -– on the streets, in my neighborhood, at cafes, restaurants and at work. My second night in Harare, I went out to see a band and have a drink at a popular cafe. When they noticed I was alone, a group of people my age invited me to join them at their table. We had a great conversation that night and they continue to be some of my best friends here.Before coming to Africa, I was living at an apartment in the Chicago suburbs, and I didn’t even know my neighbors — but things here, on the other hand, are much more social. I have a great relationship with my neighbors, who constantly give me helpful tips on all kinds of things. In fact, just the other day I was invited over to watch a soccer game — my neighbor knew I had no TVand that I like FC Barcelona.In general, things in Harare are pretty normal. Yet, underneath the surface of the normalcy of daily life here lies the shadow of the AIDS pandemic and the awkward intensity of political dissatisfaction.During my time in Africa, I’ve met some of the nicest and happiest people, yet they are the ones who seem to have suffered the most: taxi drivers who work tirelessly through all hours of the day and night just so they can provide food for their families and pay their children’s school fees; kids playing soccer carefree inside the walls of their orphanage; rural school teachers making do with nothing but a room and a blackboard – all with positive outlooks on the future and smiles on their faces. I find myself constantly amazed by the positivity and overwhelming spirit that I am surrounded with here.Although Zimbabwe has its problems, it’s an easy place to like. I’m proud to call this my new home.