July

Vol. 21, No. 07, 2015

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Published by:LH Publications Limited,

PO Box 36666, Lusaka, Zambia.+26 0966 821-290 / +26 0965 821-290

editor@lowdownzambia.comwww.lowdownzambia.com

Winners of the 2011 Africast Tourism Journalist of the Year Award-

Advertising, Subscriptions and Distribution:ads@lowdownzambia.com

-Printed by:

New Horizon Printing Press Ltd,PO Box 38871, Lusaka, Zambia.

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Editor: Heather Bender ChalcraftLayout & Design: Louann Chalcraft

Chinese lantern tree (Dichrostachys cinerea),by Inger Gretland

Front Cover Photograph:

Music To The Ears

Elephant Epic

A Rare Sighting

Star Gazer

In the Garden

Birds, Bugs and Bushes

Fool On The Hill

Mole In The Hole

Getting Started

Heart To Heart

The Perfect Tonic

What’s Happening

Restaurants

Employment Sought

Small Adverts

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Music To The Ears

The Festival is open to all levels of musicians or potential musicians. If your child likes music but doesn’t play an instrument, they will spend the day in groups learning marimba pieces, songs, dance and drumming. They will also have the option of joining the more advanced instrumental ensembles if they have the interest and ability. For children who already play an instrument, they will go into the Intermediate or Senior programmes, which include choir, percussion, dance, drama and pop, fusion or rock in small bands or groups.

The week culminates in a Music in the Park concert where the instructors perform alongside the participants.

The Nyimbo Music Festival will take place from 3 to 7 August, from 8.30 am to 3 pm daily at American International School of Lusaka, Leopards Hill Road. For further information or registration email nyimbomusicfest@aislusaka.org.

This is indeed music to my ears - what could be happier than hearing Zambia’s children making music!

Parents with school-going children are always at a loss of what to do keep their children entertained and busy during the long July / August school holidays. This is especially true for those with children attending one of the international schools which run on the European school calendar despite being in the middle of Africa. It is thus music to their ears to hear that the Nyimbo Music Festival will be held during August.

Nyimbo, which means Music in Nyanja, is organised and hosted by AISL. It has been running for a number of years and was previously known as a Music Camp. The Music Festival offers a varied programme of musical activities - instrumental ensembles; individual music tuition on string, wind, percussion instruments; choir; song writing; African drumming; dance including Salsa, hip-hop and African; and drama. The team of instructors comes from ‘all over’ - Lusaka, UK, USA and this year’s group includes Namvula Rennie (UK/Zambia), Chel Illingworth (US/Zambia), Jason Winikoff (US), Aaron Dunn (U.K), Matt Giles (UK), Simon Kalomo (Botswana), Aaron Dunn (UK), Matt Giles (UK), Adnan Mufaya (Zambia), and Nomakanjani Arts (Zambia).

Prefer Animals to Music? Maybe you can volunteer at LAWS and help them walk the dogs!

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,

flight to the imagination and life to everything.” - Plato

Elephant EpicEpic has become one of the most overused words in English today, especially when used with the word ‘fail’. But when it comes to our elephants, to use the phrase Elephant Epic is indeed appropriate, for not only are our elephants of epic size, but the poaching of elephants in Zambia, and indeed Africa, has reached epic proportions.

The Elephant Epic is an annual mountain bike race, with this year’s being the fourth one. In fact it is Lusaka’s original mountain bike race. Commencing on the Leopards Hill Road, the race starts along the flats, then winds up and over the sometimes tricky escarpment road before heading downhill into the Zambezi Valley. Before finishing off at Kiambi Lodge, at the confluence of the Zambezi and Kafue Rivers, bikers and their support teams will traverse part of the Chirundu Fossil Forest. The Chirundu Fossil Forest has fossilised tree trunks measuring up to 1.2 metres in diameter and up to ten metres in length. The fossils are of coniferous trees which flourished in the area some 150 million years ago. Coniferous trees are no longer found in the area indicating that the climate at that time was like that of temperate regions.

A distance of seventy-two kilometres, the ride is “technically” all downhill, but it does have some challenging sections. Not only does it cater for the serious riders, it is also popular with the Weekend Warriors and more importantly, the proceeds raised from the Elephant Epic go to one of Zambia’s most effective and active NGO’s, Game Rangers International (GRI).

GRI’s list of projects in Zambia is impressive:

• TheElephantOrphanageProjectatLilayi,asanctuaryfor defenceless, abandoned elephant calves, often the tragic victims of poaching and human conflict, rehabilitated and released back into the wild;

• CampPhoenix,theKafueReleaseFacilitywhichprovides a safe and secure environment where the orphaned elephants can be released back into the wild;

• TheKafueConservationProjectwhichprovideswelfare, training and operational support to wildlife personnel in the front line of endangered species protection, such as the ZAWA Special Anti-Poaching Unit.

• TheMuzovuAwarenessProjectwhichdeliversenvironmental education in the Kafue National Park and Lusaka through teacher workshops, environmental lessons and activities and through the distribution of much needed educational resources.

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includes a breakfast bun, sausage roll and softie on completion and a spit braai dinner (camping is available at Kiambi).

To register, visit their website, www.elephantepic.org (all entries are online). For further info, contact Wendy at wj.moolenschot@gmail.com or on 0961 631-429 or Ulrica at ulrica@gamerangersinternational.org or on 0973 560-113.

Let’s make this year’s Elephant Epic an Epic Success!

• ACommunityOutreachProjectpromoting and supporting the sustainable utilisation of natural resources within communities living contiguous to wildlife protected areas.

• TheZambiaPrimateProject,whichisone of Africa’s most established and successful primate release programmes. A full article on the Zambia Primate Project will be published in the August issue of The Lowdown

The Elephant Epic this year will take place on the 15 August, starting at 7 am at the Council barrier on the Leopards Hill Road. Participation fee is K400 or US$60 which

Want to join the race, but need MTB

bike parts?

A Rare Sighting

of Africa before, however they are most commonly restricted to more mountainous or ‘valley’ ecosystems. In such areas it may actually be advantageous to be black and importantly, where a smaller or closed population gene pool would mean that the rare genes would likely be expressed more readily than in an open population where migration in and out would happen and genetic diversity would likely be greater. Bearing in mind that the Kafue is the largest park in Zambia and one of the five largest in the world, one can’t begin to think about the odds or chances of encountering this individual. Then again, the Kafue National Park has a tendency to throw up once in a lifetime sightings. The park is a place of wonder where very few people visit, but those who do will all but have it to themselves, just like these guests, who didn’t see another soul on their entire trip …

The genet was sighted by guests at Jeffery &McKeith Safaris, Musekese Camp.

For all enquiries please contact them by email info@jefferymckeith.com, through their website at www.jefferymckeith.com or call them on 0976 215-426.

The afternoon started out like most evening game drives in the Kafue, with the hope and expectation of something interesting and unusual ahead, heightened by the incessant alarm calls of the baboon troop along the river.

It was still light when we set off, in the direction of the alarm calls, and it didn’t take us long to find a wonderful lone cheetah resting in the shade of a tree. Cheetah are a really special animal for us in Zambia, the remaining populations are restricted to the Kafue, Liuwa Plains and potentially Sioma Ngwezi, where they are certainly the rarest and potentially most genetically isolated populations in Southern Africa.

From this wonderful start we headed off to find a spot to watch the sun setting over the broad and peaceful Kafue River. With the setting sun came anticipation of what lay ahead for the second part of our drive. The spotter readied his spotlight and we headed off, hoping to glimpse one of the many leopard that inhabit the riverine forests of the Kafue.

Rounding a bend in the road, the now stationary spotlight settled on a small pair of red eyes in some leaf litter. The guide lifted his binoculars as we sat in silent suspense waiting for the verdict on what had been found. The guide took an unusually long time to make sense of what he was seeing. He then asked us to help him identify what we were looking at. Excitedly, he asked firmly (but nicely!) for ‘someone, anyone, please take a photo!’. One of the guests in the vehicle, Gill, had her camera at the ready and snapped away at the dark spot which was beginning to show itself to us. To our, and evidently the guide’s astonishment, it was a black genet!

The guide explained that it is difficult enough to spot a ‘normal’ genet at night, let alone for it to be Melanistic (the scientific term for an excess of the black pigment Melanin), and what we were witnessing was a once in a lifetime sighting. The guide went on to explain that Melanistic forms of other species, including leopard and serval for example, have been seen in other areas

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Melanistic

Normal

byGwyn

ThomasThe Sky in July

The Nearest Stars

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making it the third brightest star after Sirius and Canopus. The A and B components of this stars orbit each other every 79.91 years around a common centre. Scottish astronomer Thomas Henderson made the original discovery from many exacting observations of the trigonometric parallaxes of the AB system between April 1832 and May 1833 using Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille’s astrometric observations of 1751–1752 for comparison.With the aid of the Spitzer Space Telescope evidence of the presence of planets have been detected in the Alpha Centauri system. However, most appear to be large and uninhabitable. The search continues and more and more exo-planets are being discovered.Other close stars are;Barnard’s star is a very low-mass red dwarf star about 6 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus discovered in 1918.Luhman 16 (WISE 1049-5319) a binary brown-dwarf system in the southern constellation Vela at a distance of approximately 6.6 light-years (2.0 parsecs) from the Sun discovered in 2013.Wise 0855-0714 is a (sub-) brown dwarf 7.53 light-years from the Sun detected in March 2013 in the constellation of Hydra.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way has between 200 billion and 400 billion stars and is as wide as 18,000 light years. Our Solar system is situated in the Orion arm, at a distance of 7.5–8.5 kpc (25,000–28,000 light-years) from the Galactic Centre which is thought to be a massive black hole. All the stars in our galaxy seem to be moving in a whirlpool like motion and are all headed towards the centre. In 1718 Edmond Halley found that, over at least 1800 years, many of our nearby neighbours such as Arcturus and Sirius had moved significantly from the positions given in Ptolemy’s catalogueThe nearest star to the Earth is obviously the Sun. The next nearest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri, a red Dwarf, which is to be found near Alpha Centauri in the constellation of Centaurus. It is 4.22 light years and is barely visible with telescopes. By mass, Proxima is about one-eighth that of the Sun. Proxima Centauri was discovered by Robert Innes in 1915 at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg by blinking photographic plates taken at different times during a dedicated proper motion survey. These plates still exist and are stored in Johannesburg.Alpha Centauri is also relatively close to our Sun at 4.37 light years. It is a binary system designated Alpha Centauri AB whose combined visual magnitude is -0.27

Milky Way Over Quiver Tree Forest (Image Credit & Copyright: Florian Breuer)

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EventVenus near JupiterFull MoonMoon occults beta CapVenus occults 9th mag. starMercury near Messier 1 (Crab Nebula)Earth at aphelionLast Quarter MoonUranus near the MoonVenus greatest illuminated extentAldebaran near the MoonJuly Phoenicid meteor shower max.Mercury near the MoonMars near the MoonNew MoonMercury near MarsVenus-Moon 7.1° at noon Jupiter, Venus, Regulus and the Moon togetherVenus-Moon 4.9° at noon Jupiter, Venus, Regulus and the Moon togetherMercury near PolluxSpica near the MoonFirst Quarter MoonSaturn near the MoonPiscis Australid meteor shower max.Mars near Pollux Southerndelta Aquariid meteor shower max.alpha Capricornid mete shower max.Full MoonVenus near Regulus

d123456891012131515161618 19 20232426282929303131

During July the 5 major planets:•MercurywillbemovingfromTaurus

through Gemini into Taurus and will be visible in the mornings in early July and in late July it will be again visible in the early evening.

•VenuswillbemovingfromCancerintoLeo and will be visible in the evenings

•MarswillbemovingthroughGeminiandwill be visible in the early mornings

•JupiterismovingfromCancerintoLeoand is prominent in the early evening.

•SaturnisinScorpioandisvisiblefrommidnight until morning.

Diary of Astronomical Phenomena

Meteor Showers Visible PeakJuly Phoenicids 10/07 - 16/07 13/07

Piscis Australids 19/07 - 17/08 28/07

Southern delta Aquariids

21/07 - 29/08 29/07

alpha Capricornids 15/07 - 25/08 30/07

WISE - NASA’s Wide-field

Infrared Survey Explorer

kpc - Kiloparsec 1kpc= 3.08567758

× 1019 meters

Glossary

Sun’s Neighbourhood - This diagram illustrates the locations of the star systems closest to the sun. The year when the distance to each system was determined is listed after the system’s name. NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, found two of the four closest systems: the binary brown dwarf WISE 1049-5319 and the brown dwarf WISE J085510.83-071442.5. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope helped pin down the location of the latter object. The closest system to the sun is a trio of stars that consists of Alpha Centauri, a close companion to it and Proxima Centauri. (NASA/Penn State University)

A comparison of the sizes and colors of the stars in the Alpha Centauri system with the Sun. (David Benbennick)

The Sun’s Closest Neighbours

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Grass grows very little during the winter. Set the mower to a higher level so that the blades of grass remain longer and cut less often. Feed your grass in August, September or October by adding a layer of sieved compost (you do make your own, don’t you?). This will both feed your lawn and level out any shallow dips. If you are desperately short of water use a thick layer of rough mulch, dry leaves or unsieved compost to protect the ground from the sun and prevent rapid evaporation of any moisture in the soil. Once your grass is dry, termites will attack and brown patches will not recover when the rains arrive.

Use ground covers to protect all areas of uncovered soil. The aim is again to conserve any moisture present in the soil from evaporation. There are lots to choose from but check whether they prefer sun or shade. One of my favourites is the humble erigeron. It grows in full sun or dappled shade. It has a surprisingly tiny root for a plant that covers up to 50 cm of ground. The flowers are tiny daisies, white with some pinkish-red colour on the reverse of the petals. It is in flower most of the year and is - wait for it – drought resistant! It will grow well between rocks and just about anywhere except deep shade.

Liriopevariegata, the striped lily-turf, is a very useful edge for any border. Grow these 30 cm high clumps in any soil. They prefer sun but grow in shade too. Water once a week if you can. The plain green liriope also looks good.

The large-leaved ivy is widely used in South Africa as a groundcover. It should be used more here. Plant it to cover large areas in either sun or shade. It grows easily from cuttings so once you establish a few plants you can grow more.

Mondo grass is very popular between paving stones and can also be used to edge a border. It is tough and will accept a fair amount of shade. But consider using penny-royal, menthapulegium, for a shady, damp area, or between paving stones if you can water it regularly. When stepped on, the tiny leaves release a minty fragrance.

Syngonium can tolerate lots of shade and is often used as a pot plant in the house. Try it round a tree where the shade is too deep for most plants. Its pretty leaf shape and colouring is very attractive. It grows quickly on long stems and I think of it as a horizontal climber. It covers the ground well.

A very pretty groundcover is portulaca. It spreads for 50cm and has abundant bright flowers. It has thick fleshy stems and leaves that hold water for a long time so it is ideal for a sunny area that does not get much water or for a rockery. Look for the seeds.

Fine gravel is useful in appropriate places. But please do not cover large areas with paving stones or bricks. They absorb the heat of the sun and look harsh and uninviting – even if they don’t need weeding.

TIP Check all your tools, clean them and apply oil once a month to make them last longer.In

The

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den

Six-Legged CanariesThe tiny Bush-Hoppers of the family Thericleidae do not receive a great deal of press. There are a number of reasons for this; they are small, uncommon and not economically important as a food source or as a pest, and perhaps most important of all, the family is found nowhere in the world outside of Sub-Saharan Africa. They don’t even have their own common name; the favoured ‘Bush Hopper’ refers to members of several other families of insect, many of which are only very distantly related to one another.

You could be forgiven for thinking that, cartoonish appeal aside, these tiny grasshoppers are without value and, as such, of no real interest; indeed, the scientific community has taken no real

interest in them

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since one (out of print) book in French described most of the known species in the seventies. But, like a caged canary in a mineshaft, they can provide one valuable - if rather tragic - service: they are perfectly adapted to the conditions that their environment has faced over thousands, if not millions, of years, and they are virtually incapable of relocating to somewhere better if the neighbourhood goes, figuratively speaking, to the dogs.

Which means that in this age of rapidly intensifying agriculture and development, not to mention climate change, these little insects are perched on the very brink of their existence, and when they start to disappear, we’ll know that, metaphorically, the rest of us are heading over the same cliff.

deadatacockfight,rodeo,greyhound track or circus but the lines begin to blur when it comes to vegans and pets or “companion animals” as they are wont to call them. The orthodox vegan would surely say that keeping a pet is for one’s own entertainment and thus taboo, but since most vegans tend to be animal lovers at heart, thousands of vegans keep pets which are themselves vegan (rodents, rabbits, birds etc) and stretch the code to include dogs and cats, if they are from a rescue centre. The less strict vegan carnivorous-companion-animal-keeper would controversially relax the caveat against the whole exploitive meat industry they have sworn to eschew so that their cat can eat tuna. The purists impose the vegan philosophy on their carnivorous and omnivorous pets on the grounds that theyarenutritionallysatisfiedandarenotsuffering psychologically from the absence of other dead animals in their diet.

If you’re a vegan or even a vegetarian who wears leather shoes then you are better informed than me, stronger of resolve and making a difference. I have always espoused an intolerance for causing suffering to non-human animals and endeavoured to make ethical choices as a meat eater. However after spending the last week researching this article by forcing myself to watch many of the videos on the PETA site and reading around the topic ... who the hell am I fooling? Certainly not myself any more. If you believe that living creatures have souls then ours (humans’) are damned to Hell, and if you (like my wife) say “There is no such thing as Hell” then do as I have and you’ll see places that we have made for fellow creatures that are as near as dammit. If you think that there can be such a thing as “humane meat” and that labels like free-range and organic translate to compassionate practices then watch the videos. If you assume that you

I do it every couple of months and it makes me sick

to my stomach. It takes longer each time to stuff it all back in the

psychic box (like trying to get an angry ferret into a wet sock) and then to get

on with life, only allowing it to haunt the periphery of my daily doings. What I do is that when I am signing some or other email petition concerning an environmental issue from the Care2 website, I follow a link and end up on the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website. For those of you have never really had much to do with them other than labelling them as the eco-fascists who chuck buckets of blood over women in fur coats in civilised countries, there is a lot more to PETA than that. To be a follower of PETA you have to subscribe to this “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment or abuse in any other way” which means that tobeafullyfledgedsupporteryouneedtobe not just a vegetarian, but a vegan.

In the hospitality industry I am very aware that the standard response when being told that a Vegan has booked a table is “I wish they’d f**k off back to the planet Vega” as one of the few things harder than being a vegan is catering for one in the middle of a“normal”service.Veganismasdefinedby the Vegan Society is “A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.” Strict vegans obviously don’t eat anything that ever had a heartbeat or use any animal by-products (honey, wool, leather) or buy anything made by a company which uses animals to test their products (by law that would be every British drug company ... so no medicine if you’re hardcore vegan). Obviously a vegan wouldn’t be seen

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While human rights continue to improve, the rights of the animals which fuel our expansion as a species are not even recognised across most of the world and are paid lip service to even those in the most civilised corners. And the kindest people in the world, like my Mum, cannot face this terrible guilt so choose to pretend that what they buy in a sanitised package in the supermarket is not paid for in pain. Even the woolly jumpers worn by little old ladies and hippies alike are paid for in the untold cruelty of commercial sheep rearing practices. Halal and Kosher slaughtering add a medieval link to an already stunningly cruel process. A day at the races is the wonderfully acceptable face of another industry built on using sentient creatures as the base currency of a multi-billion dollar business. The UK has one of the best records in trying to change all this but is still woefully lacking. At least the major supermarket chains provide some alternatives which are friendlier to animals and if you are willing to pay the price (and we all will in one way or another) you can findaneggfromachickenthathaslivedsome of its life in sunlight and still owns a beak. And if you don’t like animals that much but are still fond of life on earth then consider that the production of meat in the quantities we consume, using current farming practices produces 50% more greenhouse gases than the combined effect of ALL types of mechanised transport on earth. Here are two other quick facts to put things in perspective. The chicken is the most successful vertebrate to have ever existed on earth; at any one time there are over 50 billion alive, all doomed to die very soon or live in purgatory for just a little longer; some price for success. The other fact; 150 BILLION animals die every year to keep us fed and clothed excluding all the others we kill and allow to die in so many other ways.

PETA’s agenda is animal rights and not to be confused with animal welfare. Their lifestyle choices are radical and their strategies are tough. Their founder, Ingrid Newkirk, is no starry eyed bunny hugger. When she gave up stock broking to run a

can buy anything made of leather from China or India and not be contributing to the most hideous cruelty imaginable, then please, watch the videos. If you think you are quite a worldly chap and that nothing much about human behaviour would surprise you then read about PETA’s successful campaign to get a sentence of life imprisonment for a couple of Philippine internet entrepreneurs who were making and selling “crush” videos to a small niche market of folks (mostly in the US and EU) who like to watch scantily clad girls (some as young as 12 years old) torturing rabbits, kittens and puppies to death in a variety of ways. The latter case is the sort of rare enough fringe lunacy that we can all agree tobehorrifiedby,butmostofuschooseto be unaware of much more common practices in everyday animal husbandry which are almost as cruel and in which we are complicit.

“You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity.”Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

I grew up in a household where my Mum would drive 20 miles to delight in watching spring lambs gambol in a Sussex meadow and then take us home for a Sunday roast. This partitioning of responsibility by perfectly nice and kind and caring people in their several billions, provided for by companies driven by a few hundred thousand intelligent business minded people and served by a couple of billion other poor and uneducated people who are prepared to do the most unspeakable acts for a minimum wage has brought us to a terrible place in human history.

Whilst our society evolves a conscience and we try to clean up our act in the way we treat each other, and the way we treat our planet, our numbers continue to grow exponentially and as our populations become ever more urbanised and removed from the production of food deeper into consumerism we ourselves become distanced from the processes which put ever more and ever cheaper food on our tables.

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But every new movement, every new religion and every insurrection starts with a handful of rebels and acts considered terrorism by the old order. A minority of people who are usually branded as fanatics and radicals have to light the fuse, get run over by the tanks or end up beaten to death andburiedinafieldsomewheretoexposegreat wrongs to us, the vast majority. I’ve been lying awake at night trying to fathom how I can make my new life as an animal activist work, but I don’t think I have to. I think I can live with myself another way. I used to hate that we live in a country where animal cruelty legislation is either non-existent or not enforced. I used to be saddened by the sight of a cow walked the 50 kms from Mambwe to Mfuwe tethered by the side of the road and then killed with an axe. But you know what? That cow took three days to make that walk and watered and grazed along the way. She stood on the verge tethered to a tree and was still nibbling on grass when the axe bit. Her life as a domestic animal was pretty idyllic compared to what you can see in the PETA video “Glass Walls” introduced by Paul McCartney and named for his quote “If slaughterhouses had glass walls everyone would be vegetarian”.

Likewise the milk that we drink in Zambia has for the most part not been mechanically extractedfromgeneticallymodifiedfactoryfarmed cattle but more likely carried into the dairy plant in town in a milk churn originating from a small hand-milked herd on a smallholding where the cattle graze freely.

So I can keep an uneasy truce with dairy and beef industry in this country and

state animal shelter she was so shocked by the way the animals were mistreated and inhumanely destroyed that she took it upon herself to kill thousands of unwanted pets using lethal injections rather than gassing. PETA is still criticised for killing many more animals in their shelters than other facilities, and their zero tolerance for suffering stance is used against them by their opponents in government and business who have much to lose if current inhumanebutfinanciallyexpedientmeatproduction practices are stopped. PETA grosses over $32million a year in donations and splashes out with the help of its many celebrity sponsors on lavish and shocking advertisingcampaigns.PETAisflushedwith cash after Sam Simon (creator of “The Simpsons”) died and left almost $1 Billion to the organisation. Another of PETA’s clever but controversial tactics is holding shares in over 70 companies of which they strongly disapprove because of their animal rights records. These companies as diverse Johnson & Johnson, McDonalds and SeaWorld all hold public meetings at which shareholders with over $2000 or 1% of shares are allowed to speak, so PETA uses this loophole to get right into the heart of companies and make proposals to change policies which promote animal cruelty. In this way they have been remarkably successful and have made themselves more than a little unpopular in the corridors of power. The US Government in its role as the high priest of commercialism points theanti-terrorismfingeratPETAwhentheyfinanceandofferlegalsupporttoanimalactivist groups even more radical than themselves.

intensive and lower yield techniques. Even in the developed countries the cheapest cuts of factory farmed meat and eggs from the most intensive and unkind battery farms willfindamarketwiththosewhocannotafford more, but for those of us who can pay 15c instead of 5c for an egg or $8 a pound for hand reared ethically farmed lamb rather than $6, the choice seems clear. I know a few small scale farmers who are VERY good at what they do and who could be persuaded (if they were assured the market) to produce beef, pork, lamb and poultry in a way that minimises suffering and which would in the real world make it almost unaffordable to all but the celebrity sponsors of PETA! We are well poised in Zambia to leapfrog much of the bad practice that comes with intensive meat production and cut straight to better and more humane methods, thereby making a real difference in our small corner of the planet.

I probably don’t know you well enough to ask you this favour, but I am pretty sure you are a good person, that you love your family and abhor cruelty. Here’s the big ask ... if you’ve never done it will you go onto the PETA website and make yourself sick to the bottom of your soul by watching three or four videos, and then while your eyes smart and your blood is still boiling with outrage, will you pledge to yourself and to the kid you once were who unconditionally loved animals before he learned he had to spend the rest of his life in denial of their grisly fate, to make a few changes in the way you feed yourself and your family? If we are all a little more mindful, the momentum will make a huge difference and quite quickly. Many of the acts of cruelty you will witness take place in China and in developing countries, where no laws exist to protect animals and prevent suffering, because this is where all the cheap goods are manufactured to feed the needs and wants of the developed countries. Out of sight concealed in the graceful distance of miles. Don’t let them remain out of mind. Think on them and be part of making them cease.

perhaps try to ensure I pay more for both products from artisanal sources where practices are ethical. I can rationalise living off the blood money from handbags knowing leather is a by-product of this semi-ethical industry which at least allows cattle a natural life without unnecessary suffering until they are loaded in a truck for the trip to Lusaka. I am lucky enough to have the space to raise my own chickens for meat and eggs and will endeavour to becomeselfsufficientinthisandmorecompassionate in their care. I will get myself a pig or two and a couple of sheep and let them roam around and live their lives fully; and occasionally and when they least expect it I will remove one to a quiet place and gently kill it myself and process the meat at home.

Not everyone has the space to do this or the will to be as close to the cutting edge, but we are blessed in Zambia with enough land and labour to be able to follow ethical and kind practices of commercial animal husbandry and still afford the produce derived from these slower, more labour

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It’s in the Mail

one under 8 years of age as they are really up to speed withal, who sorts it all out with an air of weary condescension that is quite infuriating.

So the even tenor of life continues until two things happen. First, you happen to look at the back of an envelope from overseas and note the date stamp put on when received by Zampost. Great Scott! It takes 2 to 3 months to move from Lusaka Main Post Office to the Post Net box in Kabulonga. Snail Mail indeed. Now, there have been numerous complaints raised over the matter, Zampost and Post Net blame each other and nothing gets done to sort it out.

The other thing was that my credit card was due to expire at the end of June. As we were about to buy airline tickets and go globetrotting on the annual grandchild head count the need for a valid credit card was essential. Something must be done.

Now, I know that credit card companies will only send renewed cards by ordinary mail to your registered address. They will not use courier services. I decide that the best thing to do is to send them an E mail to their “secure” message service, asking them to send the replacement cards in good time, explaining the problem.

Back comes a fantastic reply in that they do not trust the postal services in Zambia, cards have been misappropriated resulting in huge amounts of fraud, so, “sorry meninge”, you can no longer have a credit card! WHAT!!!? A stern reply was sent, asking them if this was the way that they dismiss loyal customers of over 50 years standing. Back comes a reply saying that they have dispatched a replacement card forthwith

Communications are so much easier these days, what with E mail etc, that when you have to use the good old fashioned snail mail it is hardly surprising you discover that there are problems! You do not really care that your overseas bank statement comes in a trifle tardily as you have online access to your statement anyway. In similar fashion your credit card statement comes in but you do not really bother as you are on line with that as well. Christmas cards always arrive in March but you do not bother sending them out as you do that on line too. Those odd one or two people who do not have E Mail or, more likely, refuse to have any truck at all with computer devices, you organize a card and send it out with the usual Christmas letter enclosed, assuring people that you are still alive and recounting all the boring detail of your activities over the past year. This you send out via courier companies on their snail mail system where all goes out in batches to the UK and is then put into the Royal Mail for onward delivery.

In like fashion, the odd book or DVD that you order from Amazon can come in the same way so that use of Zampost is avoided. Of course, if you are lucky and have a Kindle, your reading matter can be transmitted via the Internet and downloaded into your device. I know that people under the age of 50 take all of this for granted but I still feel that there is definitely magic working about the place. Of course, what is really galling is when something does not work and you have to call upon the services of a grandchild, best to employ

So the vendor was contacted and asked to chase up the USPS (United States Postal Service). After a week or so he received a reply from the USPS that queries of this nature with regard to mail to Africa would take 22 working days to sort out. Sure enough, after 22 working days a reply came. There had been no response from Zampost to the query so that, dear customer, is that!

Armed with this latest information I went steaming into the post office, climbed the two flights of stairs to the Reclamations office, the lair of Mrs. Mbewe. She must have thought about it all, decided that she could not face the music and shuffled off this mortal coil. I was much saddened as she was a nice lady and had tried to sort things out for me in the past.

Her affable replacement took me to where the tracking system could be checked and, sure enough, the letter had not arrived in Zambia.

Now, incredibly, comes the information that the tracking document, issued by the USPS, was often a figment of optimistic imagination. It described, in detail, the movement of the letter on the mainland of the USA but, after that, it was based on what should have happened, not reality.

The matter has now been submitted to the Regional Manager so that she may get in touch with the USPS to try and find out where the stamps are. Being an eternal optimist I remain hopeful, but I get the feeling that the answer is in the mail. The thing that does upset me though is that there are so many instances where people blame Zambia for everything that goes wrong whereas, for much of the time, it’s not Zambia’s fault.

Well, of course, you will say, it is your own fault. You should have used a courier company!

The trouble is that I thought that would indeed be a good idea so one lot of stamps were entrusted to a courier company to get them from the United States to here.

What a disaster. Nothing arrived. Repeated queries and checks were made but all I could get were evasive answers from the

but with the same expiry date and crediting my account with 15 pounds sterling to compensate for my trouble.

It is obvious that the call centre, in India, is staffed by lovely, well meaning people who have come from another planet. Write a letter to the head office in the UK, explaining the problem but this too seems to have been redirected to the call centre, but at a higher level. The level of English is much better, the apologies profound but we are no closer to solving the problem. A flash of inspiration comes to me. I go to the web site and change my address to that of a daughter in the UK and everything just slots into place and replacement cards are sent to her and then they come out by hand with someone else. All is well but when the credit card company asked me to fill in a questionnaire regarding their services it was a major temptation to enquire why they had to employ Martians in their call centre facility!

Zampost still has to be used at times. For my sins I have renewed my hobby of philately (Stamp collecting) to while away the autumn of my life. An album, given to me at the age of 15 contains a space for all the Commonwealth stamps issued during the reign of King George VI. These are becoming scarce and more difficult to find and I have had to resort to using a number of dealers from all over the world who dispatch the stamps to me via registered mail. Alas, there are the usual delays and some have taken time to discover their whereabouts. One lot got sent to the wrong Post Net office and it took nearly six months to locate but the tracking system tells you more or less where they are. The latest one, 4 North Borneo stamps coming from the USA, has decided to make an effort and go missing with a vengeance. An enquiry to the vendor as to whether there was any news resulted in a tracking document which revealed that the letter had arrived at Lusaka airport at the beginning of January. A quick phone call to Mrs. Mbewe at the main post office to complain got a short answer; it was not on the tracking system and any query must originate from the sender!

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them that the cheque was in the post, buttee that was a little porkee”. The sub contractors quickly discovered the little lie and downed tools. No more government forms until they were paid.

You then discover that whole swathes of government machinery have been brought to a halt because there are no forms! I expect that all came to a head when there were no pay slips to give the civil servants their salaries at month end!

It was some 6 months before I eventually got my letter.

If at first you do not succeed, try, try, you gullible clot, again.

More stamps from the United States, consign them to an address in Brooklyn, have grave doubts about it when Google, unasked, showed me a picture of the address but, wonder of wonders, all arrived, safe and sound within 2 weeks. Not bad, but where, Oh where are my wandering stamps from North Borneo. If they ever get here they are going to be well travelled.

courier company; something was definitely up. Information started to leak out in little installments, like any good radio serial.

Apparently my letter had been put together with several other consignments to travel out to Zambia as a single bulk delivery. Now, all had arrived but several parts of the consignment had to pay customs duty before all could be released, and the consignees could not be found.

This excuse started to wear thin after some weeks but then the awful truth came out. Part of the consignment contained a whole load of vibrators!

These were most probably an innocent medical import but the look of the things gave the customs the idea that they were pornographic and had to be destroyed. Now a destruction order had to be raised. This is an official piece of paper but, unlucky, they had run out of them. Well get some more! Now you find that the Government printing works had gone belly up some time ago and all was being handled by sub contractors. So, what is the problem? “Well, we told

I also recommend switching to Himalayan Crystal Salt (available in all Umoyo Health Shops) as it contains over 80 different minerals rather than just Sodium Chloride. It is also a natural, non-refined salt.

3. Frequent ly Delaying The Call Of Nature

Many of us ignore the urge to go because they are too busy or want to avoid public bathrooms. Retaining urine on a regular basis increases urine pressure and can lead to kidney failure, kidney stones, and incontinence. So listen to your body when nature calls.

4. Kick The Sugar Habit

Scientific studies show that people who consume 2 or more sugary drinks a day are more likely to have protein in their urine. Having protein in your urine is an early sign your kidneys are not doing their job as they should.

5. Vitamin And Mineral Deficiencies

Eating a clean, whole food diet full of fresh vegetables and fruits is important for your overall health and good kidney function. Many deficiencies can increase the risk of kidney stones or kidney failure. Vitamin B6 and magnesium, for instance, are super important to reduce the risk of kidney stones. Magnesium deficiency is very

common these days. Studies done in the US estimate that 70-80% of people are

not getting enough magnesium!

Our kidneys are of course extremely important for our

health. They filter our blood, produce hormones, absorb minerals, produce urine, eliminate toxins, and neutralize acids. So as one of the

most important organs in your body, your kidneys deserve some

attention and love.

Damage or steady decline of your kidneys can often go unnoticed for years as your kidneys can still do

their job with as little as 20% of their capacity. Therefore kidney

diseases are often referred to as “The Silent Diseases”. That’s why it is so important to take care of them before it is too late.

Here is a list of 10 common habits that put a lot of pressure on your

kidneys and can cause serious damage over time.

1. Not Drinking Enough Water

Your kidney’s most important function is to filter blood and

eliminate toxins and waste materials. When you don’t drink enough plain

water during the day toxins and waste material start to accumulate and can cause severe damage to your body. It’s especially important that we drink plenty of water living in a hot climate, as a lot of fluids are lost through sweating.

2. Too Much Salt In Your Diet

Your body needs sodium or salt to work properly. Most people however consume too much salt, which may raise blood pressure and put a lot of stress on the kidneys. As a good rule of thumb, no more than 5 grams of salt should be eaten on a daily basis.

Caring For Your Kidneys

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6. Too Much Animal Protein

Over consumption of protein, especially red meat, increases the metabolic load on your kidneys. So more protein in your diet means your kidneys have to work harder and this can lead to kidney damage or dysfunction over time.

7. Sleep Deprivation

We have all heard how important it is to get a good night’s rest. Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to many diseases and kidney diseases are also on the list. During the night your body repairs damaged kidney tissue, so give your body the time to heal and repair itself.

8. Coffee Habit

Just as salt, caffeine can raise blood pressure and put extra stress on your kidneys. Over time excessive consumption of coffee can cause damage to your kidneys.

9. Painkiller Abuse

Way too many people take painkillers for their small aches and pains, while there are many all-natural, safe remedies available. Excessive use or painkiller abuse can lead to severe damage of liver and kidneys.

10. Alcohol Consumption

Although there is nothing wrong with enjoying a glass of wine or having a beer once in a while, most of us don’t stop after just

one drink. Alcohol is actually a legal toxin that puts a lot of stress on

our kidneys and liver.

To stay healthy and avoid kidney issues it is important to keep the

above information in mind and try to avoid some of these common habits as much as possible. This will reduce the stress on your kidneys and your body will be forever grateful!

by Kim Otteby - Umoyo Natural Health

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Heart To HeartKCG was founded by Esther Banda, a 24 year old woman who is herself an orphan, having lost her parents at the age of 3. After she completed Grade 12, her wanted was to become a teacher but she did not have anyone to sponsor her further education. In order to raise funds for the education that she desired, she decided to get a job as a maid. Whilst working as a maid her employer taught her to crochet accessories such as hand bags, bracelets etc using plastic grocery bags. After two years as a maid, Esther met her husband and decided to quit her job.

But when Esther got married and moved in with her husband, they decided to adopt three HIV orphans. Because of her passion for teaching, she started recruiting the neighbours children, teaching them for free. Quickly, the number of children she was teaching grew to ten. That’s when she decided to find a place which could accommodate more children.

The number of children has now grown to 56 and this means more needs for the school. Esther is now renting an unfinished building with many needs such as roofing sheets, plastering and windows. Despite the lack of necessities, Esther is determined to give free education to vulnerable children and street kids, orphans and HIV positive children so that they can get ahead in life.

Esther also runs a women’s group where she teaches them how to make crocheted accessories from used grocery plastic bags.

Heart to Heart Foundation began as a small idea conceived in the mind of Edna Ngoma several years ago. After the death of her husband in 2011, she felt compelled to start a charitable organisation in his memory. As her husband had been passionate about assisting the vulnerable in society, she decided that she should set up a foundation to help widows and orphans.

Heart To Heart’s first major event took place in 2011 when they hosted a luncheon for widows from different parts of Lusaka. At this event, three well deserving widows from Kalingalinga were identified and given start-up capital to set up small businesses. At this function, one of the recipients of the cash gifts caught the attention of the audience when she said that she had been married for 20 years and that her husband never took her out for lunch; something we take for granted.

At the beginning of this year, Heart To Heart adopted a group project called Kazipalile Community Group (KCG) – Women and Children of Kabanana Site and Service. Kazipalile means “Do-It-Yourself”. In other words, if you want to see change, it has to start with you. You are the change you want to see, therefore, do it yourself and don’t wait for someone to start.

Kazipalile provides free schooling and food for children, as well as adult training and capacity building, income generating activities and community building programs.

by these vulnerable people to overcome their difficulties and improve their lives. But when one does hear stories of those who are trying to help themselves, one feels a lot happier about reaching into their pocket to supplement those efforts. Kazipalile seems to us to be such a group.

If you would like to improve the learning environment for these orphans in Kabanana, donations of building materials, windows or cash would be gratefully received. This can be done through Heart To Heart Foundation, Plot No. 22722 Kambuzi Complex, Alick Nhata Road, Long Acres. Email: hearttoheartfoundationzm@gmail.com, Tel: 0977 636-329.

Or if you would like to support the ladies by buying the bags they are making, KCG will be opening their own retail outlet in the first week of July. This will be located at Cheshire Homes, 10a Twin Palms Road, Kabulonga.

Once sold, the women get a share and the rest goes to the school. There are currently ten members.

But despite some of the women now having a small income and the children now being educated, there are still many heart-wrenching stories - Grandmothers who have numerous children to feed and clothe; disabled orphans needing medication.

Fourteen year old Sarah is such a child. She is looked after by her Grandmother who crochets bags for an income. She also has a wheelchair donated to her by Cheshire Homes. But she needs daily medication as she fidgets a lot rather than her attention being on the lessons she is being taught. The cost of these drugs is beyond their reach.

Stories about the hard lives that Zambia’s widows and orphans live are without end. But there are few stories about the efforts being made and the initiatives being taken

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The Perfect Tonicproperties for aloe vera polysaccharides. That means Aloe helps boosts immune system function while destroying cancer tumours. One study published in International Immunopharmacology (1995) showed that aloe polysaccharides exhibited potent macrophage-activating activities including producing increased volumes of nitric oxide (which has antitumor potential).

Aloe halts inflammationUsing aloe topically is well known to ease inflammation of joints, reducing arthritic pain. But aloe can also be used internally, reducing inflammation throughout the body from the inside out. People who drink aloe for two weeks typically begin to experience a significant reduction of inflammation symptoms.

Aloe vera enhances skin healthAloe is one of the most widely-used ingredients in high-grade skin-care products. There’s a reason for that: It’s great medicine for the skin! Aloe soothes the skin, hydrates it, nourishes it and accelerates the regeneration of new skin tissue. (In fact, simply removing the gel from a living aloe vera leaf and placing the raw gel on your face is far superior to even the most expensive eye cream or skin care product on the market.) And while most people are only familiar with using aloe vera externally, aloe also enhances skin health when used internally. Drink more aloe and your skin glows!

Aloe stabilizes blood sugar in diabeticsDiabetic patients who take aloe vera for 3 months experience a significant drop in fasting blood sugar levels. They also exhibit lower cholesterol levels. Numerous clinical studies have been published that demonstrate aloe vera’s anti-diabetic properties.

Diabetics are also likely to benefit strongly from aloe vera’s blood enhancements. When used internally, aloe improves the quality of the blood and helps rebalance the blood chemistry in a way that lowers cholesterol and total triglycerides (in people

What if there was some kind of miracle tonic that you could take daily, that would protect your body from disease, halt the growth of cancer, lower cholesterol, stabilise blood sugar, sooth arthritic pain, reduce BP, speed recovery from injury and physical assertion, while at the same time alkalise your body and provide it with vital minerals and vitamins. Sound too good to be true?

There is such a tonic, and you have probably already heard about it. It is called Aloe Vera. What’s more, it grows naturally here in Zambia – this is truly a blessed country!

More and more recognition is being given to this amazing plant, and indeed we see it being added to ever more beverages and food products. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that this will automatically give you the amazing healing properties listed above. For instance, most of the commercial beverages that we see in the supermarkets or petrol stations, that boast added Aloe Vera, usually only have a minute quantity added, certainly not enough to validate any significant health response. Further more, these beverages tend to be packed with sugar as well as chemical flavourings and colorants. These are not health drinks.

If you really want to unlock the potential of Aloe, you need to consume 100% pure, unadulterated Aloe. Umoyo sources the best wild harvested Aloe that has undergone minimum processing and hence still contains all the health promoting elements intact. This can be found in all our shops. With pure Aloe, you only need to take 4-6 tablespoons per day. This can be taken strait or indeed diluted with water or fresh fruit juice, providing you with the Perfect Tonic.

Let’s take a closer look at what Aloe can do for you:

Aloe boosts immune function and destroys cancer tumours Scientific research shows strong immunomodulatory and antitumour

of information and testimonials about aloe vera curing constipation, IBS, ulcers, Crohn’s disease and other disorders of the digestive tract. This is one of the best-known applications of aloe.

Taking aloe certainly isn’t a magic bullet cure, of course. It won’t reverse your disease after drinking one glass of aloe. It needs to be used regularly. Most people report positive results in 3 - 30 days, depending on the condition. In addition, diet and lifestyle must of course also be addressed.

Aloe heals burns, cuts and scrapesWhen used externally, aloe is the best wound dressing ever discovered, far exceeding the capability of even the most advanced emergency room wound dressings. It works by simultaneously sealing the wound while attracting an increased flow of blood to the wound, accelerating wound healing. Aloe has been known to heal third-degree burn victims with no scarring and to restore burned skin that would have normally died.

with elevated levels). Since aloe reverses “sludge blood” and boosts circulation to extremities, diabetics suffering from peripheral neuropathy (hands and feet going numb) are likely to benefit strongly from aloe vera supplements.

Aloe vera relieves joint and muscle painThis effect is directly related to the inflammation factor mentioned above. It works when used both internally and externally. Essentially, aloe reduces overall inflammation. Of course, is you continue eating a pro-inflammatory diet (red meat, milk, sugar, white flour, fried foods etc.) then you’ll never get rid of all your inflammation with aloe alone, but aloe can help ease your pain while you transition to a healthier lifestyle that eliminates the inflammation for good!

Aloe cures Ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and Celiac diseasePolysaccharides in the aloe vera plant have curative effects on numerous digestive disorders. The Internet is a storehouse

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The fact that aloe vera can reverse “sludge blood” while allowing the blood to carry more oxygen means that it will quite obviously reduce heart attacks and strokes. In fact, it will also reduce high blood pressure because part of the reason blood pressure is so high in some people is because their blood has turned into a thick, viscous liquid that flows like molasses. Basic physics tells you that a thicker liquid will take more pressure to pump through any system. By reducing the viscosity and making the blood flow in a more frictionless manner, blood pressure is automatically lowered.

My advice - Start growing Aloe in your garden. Fresh is always best. Just cut off the green skin and eat the gel inside. You can also blend it to make a smoothie. If this seems like too much of a mission, you can always come by one of the Umoyo Health Shops and get our Pure Aloe Drink – super pure & potent.

Reducing stroke and heart attacks Now, if you know anything about the cause of strokes and heart attacks, you realize that enhancing the quality of the blood will have a significant impact on reducing heart attacks and strokes. Eating aloe vera is like adding an all-natural non-stick additive to your blood flow. It stops blood cells from clumping together, which is part of what causes a stroke.

Most people’s blood cells clump together because they live on a disease-inducing diet of fried foods, animal fats and hydrogenated oils. These massive clumps of blood cells slow bloodflow and can ultimately get lodged in the capillaries of the circulatory system, blocking off nutrients and oxygen to tissues and brain cells. Aloe vera, on the other hand, causes sticky blood to become “unsticky blood,” making it flow like it should -- one blood cell at a time -- so that oxygen and nutrients can reach every last organ and cell in your body.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Umoyo Natural Health | 0966 800-600. Free talk every Thursday at Umoyo Great East 10:00.

Conditions - The articles and information contained in this newsletter are copyrighted to The Lowdown. They may be used in other publications or reproduced on condition that credit is given to the source. Photographs may not be used without written permission of the photographer. While reasonable precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of advice and information given to readers, The Lowdown, its advertisers and printers cannot accept responsibility for any damages or inconvenience that may arise therefrom. Any material sent to us will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and will be subject to The Lowdown’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. The views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily those of The

Lowdown. All advertising sales are subject to space availability and the discretion of The Lowdown.

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of music and environmental engagement and activation. Food and Earth Stalls, Beer Garden, Eco Workshops, Fun Activities, Local Produce, World Music by Jeremy Loops (SA), Mokoomba (Zim), ChikenBus Band (Zim), Yes Rasta (Zam), DJ’s and more. Come dig and dance with impact at this flagship event and have the time of your life while still ensuring the sustainability of our people, ourselves, and our planet. Various workshops and activities available. Tickets: K60 Shoprite or www.earthfestafrica.org. INFO: zambia@greenpop.org or www.greenpop.org

Saturday 11 July: Mazabuka Clinic Livestock Auction. Venue: Sikalozia Farm, Mazabuka. An amazing variety of Livestock for sale; cattle, sheep and pigs. Game for sale with hunt included. Cowboy style bar and delicious food. Farm Fresh homemade goods, books, gifts, tombola and more. In support of Mazabuka Clinic. INFO: 0977 313-534, bignell.ranching@gmail.com

Wednesday 15 July: World Youth Skills Day

Wednesday 15 July: The Lowdown August Edition Deadline.

Saturday 18 July: Nelson Mandela International Day

Saturday 18 July: Mary’s Bookshop Winter Book Sale. Venue: Mary’s Bookshop, Leopard Hill Road. Time: 9.30am to 4.30pm. Bumper Winter book sale! Lots of new arrivals. David Shepherd prints

2015 - 2024: International Decade for People of African Descent

2015: International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies

2015: International Year of Soils

Thursday 2 July: The Bloody Miracle Screening. Buildup to Lusaka International Film Festival. Time 8pm. Venue: Levy Junction Mall’s Fresh View Cinema. Ticket K30. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957

Saturday 4 July: International Day of Cooperatives

Monday 6 July: Public Holiday. Heroes’ Day

Tuesday 7 July: Public Holiday. Unity Day

Saturday 11 July: World Population Day

Saturday 11 July: Orchestral Concert. Venue: Alliance Française. Time: 6pm. A programme of classical, modern classical and popular music. Tickets K60. Euphoria orchestra, string quartet, solo piano, soprano and piano, brass quintet, and Pink Blues Band. Showcasing the talent and skills of Zambia’s finest young classical musicians. INFO: 0969 495-810, stewart.crehan@gmail.com

Saturday 11 July: Greenpop Earth Fest. Venue: Maramba Cultural Village, Livingstone. Time: 1pm till late. An African music festival that is a collaboration of artists and active citizens coming together to create an epic cross-cultural experience

Sunday 2 August: Mulungushi Mountain Bike Challenge. Venue: Mulungushi Boat Club, Kabwe. Race Entry: 80km; K300 | 40km; K300 | 20km; K250 | kids race; K150. Entries close 20/07/15. INFO: 0977 415-214, lesleyann@iconnect.zm

Sunday 2 August: All Breeds Championship Dog Show (During the Lusaka Agricultural and Commercial Show). Venue: Lusaka & District Kennel Club, Showgrounds. Although there are 461 recognised breeds of dogs regrettably you won’t see them all at the show - but you will see ‘The Poor Man’s Racehorse’, the ‘Epagneul Nain’! You may not own one of these breed of dogs but if you own a Registered Pedigree dog, why not enter. Why not just come and watch! INFO: lusakakennelclub@gmail.com

Monday 3 August: Public Holiday. Farmers’ Day

Monday 3 August - Friday 7 August: Nyimbo Music Fest (AISL Music Camp). Venue: American International School of Lusaka, Leopards Hill Road. A varied program of musical activities. Instrumental ensembles, individual music tuition (strings, wind, percussion, orff) choir, song writing, African drumming, dance (Salsa, hip-hop and African) and drama. Our beginner musicians, or children who like music but do not play an instrument, spend the day in groups, learning marimba pieces, songs, dance, drumming. They also have the option of joining the more advanced instrumental ensembles if they have the interest and ability. Culminating in our music in the park concert, where our international and local instructors will perform alongside the participants. Lined up are an amazing team of international and local instructors Namvula Rennie (UK/Zambia), Chel Illingworth (US/Zambia), Jason Winikoff (US), Aaron Dunn (UK), Matt Giles (UK), Simon Kalomo (Botswana), Adnan Mufaya (Zambia), Nomakanjani Arts (Zambia). INFO: nyimbomusicfest@aislusaka.org

Thursday 6 August: My Land, My Life Screening. Buildup to Lusaka International Film Festival. Time 8pm. Venue: Levy

available. Come and join us for a cup of tea, coffee and cake. Hot soup available from noon. INFO: 0966 767-704, 0966 860-594

Saturday 18 July: The Lusaka Book Club is reading ‘Get a Life’ by Nadine Gordimer. Next month is ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt. INFO: 0979 454-765.

Saturday 18 July: Stanbic Bank Classic. Venue: Leopards Hill Polocrosse Club. Dust off your mountain bikes and join us for a 55km and a 20 km mountain bike race. INFO: Facebook Page - Stanbic MTB Classic or email ballettoanita@gmail.com

Saturday 25 July: Sugarbush Café Picnic 2.0. Time: 1.30pm. Picnic Basket food by The Deli. Entertainment by Local and International acoustic, blues, funk artists. Cocktail bar, drinks by the jug. Tickets available at The Deli.

Monday 27 July - Tuesday 28 July: Zambian Sport Development Conference. INFO: 0974 779-541, inquiries@oydc.org.zm

Tuesday 28 July: World Hepatitis Day [WHO]

Thursday 30 July: International Day of Friendship

Thursday 30 July: World Day against Trafficking in Persons

Thursday 30 July: Waterberg to Waterberg Screening. Buildup to Lusaka International Film Festival. Time 8pm. Venue: Levy Junction Mall’s Fresh View Cinema. Ticket K30. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957

Saturday 1 August - Friday 7 August: World Breastfeeding Week [WHO]

Saturday 1 August: All Breeds Championship Dog Show (During the Lusaka Agricultural and Commercial Show). Venue: Lusaka & District Kennel Club, Showgrounds. Although there are 461 recognised breeds of dogs regrettably you won’t see them all at the show - but you will see ‘The Poor Man’s Racehorse’, the ‘Epagneul Nain’! You may not own one of these breed of dogs but if you own a Registered Pedigree dog, why not enter. Why not just come and watch! INFO: lusakakennelclub@gmail.com

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Film Festival. Time 8pm. Venue: Levy Junction Mall’s Fresh View Cinema. Ticket K30. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957

Thursday 24 September: Give Us The Money Screening. Buildup to Lusaka International Film Festival. Time 8pm. Venue: Levy Junction Mall’s Fresh View Cinema. Ticket K30. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957

Sunday 27 September: The Crazy Dog Show & the launch of ‘Kapenta & Lerish & Other Fishy Tales’ Book. Venue: The Lusaka & District Kennel Club -Show Grounds. INFO: 0977 773-854, prittysunilm@gmail.com

Friday 30 October - Friday 6 November: Lusaka International Film and Music Festival. Theme: Inclusive Communities. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957

‘Craft Markets & Markets’Dutch Reformed Craft Market. Venue: Dutch Reformed Church, Kabulonga. Time: Last Saturday of the month.

Foxdale Court Farmer’s Market: Venue: Foxdale Court, 609 Zambezi Rd, Roma. Time: Sundays; 7am - 5pm. Locally grown fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, plants, fresh and dried vegetables. Support your small scale farmers. INFO: 0973 315-185, 0211 295-793, info@foxdalecourt.com, www.foxdalecourt.com

St Columba’s Craft Market. Venue: St Columba’s Presbyterian Church, Nangwenya Rd. Time: First Saturday of the month. Come buy and sell, all welcome. Proceeds to church projects and community.

Konzani Gardens Market Day. Venue: Plot 7053/M Lusaka West. Buy and Sell

Junction Mall’s Fresh View Cinema. Ticket K30. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957

Sunday 9 August: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Wednesday 12 August: International Youth Day

Friday 14 August: The Lowdown September Edition Deadline.

Saturday 15 August: The Lusaka Book Club is reading ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt. Next month is ‘The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared’ by Jonas Jonasson. INFO: 0979 454-765.

Saturday 15 August: 11th Alexswill Bonsmara Stud Production Sale. Venue: Alexswill Farm, Kalomo. Time: Viewing; 8.30am. Auction; 11.30am. On offer will be approximately 32 Bulls and 50 females. INFO: 0977 796-722, 0977 796-744, alexswillfarm@gmail.com

Saturday 15 August: Elephant Epic. Mountain Bike Challenge From Lusaka to Lower Zambezi. In support of Game Rangers International. INFO: www.elephantepic.org

Thursday 27 August: Mama Africa Screening. Buildup to Lusaka International Film Festival. Time 8pm. Venue: Levy Junction Mall’s Fresh View Cinema. Ticket K30. INFO: 0211 285-394, 0968 033-957

Sunday 30 August: 7th Laws Crazy Golf Day and Potjie Competition. Venue: The Lusaka Golf Club. INFO: Golf - 0977 773-854, prittysunilm@gmail.com | Potjie - 0979 510-219, juries84@gmail.com

Thursday 3 September: Education, Education Screening. Buildup to Lusaka International

International Women’s Club. Meetings: First Wednesday of the month. Venue: Poolside, Southern Sun Ridgeway. New members welcome.

Lusaka District Business Association. Meetings: Last Wednesday of the month. Venue: ZCSMBA offices, Showgrounds. Time: 2pm. A member of the Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Associations (ZCWMBA). Come and enhance your business integrity. An ideal forum for sharing business knowledge, ideas, skills etc.

Rotary Club Meetings. Mondays: RC of Nkwazi; Barclays Bank Sports Club; 6pm. Tuesdays: RC of Lusaka; Holiday Inn; 12.30pm. Wednesdays: RC of Maluba; Radisson Blu; 12.30pm. Thursdays: RC of Lusaka Central; Taj Pamodzi Hotel; 12.30pm. Fridays: RC of Pamodzi; Taj Pamodzi Hotel; 12.30pm. Saturdays: RC of Kusinta; The Courtyard Hotel; 9am.

Stuttering Association of Zambia. Meetings: Monthly, Second Saturday. Time: 2.30pm. Persons who stutter or stammer, spouses of people who stutter, parents of children who stutter, speech therapists and anyone with an interest are welcome to join. INFO: 0977 863-363, 0977 841-576, stutteringz@gmail.com

Zambezi Toastmasters. Would you like to improve your public speaking? Venue: Lusaka Hotel. Time: Twice Monthly (Second and fourth Thursdays, 6.15pm - 8pm). Toastmasters in an international organisation that builds communication and leadership skills. INFO: 0978 390-464, 0979 454-765, or like ‘Zambezi Toastmasters’ on Facebook.

Zambian Women’s Institute: Meetings: Every Wednesday morning. Venue: Longacres (next to the Red Cross Building). INFO: 0977 419-005, 0977 760-375, reginafinni@gmail.com

‘Faith-Based’American Orthodox Catholic Church: Desire to celebrate the old Catholic Divine Liturgy (not Vatican). INFO: 0977 707-367.

Bahá’í Devotional Gathering: Venue: Bahá’í Centre, Alick Nkhata Rd, beside Mass Media Complex. Time: Sunday 10.30am - 12pm.

vegetables, chickens, eggs, clothes, toys, books, paintings. Time: Monthly, Last Saturday, 9am on. Stands: K20. INFO: 0976 549-777, konzanigardens@gmail.com

Waterfalls Precinct Gourmet Market. Venue: Portico Restaurant, Lusaka Showgrounds. Time: Monthly, Second Friday, 7pm. A community event where you can buy and sell authentic food. A platform for local farmers, organic merchants, bakers, butchers, artisan producers and more. INFO: 0969 442-753 oscar@waterfallsprecinct.com

‘Business Associations & Community’

The Association of 41 Clubs of Zambia. Meetings: First Wednesday of the month, (except Chingola - first Friday). Lusaka: No 1 Kunzubo Guest Lodge, Zambezi Rd, Roma, 6pm; Kitwe: No 2, The Ravens Country Club, 6pm; Ndola: No 3, Table Hall, Ndola, 7pm; Chingola: No 4, Golf Club, 6.30pm. All ex-tablers welcome INFO: 0955 791-414.

Chishawasha Children’s Home has a regular stall at the Dutch Reform Church Craft Market. Available are hand-made crafts and quality second-hand books. Don’t miss this opportunity to support Zambian orphans. INFO: 0211 214557, philplusm@gmail.com

Diplomatic Spouses Association (DSA). Meetings: Last Tuesday of the month. Members and spouses from diplomatic / international missions, honorary consulates & expatriate community accredited to Zambia are all welcome. INFO: soraya.king@hotmail.com

HI Alumni. Lusaka Chapter. Time: Monthly third Saturday, 8am - 9am. Venue: Ndeke Hotel, Longacres. INFO: 0977 774-168, 0977 792-424

InterNations: Expatriates, expand your social and business network, join the largest fastest growing online community, mingle with other expats at our monthly events. Activities include lunch groups, dinner groups, Sunday afternoon coffee groups, photo walk groups etc. INFO: ireen.shalom@gmail.com or emmswood@gmail.com or sarahe@tinytimandfriends.org

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Nangwenya Rd. Time: Wednesday 10am. INFO: 0977 799-623.

Lusaka Family Church: Venue: Mulungushi Conference Hall, Mulungushi Village. Time: Sunday 9am - 11am. Children’s Church: 6 -12 yrs, Toddlers Zone: up to 5 yrs. Youth Life: Sunday 11am - 1pm, Life Groups: Thursday 7pm. INFO: Arnold 0211 293-367, 0978 090-982, Gisela 0976 722-892, www.lusakafamilychurch.org

Miracle Life Family Church: Venue: Miracle Life Family Church, Zambezi Rd, Roma. Time: Sunday 8am or 10.30am. Dynamic children’s program for ages 3 - 12. INFO: 0211 292-286, www.mlfc.org

Ngombe Family Church: Venue: Flying Angels Academy, Zambezi Rd. Sunday 5.30pm - 7pm. Wednesday evening Pastors Bible Study 6pm - 7pm. INFO: 0978 090-982, 0977 607-087, 0978 959-571

Quakers who would like to contact other Quakers in Lusaka call 0966 761-754.

Redeemed Christian Church of God: Sunday Service: Venue: Chrismar Hotel -

All are welcome. Children’s classes and Junior Youth Groups. INFO: 0975 179-967.

Baptist Mission of Zambia: Venue: Baptist Guesthouse, Corner of Nangwena Rd, Margrat Tembo. Bible Study. Time: Sunday 4.30pm. Times are tough, Life doesn’t seem to be getting easier, troubles everywhere you look - But there is hope. Classes for all ages. Come join us as we study God’s Word - the only hope for our daily lives! INFO: 0211 292-143

Eternal Life Fellowship: Venue: Old Black Velvet Building, The Groove. Time: Sunday 9am. INFO: 0211 294-430 or 0977 853-298.

Gospel Outreach Fellowship: Venue: GO Centre, Nangwenya Rd. Time: Sunday 8.30am or 11.30am. INFO: 0211 255-234, 0955 451-271 www.go.org.zm

Greek Orthodox Mass: Venue: Hellenic Association Club, Kafue Rd. Time: Sunday 10am - 12pm.

Ladies Interdenominational Bible Study Group: Venue: St. Columba’s Church,

www.gamerangersinternational.org 0975 615-149, sarah@gamerangersinternational.org

Lusaka Animal Welfare Society (LAWS). Donate K100 to become a member of the only organization in Lusaka that takes care of abandoned or neglected domestic animals. You also get a LAWS key ring and 20% off all LAWS functions. INFO: 0966 005-297 (0966 00LAWS)

Nature Trails for Conservation. Raising funds for Game Rangers International. Time: Monthly, Third Saturday, 8am - 11am. Venue: Lilayi Lodge. Come and enjoy 2.5km, 5.5km or 10km trails. Children and bicycles welcome. Price: Adults K30 | Children K10. INFO: sarah@gamerangersinternational.org

‘Health and Sporting’12 Step: Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA). Time: Saturday, 4pm to 5.30pm - 17:30 - Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Upper Room, East Wing), Ridgeway. A program for men and women, who grew up in alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional homes. We meet to share our experience and recovery in an atmosphere of mutual respect. INFO: 0967 980-229, aca.lusaka@gmail.com (Int website, www.adultchildren.org)

12 Step: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Lusaka. Time: Monday, 5.30pm - SHARPZ, 220C Mutandwa Rd, Roma. | Tuesday, 12:30pm – Kalemba Hall. | Friday, 5.30pm - Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Upper Room, East Wing), Ridgeway. INFO: 0973 154-222, 0954 210-446

12 Step: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Livingstone. INFO: 0962 804-137

12 Step: Al-Anon. Time: Wednesday, 5.30pm to 6.30pm - SHARPZ, 220C, Mutandwa Rd, Roma. A group for relatives and friends of alcoholics where they can come together to share their experiences, strength and hope. INFO: 0977 697-628, 0966 621-806, lusakaafg@gmail.com (Int website, www.alanon.org.za)

12 Step: Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) Women’s Support Group. Time: Thursday 5.45pm to 7pm - SHARPZ, 220c Mutandwa Rd, Roma. A fellowship that helps women learn to look after ourselves,

Sable Conference Room, Longacres. Time: Sunday 8am - 10.30am. Bible Study. Time: Wednesday 5.30pm - 6.45pm. INFO: 0977 866066

Rehoboth Assembly: (Redeemed Christian Church of God). Venue: Plot 7449 Cnr Katopola & Twikatane Rd, Rhodespark. Time: Sundays, 9am - 11.30am, Thursdays, 5.30pm - 7pm. INFO: 0955/ 0966/ 0977 710-440, rehobothassembly@gmail.com

South City Church: Venue: Baobab College Hall, Sunday 9am | Zebra Crossings Cafe, Sunday 10.30am | Chisamba Congregation Martin House School, Sunday 9am. INFO: 0978 289-998, info@southcitychurch.net, www.southcitychurch.net

Zambia Messianic Fellowship: Venue: 34285 Shantubu Rd, Rock-field, Lusaka. Sabbath meeting. Time: Saturday 10.30am - 12.30pm. INFO: 0977 858-061 zmf@microlink.zm | www.zamf.org

‘Four-Footed, Feathered and Environment’

BirdWatch Zambian (formerly Zambia Ornithological Society) meets once a month for a bird walk in the countryside. BWZ members, their families and friends head to the woods and wetlands around Lusaka and beyond. Walks are led by experienced birdwatchers who guide both newcomers and long-term birders through a morning of observation and exploration. INFO: 0977 485-446, www.birdwatchzambia.org

Dog Training. Venue: Showgrounds, Lusaka & District Kennel Club. Sundays. Learn to teach your dog good manners, general obedience and some seriously impressive tricks! Bring along your dog with his lead, collar and valid rabies certificate (and some patience) and join us for some fun dog training! INFO: 0962 001-686 lusakakennelclub@gmail.com

Lilayi Elephant Nursery (Game Rangers International). Elephant viewing times: daily 11.30am - 1.30pm, all year. Venue: Lilayi Elephant Nursery, Lilayi Rd, 6km off Kafue Rd. Watch the elephants feeding and playing from the viewing platform. No fee, donations gratefully accepted. INFO:

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Counsellor / Therapist: For handling Depression, Stress and Anxiety, Drug or Alcohol abuse, quit smoking, etc - using Hypnotherapy and NLP. INFO: 0955 999-727, priyabala@microlink.zm

Cricket. Venue: Lusaka South Country Club, Mukwa Rd, Lilayi. Country & Districts cricket. Home and away matches, Kids coaching, tours and T20 tournaments. Time: Practice Wednesdays, Fridays 5pm. Kids coaching, Saturdays. INFO: 0977 860-797, 0966 437-808, 0966 751-643.

Daily Children’s Playgroup. Venue: Bump Birth & Beyond, 4145 Nkanchibaya Rd, Rhodes Park. Daily Educational activities and children’s playgroups, music classes, arts & crafts, ballet and more! Ages: 0 to 6. INFO: 0974 148-856, bbbzambia@gmail.com, kidsclub.lusaka@gmail.com

Dynamic Diabetes Support Group. Time: 2pm - 4pm, Fourth Saturday Monthly. Venue: Umoyo Centre, Great East Rd. A safe place where those who are Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetic can meet and share their experiences and learn about new medical research, as well as alternative therapies. Different endocrinologists and specialists will be brought in as speakers. Diet, recipes, exercise, stress, symptoms and treatments will be discussed. INFO: 0978 028-146

Inside Story. Ante-Natal Classes, Post-natal care and baby massage classes. INFO: 0977 446-054 / 0211 274-985, margotbham@gmail.com

Karate & Weapons Training. Venue: Lusaka Showgrounds. Luke 5th Dan. 0977 314-511 / 0978 710-102, lukphiri@yahoo.com

Lusaka Dolphins at Lusaka Amateur Swimming Club. Venue: Olympic Pool. Group training for competitive swimmers; ‘learn to swim’ for non swimmers; or ‘swim at my own pace’. INFO: 0966 761-547

Lusaka Hash House Harriers. Time: Saturdays, 3pm. Meet new friends and join us for a run or walk in the bush. INFO: lusakahash@zambia.co.zm, G2S 0971 946-937, CM 0977 159-935, Thickette: 0978 532-744, or visit our facebook page.

share experiences, strength and hope. INFO: 0962 213-708, coda.lusaka@gmail.com (Int website, www.coda.org)

Aerobics by a Personal Trainer: Venue: Kaingo Leisure, Barclays Sports Complex, Club Rd (Showgrounds). Time: Tuesdays, Thursdays 6pm - 7pm. K25 / session. INFO: 0977 174-140.

Aikido Classes: Beginners welcome. Venue: Central Sports Club, Longacres. Time: Monday, Wednesday 5pm – 6.30pm. Price: K20 / month INFO: 0972 260-549, chisangakaluba@yahoo.com (1 Dan ITAF China).

Ashtanga and Pre-Natal Yoga classes. In the comfort of your home. Individual classes: K300 per class. Group sessions: K100 per person, per session. Contact: 0978 507-986, 0966 507-986.

Beginner Belly Dancing. Venue: Shakespeare Court, Leopards Hill Rd. Time: Wednesdays 6.30pm - 7.30pm. Saturdays 10am - 11am. Cost: K50 - Small classes designed to give all women the opportunity to learn. No previous dance experience required. INFO: www.shimmyglisten.com or elisabeth@shimmyglisten.com

Beginners Polocrosse. Venue: Leopards Hill Polocrosse Club. Time: Tuesdays. Introducing riders of any skill level to Polocrosse. Age 12+. The clinic will give you an easy, no pressure, leg up to start you playing. INFO: 0965 801-256

Bump, Birth & Beyond Special Events. Time: Fridays. Venue: 4145 Nkanchibaya Rd, Rhodes Park. INFO: 0974 148-856, bbbzambia@gmail.com

Chilanga Hackers Golf Society welcomes golfers of all abilities to join in the fun of convivial golf and interesting social activities in a pleasant atmosphere with emphasis on friendship and enjoyment. INFO: 0211 290-818 (evenings), 0977 790-900, seawing@coppernet.zm

Children’s Playgroups and educational activities. Baby groups, toddler and pre-school. From 0 - 7 yrs. INFO: kidsclub.lusaka@gmail.com

also offered. The instructor is the All Japan Martial Arts Federation - Zambia President & Chief Representative. INFO: 0977 783-537, shihanray@hotmail.com

Skydive Zambia (ZUSC): Special offer on Tandem dives, no prior training required. INFO: antoinettedurand46@gmail.com, 0966 622-516, rowles.dave3@gmail.com, 0977 790-500, edmund@skytrailszambia.com

Soccer For Kids: Little Eagles Soccer. Time: Saturday / Sunday 9.30am. Ages 3 - 12: Barclays Sports Club. Ages 6 - 12: Bump, Birth and Beyond Zambia. Outdoor soccer-based fun for kids. INFO: littleeagles@zambia.co.zm, 0976 135-788, 0950 265-989.

Social Bowls. Venue: Central Sports Club. Bowling section. Time: Saturdays. 2pm. New bowlers welcome.

Social Cricket and Polocrosse. Time: Thursday. Venue: Leopards Hill Polocrosse Club. New members welcome. All experience levels welcome. Family, friendly environment. INFO: 0963 881-149

Swimming Teacher. All Ages. Venue: Swedish Embassy School. INFO: 0955/0977 328115

Tennis Section, Lusaka Club. Invites players of all ability levels to join in social tennis. Venue: Lusaka Club. Time: Saturdays, 1pm - 6pm. Cost: K20 for court use, balls, coffee and snacks. Last Saturday of the month: Half Price Social Tennis; K10. You can be signed in for up to 3 sessions by members thereafter you have the option of joining the club. INFO: 0977 964-121, lusakatennis@yahoo.com

Touch Rugby. Venue: Gymkhana Club, Showgrounds Time: Monday and Thursday 6pm. All welcome (Male & Female) INFO: 0965 126-200

Ultimate Frisbee. Venue: Lusaka Gymkhana Club; Wednesdays 5.30pm - 7.30pm | American International School; Sundays 9.30am - 11.30am. Everyone welcome. INFO: 0973 370-973.

Martial Arts. Karate Classes. Weapon classes for brown and black belts. Monthly self defence classes. INFO: Raymond (7th Dan) 0977 783-537, shihanray@hotmail.com

Mazabuka Tennis Club. Ladies tennis every Tuesday morning at 07:45. Mixed tennis every Saturday afternoon at 16:00.

Meditation. Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Centre. Opposite Northmead shops. Monday - Saturday 5.30pm and Sundays 2pm. Free introductory courses. INFO: 0211 250-685 / 254-518 bkrymc@zamnet.zm

Motorbike Lessons Best of Bikes Academy. Venue: Central Park, Cairo Rd. Time: Sundays 9am. Learn to ride a motorbike safely in a controlled space, with experienced instructors. INFO: 0211 236-912/3, 0964 584-778, 0973 584-778

Mountain Biking Club Leopards Hill. Open to adults for Saturday morning fun mountain bike in the bush. INFO: mtblusaka@gmail.com

Optimyze Kare Health. Time: Last Thursday of the month; 5pm. Advice on all aspects of health (fitness, diseases, nutrition, mental health, beauty, lifestyle and wellness, and different alternative and complementary therapies) addresses by professional speakers. The purpose is to teach you to be ‘whole’ naturally. INFO: 0955 / 0966 847-777, optimyse@gmail.com

Polo X. Venue: Lusaka South Country club, Mukwa Rd, Lilayi. All skill levels welcome. INFO: 0979 505-152.

Running Group. Time: Sunday 6.30am. Trail & road. Mixed running ability. Options to modify distance (between 10 - 17 km). INFO: 0977 801-463, c_ngoma@yahoo.com

Salsa Dance Classes. Mondays and Fridays 6.30pm Intercontinental Hotel. Thursdays 6.30pm Melsim Lodge, Alick Nkhata Rd Cost: K30. INFO: 0979 400-538

Self-Defence (Short Courses): Practical, easy to learn for youths, women or security personnel. Children & adult Karate Classes

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Yoga with Iyengar slant. Mats available. Contact for location and times. INFO: 0966 728-911, towani@kuthuta.com

Zambian Cancer Society. Venue: Independence Avenue. Time: Last Friday of the month. 6pm - 7pm. Female cancer survivors support group. Support offered via telephone or email. 0955 226-237, info@zambiancancersociety.org /zambiacancersociety@gmail.com

Zambia Taekwon-Do Association. Venue: Municipal Sports Club. Time: Saturday, Sunday: 10am. Tuesday, Thursday: 5.30pm. INFO: 0211 254-090.

ZOCA Dance: Looking for dance classes for yourself or your kids? ZOCA dance fitness is a fantastic and fun way to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. You will groove to popular African and Caribbean beats to get in shape! 3 convenient locations. ZocaMAX classes are great for toning and sculpting. Classes for Kids 3-12 years old too. INFO/Schedule: www.zocadance.com, 0967 795-816, zocadance@gmail.com

Umoyo Natural Health | Great East Rd near Munali Roundabout | Live Blood Analysis Test - daily - K300 | Zumba - Mondays to Fridays, 6pm - 7pm | Baobab Shots - Wednesday Mornings - K15 each | ‘Reclaim Your Health’ Talk - Thursdays, 10am - Free & free samples | Fit Club - Full Body Fitness - Mondays to Thursdays, 5pm to 6pm or 6.30pm to 7.30pm | Therapeutic Yoga - Mondays to Saturdays, 9am. INFO: 0966 800-600

Umoyo Natural Health | Woodlands Shopping Centre | Live Blood Analysis Test - daily - K300. ‘Reclaim Your Health’ Talk - Thursdays, 4pm. INFO: 0967 800-313

Umoyo Natural Health | Weightloss Wednesdays! Visit one of our Shops for 5% off all Herbex Weight Loss Products every Wednesday! Locations: Arcades Shopping Centre, Foxdale Court, Woodlands Shopping Centre and at Umoyo Health Clinic on Great East Rd near Munali Roundabout

AugustYou can now read The

Lowdown online for free at www.lowdownzambia.com. Join our email list and we'll keep you

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Helen O’Grady Drama Classes: Afternoons & Saturdays. Kiddy programmes Tuesday, Thursday & Friday mornings. Public speaking courses, Tuesday & Thursday evenings. INFO: carlyn@dramaafrica.com or janet@dramaafrica.com

International Wine & Food Society. The Lusaka Branch hold regular themed events in both Restaurants and Members’ homes. Interested in hearing more? INFO: Ken 0977 829-467 or 0979 473-555.

Irish Wild Geese Society. We’d like to welcome anyone from Ireland who has arrived in Zambia. Fun monthly events and St Patrick’s ball in March, (proceeds to local charities). INFO: 0979 875-097

Lusaka Bridge Club. Venue: Main Lounge, Lusaka Golf Club. Time: Monday, 6.45pm, Duplicate bridge. Monthly & international tournaments held. INFO: 0211 264-432, money@coppernet.zm

Lusaka Garden Club. Meetings: Second Saturday of the month. Members visit different gardens, Garden information and talks. Flower Shows in February for members only and during the Agricultural Show in August open to all. Subscription K60 per year. INFO: 0977 741-996, 0977 784-448.

Lusaka Road Bikers. Venue: La Mimosa, Arcades. Time: Sundays, 9am. Meet for a chat, coffee/breakfast and a ride to various venues. INFO: 0966 766-896 gintym@seedco.co.zm, 0955 801-954 murryfieldfarm@zamtel.zm, 0966 858-733 mcrop@zamnet.zm

Serbian Buffet Lunch. Venue: Nena’s Restaurant. Time: Monthly First Sunday. INFO: 0211 239-541.

Singing. Lusaka Music Society. Do you like singing, have you sung in a choir, or would you like to sing in a choir? The Lusaka Music Society meets once weekly for rehearsals and perform three concerts a year. Meet new people and learn new music. Musicians welcome. INFO: molly.care@gmail.com or 0977 780-883, annew@iconnect.zm

Zumba Keep Fit: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays. Venue: Alliance Française of Lusaka. Time: 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Entrance: K30 per session, K150 per month. INFO: 0976 100-727 or register at reception.

‘Leisure’Alliance Francaise Cine Kids. French Movies, English subtitles for kids 3 - 10 years and parents. Venue: Alliance Francaise, Lusaka. Time: Saturdays, 9am.

Alliance Francaise Cine Night. French Movies, English subtitles. Venue: Alliance Francaise, Lusaka. Time: Monthly, Second Last Thursday, 7.30pm. Entrance: K10.

Alliance Francaise ‘Poete Spring’ Poetry Show. Venue: Alliance Francaise, Lusaka. Time: Monthly, Last Friday, 7pm. Admission Free. An open mic multilingual show in which poets and lovers of literature can present and perform their own poems, as well as those written by others in a mature and appreciative atmosphere. With a monthly theme.

Art Classes. Venue: Zebra Crossing Café, Ababa House, Twikatane Rd. Time: Wednesdays, 9am - 12pm. All Mediums - Sketching, Painting in oil, acrylics, water colours and more. Beginners welcome! Art supplies available at The Art Shop. INFO: 0974 279-107, info@theartshopltd.com

Camera Chat Group. Venue: Coffee Gallery, Nangwenya Rd. Meeting: Third Saturday, monthly, 9.30 am. Relaxed discussions for DSLR enthusiasts who want to improve their technical skills. INFO: rosegarden@hudzam.com

Evening Art Class. Tutored by Richard Kirby. Venue: Zebra Crossing Café, Ababa House, Twikatane Rd. Time: Thursday Nights. Cost: K50 per session. An extension of the regular Wednesday workday sessions to suit after-hour artists. Beginners are welcome. INFO: 0974 279-107 info@theartshopltd.com

French Storytelling Workshop. Reading to children. Venue: Alliance Française. Time: Wednesday, 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Children aged 5 - 16.

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Small Ads; 01 - 20 words: K40 / 21 - 40 words: K80 / 41 - 60 words: K120 |

Property Prowl: K400Deadline: 10th of the month preceding publication

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Employment Sought: Childcare / Care Giver / Housekeeper / Sales Agent.

Specialised in orphanages, HIV Counselling. Mature Sober Female. Please Call 0978

328-274

Employment Sought: Cleaner / Cook / Housekeeper. Mature, 5 years experience. Can cook English / Zambian Dishes. Please

call 0972 471-211

Employment Sought: Driver. Very Clean driving licence, written letters of recommendation from reputable

companies. Please call 0955 374-561, 0977 863-791

EEmployment Sought: Driver. Class D Licence. Willing to do Garden work and other chores. Please call 0974 846-150 /

0963 523-535

Employment Sought: Electrician / Fitter / Garden boy / Office Orderly. Mature

Man, 12 years experience. Former Security Guard. Please call 0977 491-731, 0969

759-121

Employment Sought: Gardener / Office Cleaner. Mature Male, 7 years experience.

Please call 0961 304-018.

Employment Sought: Housekeeper / Waitress / Cook. Lodges, hotels or

restaurants. 2 years experience. Please call 0975 706-868.

Employment Sought: Housekeeper / Cook / Office Cleaner. Mature Sober Female. 13 Years Experience. Sales Experience. Please

Call 0977 674-293

Employment Sought: Male Gardener / Cleaner. 10 years experience. Sober and

Hardworking, ready to impress. Please call 0978 341-149

Employment Sought: Office Orderly / Gardener. Mature with lots of experience.

Please call 0976 483-652

11th Alexswill Bonsmara Stud Production Sale. Takes place on Saturday 15 August

2015 at Alexswill Farm in Kalomo. Viewing starts at 8.30 and the auction

will commence at 11.30; on offer will be approximately 32 Bulls and 50 females.

For more information or to receive a sale catalogue please contact Graham or Kitty Mulders; 0977 796-722, 0977 796-

744, alexswillfarm@gmail.com

Bus for Hire: Seats 22. Special Features: Wheelchair facility and platform. Suitable for short and long distance trips. Contact

0965 108-727

Carpenter available to do odd jobs around the house, make furniture and repair broken

furniture. Can also do tiling and roofing. Contact 0974 347-255

Centricia Lodge - Kasama | Travelling to Kasama and need excellent, affordable accommodation? Join us at Centricia

Lodge, located in the residential area of Mukulumpe. We offer state-of-the-art

accommodation with en suite bathrooms, DSTV, bar fridge, kettle, comfortable workstation for business travellers, a

lush relaxing garden in which you can enjoy our tasty braaied signature T-bone.

Reservations: 0976 702-063, 0963 708-306, centricialodge@gmail.com

Citrus Tree Trimming. Improve the health of your citrus and other trees. Contact 0966

747-990

Compost & Manure: Quality guaranteed! Compost: 25kg bag for K45. Manure: in

50kg bag for K25. More than 10 bags free delivery in Lusaka. Shaun 0976 030-311.

Employment Sought: Chef. 7 years experience. House keeping, laundry,

general family work. Available for hotels, lodges, houses. Hotel Management

Diploma holder. Please call 0979 991-626

Showgrounds Vet Clinic - Dr. Lisa Oparaocha | For Veterinary

/ Grooming: 0977 770-940, showgroundsvet@gmail.com | For Pet Shop (Spoiled Pets): 0967 764-825,

esuesta@yahoo.com

Soft Furnishings and Interior Remake. Professional, custom-made; curtains,

cushions, roman blinds, festoons, chair covers, bed linen, bedcovers and mosquito

nets. Wallpaper application, various flooring installations, polishing etc. For corporate, private residences, lodges,

hotels. Office near Makeni Mall. Contact 0955 / 0966 / 0977 776-824

Therapeutic Counselling: Relationship issues, crisis, abuse, anxiety, life changes? A safe confidential place to explore the way forward. Available services include face to face, skype, email, house visits.

Contact: 0975 240-592

Worker Hire: House-keepers, Maids, Gardeners, Chefs, Caretakers, Poultrymen, Piggerymen, Plumbers, French Teachers,

Contractors, Pastel Accountants, Accounts Preparation, Auditing and Taxation, Vat and Payroll, Reconciliation, Secretaries,

Gym Instructors, Estate Agents, PSV Drivers, Mechanics, Auto Spares

Specialists, Agriculturalists, IT Specialists, etc. We offer assistance for you. Please do not panic or overwork. Money can work for you. 0977 146-524, 0975 574-204,

derricky08@yahoo.com

Zanzibar | Private Beach Villa for Rent | Jambiani Village. 4 Bedroom, 2 bathroom

beach castle for spectacular affordable family holidays on Zanzibar’s East Coast.

Suitable for two families with kids or three couples. Kwacha House is fully furnished and equipped. Unbeatable self-catering

value for families and groups. Rates start at US$200 / night for a whole family. Contact www.zanzibar-beach.com 0211 213-841

kwachahouse@zanzibar-beach.com 0977 897-779

Employment Sought: Shipping & Logistics, Office Assistant, Stores, Sales. Please Call

0973 204-750

English Language Tutor. For SAT, IGCSE and GCE preparations, Cambridge

Checkpoint. Contact: 0950 228-130 marthe1030@yahoo.fr

For Hire: NemboFantasy Component Venue. For a ‘so far and yet so near’

experience on North Eastern outskirts of Lusaka. Food and drinks venue;

swimming pool venue; conferencing plus venue; country health walks plus

venue; DIY villagescape also available for self-catering weekly stay. For enquiries,

viewing appointments or bookings contact 0955 906-541 or 0955 906-542 or

nembofantasy@gmail.com

Mukambi Safari Lodge is a comfortable 270km (3 hour) drive from Lusaka and the closest lodge to Lusaka in Kafue National Park, the biggest National

Park in Africa. Elephant, hippo, all the big cats and antelope are common

sightings at Mukambi. Please visit our website www.mukambi.com or call

reservations on 0974 424-013 or email reservations@mukambi.com for our

unbeatable rates for residents!

Need Landscaping, Digital landscaping design, manure, compost, maintenance of private offices and parks. Design-a-gardens. Karin Monge 0977 716-954.

North Kafue National Park. Mayukuyuku Bush Camp offers full board, and

camping. Excellent game viewing and fishing. Access for two-wheel drive vehicles, 4 hours from Lusaka on

good roads. www.kafuecamps.com | info@kafuecamps.com

PetVet | Pet Travel - Import, Export and Micro-chipping. Pet Parlour - For all your grooming needs. Pet Boarding - In our country kennels. Contact Us:

Kabulonga, Roan Road; 0211 265-197 / 0968 883-284/ 0976 080-387 /

petvetzambia@gmail.com | Lilayi Road; 0977 401-813 / davidzuludr@gmail.com

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