September
A few of my thoughts and experiences from living abroad in Zambia, Africa and what it’s been like this September: a drought year, a 2 under 2 mama, and a recent back to work teacher.
September 2024
Summer ends in the north whilst it begins in the south. Growing up in Seattle, I used to feel sad about summer ending and the darkness of winter coming, but then as I got older (and lived in Chicago with an extremely hot summer) I began to appreciate the fall with crisp weather. And now if it couldn’t get more confusing, I love September in Zambia as the last month of the blissfully pleasant weather from April-September. The ending of the not so hot, juxtaposed with the thrill of summer starting.
September has become my favorite month.
The month I became a mother, something we get to celebrate every 25th. The month of blooms in Zambia such as the purple jacaranda tree and other bright colors in full bloom lining every city street. Spring of the south and Autumn of the north. Virgo and Libra.
Events pop up everywhere and things get busy. Warm weather but no rain, take advantage! Markets, festivals, concerts. The most birthdays out of any month of the year! Swimming and outdoor events. It may be the equivalent of springtime but it is full on summer vibes.
The beginning of the year at work; a new group of students, fresh classroom, cleared walls to create together, so much learning to unfold. What will this year bring?
September, the in between.
But this September, is not my favorite month.
The hot, the dry, sadly a drought year with dry rivers and dams means no electricity. We haven’t seen rain since January. That’s almost 9 months. Total blackout most of the time, nothing works. The 3 hours or less of power comes on when we are fast asleep. I hear my daughter say “brwoken” and see her eyes widen and mouth drop in disbelief if the lights ever come on — because it might only be once in a week. Yet somehow, we’re thankful for sunshine every day. Somehow, we find the good in the bad.
We’ve learned to enjoy the dark evenings. We’ve learned to cope without electricity, raise 2 young babies without power. Modern technology that we brought in, left behind. Thankfully we’ve been used to a more natural and historic way of parenting by choice, so we’re accustomed to no sound machines, no video monitors, very seldom screen time and the like. But no lights at all, no way to cool down, freezers without ice, food spoiling? Should we go solar, what do we do? The reputable companies are back ordered, how long could it be to wait or use something in the meantime. How long will this electricity crisis last, is this something we should just get used to? My husband grew up here in Ndola, Zambia and he never knew a life like this. September, normally a lovely month, has passed us by this year.
Sadly heatwaves are making it feel unbearable and mosquitoes have become vengeful. We look forward to the rain and grateful for days of swimming and cool breezes and shade. Living abroad is far from fancy for a teacher and a NGO director in a below the poverty line city, but we have a way of enjoying it nonetheless.
Wake me up when September ends?
Wake me up, when the rain comes.
Please pray for Zambia. But most of all, pray for the leaders of the influential countries, the minority world, the global north, the ones who need Zambia and our neighboring countries to stay poor in order to stay in power and breed success. Pray for our world, for our earth, the broken relationship between people and nature. Peace is beautiful but it’s also painful, it has a way of letting the injustice and inequality continue.
And if you wish to do more than pray? Find a sustainable project to support that is actually changing the lives of people. That is actually releasing people from some of what we’re going through — keep in mind it is even worse for those with food insecurity due to the drought. Find an NGO / non-profit that does the real work, the hard work, the life changing kind.
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