Namibia, Malawi , Shiwa N'Gandu

Namibia, by Theodor Sverkén Sjögren, May 2010
Going to Namibia is easy, even with some kids in the back of the car. Here are some hints on what you should do during your stay. Going there,
1. Air Namib is easy to book on Internet. We took a flight from Lusaka to Joburg, and then from Joburg to Windhoek. Leaving Zambia in the afternoon and entering Namibia late evening. 2. Car rental is also easy, and necessary if you don't prefer to drive all the way from Lusaka (it is possible though). The distanses are long, but roads are in very good condition (South African standard). Staying there, 1. Search Internet for lodges and guest houses, we found several nice ones even over a hectic week as Easter. Use Namibia Reservations.
2. Most places have similar service level as places in South Africa.
 3. Prices are also equivalent to the southern neighbour.
 4. Medi Clinic is the best if you need to see a doctor, clinics available in all major towns.

 Things to do, When you are planning your trip to Namibia, use Internet or buy the Bradt guide. We did both. And here are some things that could be recommended,
 1. Desert; when travelling Namibia you must take the opportunity to climb some dunes and walk a desert, could be done in the Namib desert or similar. Close to Swakopmund there are several dunes, e.g. Dune 7. Driving to or flying over the famous Sousosvlei is also strongly recommended. We also took a guided tour through the desert nearby Swakop. Desert Tours was the company, and the guide you should require is mr Tommy. The kids touched a snake and fed a kameleont.
 2. Coastline; if living in Zambia you might be interested in seeing the sea, eat some good seafood or just have a smell of some 10 000 furry seals in the colony at Cape Cross. Driving along the coastline is a magnificent thing to do. For reaching Skeleton Coast up north you might need a 4x4 or you just fly in there. From Walvies Bay, just south of Swakopmund, there are lots of activities you can do, such as bird watching (pelicans, flamingos, etc), seal watching, etc.
 3. Safari; the Etosha National Park is famous for its pan and the oryx must be the country's most famous antelope. We spotted ostrich, giraffe, black and blue wilderbeast, impala, springbok, zebra, jackal and lion. Unfortunately it was wet season, but in the dry season there are also plenty of elefant, buffalos, etc. If you don't want to travel up north to the Etosha NP, you could instead visit any of the game farms closer to Windhoek. We did Okapuka Ranch, where we spotted jackal, blesbok, oryx, wilderbeast, warthog, kudu and rhino. If you have the opportunity, we strongly recommend you take the opportunity to see Namibia. //


 Malawi, by Bodil Sörensen, March 2010  A small country but with a lot to offer. Zambia’s eastern neighbour. One of the poorest countries in the world. Only half the size of Sweden but with 13 million inhabitants. A big variety in nature and landscape. One of our best vacations. In March 2009 we flew with Kenya Airways into Lilongwe. It is just one hour very comfortable flight from Lusaka or some two days bumpy drive! From Lilongwe we had arranged with a rental car and soon we went through the hilly, green landscape towards Cape McClear at the southern part of the lake. We arrived to Danforth Yachting three hours later. Greeted by the two big dogs barking but turned out to be the most mellow kind of dogs. The nice couple, Howard and Michelle Massey-Hicks, who bought this place some ten years ago showed us to our room. The first thing we did was to go down to the one gazebo where you have your breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon coffee. We turned two chairs around so that they faced the beach and the lake, had some coffee and watch our kids play in the sand. This is how it continued. Such a relaxed atmosphere. Danforth Yachting is not only about relaxation, good food and drinks. They can also offer you all kinds of water sports such as scuba diving, snorkelling, hobie cat sailing, kayaking, waterskiing etc. You can also spend some days or weeks cruising the lake on board ‘Mufasa’, their big catamaran.
 After breakfast one day we went out on the lake to do some snorkelling. We spent a day in a nice and sheltered lagoon on one of the islands visible from the mainland. We were provided with all snorkelling gear and we brought some left over bread to feed the huge amount of different species of fish found in the lake. Not only the kids were fascinated! In between all snorkelling we had a nice lunch which the chef prepared for us on board the boat. On our way back to shore we had a good view watching the eagles from on top of the roof of the boat. Four days at Danforth was not enough but we had to move on. We went straight south from the lake to Zomba. We stayed at Ku Chawe Inn, placed literally on the rim of the Zomba Plateau. The air was cooler at this level, the vegetation was more lush and green but still you could see a lot of baboons climbing the pine trees. From the hotel you had a great view overlooking the mountainous landscape. You could even see as far south as to Mount Mulanje, said to be the second highest mountain in Africa. After a nice dinner we went back to our room where the hotel staff had already lit the fire in the stove. We put more logs on and soon fell asleep thinking of Malawi how diversified as a country. The next morning we took of hiking the mountain. With kids we actually drove our car on the mountain and made a few stops hiking the sorrounding areas. The mountain is full of waterfalls, lakes, hilly climbs, nice forests and always breathtaking views. The last part of our vacation we stayed in Blantyre. We spent one day going even more south down to Mount Mulanje. The mountain arose impressively in the distance and this day with clouds flowing down the sides. As far as you could see in the surrounding rolling landscape beneath, there were huge plantations of tea and coffee and sometimes tobacco hung out to dry. We parked our car and went for a walk to one of the many waterfalls. If you have more time you can hike the mountain for a few days and walk from cabin to cabin. The day after we left Blantyre to catch the flight back to Lusaka from Lilongwe. On our way we stopped for lunch in Dedza at Dedza Pottery. They make some nice pottery from white clay but with a variety of nice glazing. We spent some ten days in Malawi but could easily have spent a lot more. Malawi is definitely on the list of our top three vacations. //

Shiwa N'Gandu - a piece of Zambian history
 Travelling Story by Theodor Sverkén Sjögren, February 22, 2010 After reading Africa House by Christina Lamb (see under Book Reviews) my family decided to fill up the Nissan Patrol and go the 750 kilometers up north. To fill up happened to be a very good decision since there are only two petrol stations on the way, and these are easy to miss, especially if you have a couple of kids playing in the back of your car. It should not be any problems going the whole distance in one day, but the longer you wait until going on this holiday, the longer the trip will take, due to the escalating number of pot holes (Important note: in 2009 the amount and size of the holes were still okey, not as the 2009 status of the Livingstone road). My family decided to stop over (one night in each direction) at Forest Inn, in between Kapiri Mposhi and Mpika. A nice place, but with no activities or anything else to spend the time on apart from having your dinner, sleeping and leaving the place just after your breakfast. From the main road there is a good sign indicating where to turn for Shiwa N'Gandu, and soon this old British estate house shows up in front of you. You can choose to spend your nights at the Africa House, but if you have a smaller budget then stay at Kapisha Hotsprings Lodge, some 20 kilometers further in on the estate. The lodge is run by Mark Harvey, the grandson of Sir Stewart Gore-Brown, who built the estate house in the 20s and 30s. Africa House itself is run by Mark's brother. Sir Gore-Brown was a weird man with a weird dream. He wanted so much to have his own British estate house, but since he could not afford building or buying it in England, he decided to build it in Africa, funded with money from his beloved aunt. This man was living for love, and married the daughter of his first love called Lorna. Losing his temper was apperently another common habit, but something people in the area had to accept since he was the biggest employer in northern Rhodesia at the time building the estate house. For more information about Africa House and Sir Gore-Brown you can either read the book mentioned above, or visit the house, or, like we did, combine these two holiday activities. At Kapisha Hotsprings Lodge there is (of course) a hot spring in which we started every morning. Starting off the day in 40 degree water is not too bad, actually. A river is alos running just a couple of meters down the chalets. If you are a true explorer you can even go camping here. Other activities include game drives, hunting, boat trips, horseback riding, and of course a visit to the Africa House. But the evenings you should definitely spend at the lodge because of the delicious food and, not to forget, Mark Harvey's stories about his family and the house. That is not only exciting, but also a piece of Zambia's history. We spent three nights at Kapisha Hotsprings, which was enough. When leaving we could not resist buying some of the products made at the lodge, such as jam, marmelade, chutney and pickles. The strawberry jam was well appreciated on the pancakes the following weekend. On our way back to Lusaka we bought some nice handmade baskets at the petrol station in Serenje. The packed lunch we got at Cims restaurant in Mpika. If you are spending some more nights on your holiday, or prefer not staying at Forest Inn, you could also go to Mutinundo Wilderness Area on the way up to Shiwa N'Gandu, but that's for another explorer to tell us more about, in another part of this blog.

“A female leader is always stereotyped as the Mother, the Puppet, the Iron Lady or the Lover”

After heading the Swedish Association for Communication Agencies (Sveriges Reklamförbund) for some years and soon starting the prestigious job as head of the Swedish Film Institute, Anna Serner has got a good insight into life as a female leader in Sweden. During a short visit to Zambia she held a lecture on female leadership in Sweden and the picture she paints of a country famous for its gender equality is rather gloomy

- Only 18 percent of the board members in stock market companies in Sweden are women. There is an unconsciousness about gender inequality that still is a part of the structures of the Swedish society.

She started the evening by showing a new Swedish movie, “A thousand times stronger”. The movie is about a young Swedish student who starts in a Swedish school after living abroad for many years. She is confronted with very the traditional gender roles amongst her new class mates with loud and dominating males and females trying to please their environment by acting like quit Barbie dolls. When she tries to change theses patterns she receives fierce resistance, not only from the boys but also from the girls and the teachers.

The movie paints a rather gloomy picture of the lack of gender equality in Sweden. According to Anna, a women who wants to become successful as a leader has to be aware of these, often hidden, but still strong structures.

- A female leader is more or less automatically being labeled with one of four fixed roles: the Mother, the Puppet, the Iron lady or the Lover. It is very difficult to change these expectations but if you are aware of them you have a better chance of being successful as a leader.

As head of the Swedish Association for Communication Agencies she felt forced to use her “female charm” to be fully accepted as a leader. When her male colleagues greeted her with words like “How beautiful you are today”, something that no one would say to a male boss, she just smiled and said “Thank you”. She was also expected to make inquires about her colleagues families when she greeted them in the morning.

- If I would not have accepted these expectations as a female leader I would have been seen as an Iron Lady and that would have made my job very difficult.

According to Anna the traditional gender structures are still alive in Sweden but nowadays people are not aware of it. Women in Sweden spend as much time at work as men but the women still takes care of the family after work to a much greater extent compared with their male colleagues.

- Women hesitate to take leading positions in companies because of this. At law school for example, where I studied, 50 percent of the students are women and generally speaking they have better grades than then male students. But after university women disappear. In the fancy law firms the majority are men. Women take jobs in the public sector with more regulated working hours to be able to take care of the family and household after working hours.

According to Anna there is a structural problem in society that needs to be addressed and it will not be solved by itself. The only solution, at least temporarily, is legislation.

- We have environmental laws, labor laws and many other laws that society has been forced to put in place to change attitudes and behavior in society. Gender equality also needs help from the law.

Johan Norman

”The most important thing is not to win, it is to beat the Swedes!”

This now legendary quote from the Norwegian ambassador Arve Ofstad at the dinner can sum up the Nordic Sports day in Zambia 2011, second year running.

And win they did the Norwegians. With a big margin over all the other Scandinavian countries. Still it is clear that Sweden captured the finest medal of them all, the fair play price. The teams from the different Scandinavian countries contained a big variation of contestants. The Olympic team from Norway was flown in whereas Finland, Denmark and Sweden took whatever bureaucrats and desk jockeys they had available in Zambia.


Yet the important thing is not to win, it is to participate.

The whole day was a nice day out and a chance to mingle around sport gear to meet other Scandinavians and compare the scandi muscles. The morning started out with the whole crowd taking part in a Nordic Zumba on the football grounds.

The country with most contestants won the part. Congratulations Sweden! Following games was football, swimming, volleyball, tug of war and boot throwing, relay among some. The day ended up at the Danish embassy with a nice dinner, dance and price award.


Suanna Knyphausen

Zambian artist, Stary Mwaba

Stary Mwaba has been drawing and painting his whole life. He is self taught and has no art schooling. A French missionary woman, who fell in love with his way to paint, offered him a job as an art teacher.
”She told me to teach what I do and how I do it”. When Stary came to Lusaka he joined the artists at the Henry Tayali Gallery but is since many years to be found at Rockston Workshop and Gallery on 27 Elm road in Woodlands which he at present time shares with two other artists.
Stary Mwaba was born in 1976 in Chingola in the Copperbelt. The family moved soon after to Kasama where he grew up and lived until he was 21years old. He then moved to Lusaka and has now spend 13 years in the capital.
When Stary was 18 years old his father passed away and after a long time of illness his mother passed away four years later. He was especially attached to his mother. During the time of his mothers illness Stary was not able to sleep at all so to cope with the distress Stary stayed up every night painting in the light of a candle. To convey feelings, anger, thoughts, sorrow, distress and also happiness through art is something that Stary is doing himself when painting but wants to focus more on and help others do. He has been involved with refugee projects together with UNHCR and he goes regularly to an orphanage run by a polish nun close to Chaminuka Lodge in Lusaka.
In 2004 Stary won ‘the British Commonwealth Award for Arts and Crafts’ which took him to an international workshop in Trinidad and Tobago.
Stary has since participated in a number of exhibitions and international workshops, which include the Watermill Centre, ’a laboratory for performance’ in New York, The Caribbean Contemporary Arts in Trinidad and Tobago, Braziers International workshop in London. His solo exhibitions include the “Freedom in Transition” at Lusaka National Museum in 2008, “Solace of a migrant” in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2009, “Crossing Over” at Caribbean Contemporary Arts, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 2005 and Museo di san Salvatore in Lauro in Rome 2010.
In his paintings he, most often, combines reality with abstract people and objects. You can also find typical Zambian elements such as people, buildings and even chitenge fabric. Some of his paintings are for sale at the art centre at the Tiyende Pamodzi Theatre at the American International School or you can visit his workshop ‘Rockston’ in Woodlands. This humble artist is a true Zambian at heart but my guess is that he will be very busy travelling the world in the future.

Bodil Sörensen

Fabulous crayfish party at the Swedish School

40 kg of lovely dill smelling crayfish, sixty guests, plenty of snapsvisor, a few bottles of vodka and a great atmosphere.


That’s how the crayfish party at the Swedish school on 1 October can be summarized.

And we are already looking forward to next years´ crayfish orgie at the Swedish school.

Impressions of Zambia – “Yes, we live in a compound”

“Lusaka, Zambia, you said? That’s where you’ll be living for a couple of years? You will be trailing behind your wife again... Interesting – so, in Lusaka, do all the expats live together in compounds?”

Before leaving that very normal Swedish suburbia life in Stockholm, the above is in fact similar to discussions I had on more than one occasion with Swedes having experiences of living abroad, in hardship areas.

Well, after a few weeks, months or years in Lusaka we know, don’t we? Or do we actually?
Obviously, here in Lusaka the word “compound” would not refer to a gated and guarded, only for expats and their families kind of area, like it would for example in Dubai.

Thanks to an article in the first issue of a new weekly newspaper, The Lusaka Standard, we have an answer as to the origin of the word in the Lusaka city planning context. According to the article the word “compound” originates from colonial days in the 1930ies when the decision was made to make Lusaka a colonial capital. The “Garden City” was planned for white settlers. Members of the black population were only allowed to live in the city if they resided on the “compound” of their white employer. So, here in Lusaka the term “compound” actually refers to those informal city areas that grew out of the compounds of white settlers, where in fact soon the majority of the city’s population would live.

Now, I can look back with new insights at answering a hesitant “No” to the question: “Will you be living in a compound?”

N.B. “Compound” according to an old Swedish dictionary is a word whose closest meaning in a city planning context is “läger”, meaning camp.

Gustaf Engstrand

Games, summer songs and diplomas at final school day

The last day of the spring term 2011 on June 8 was a day full of activities. Starting with games, the school lawn was full of students guessing the number of pasta in a bowl, looking for hidden shoes and answering tricky questions.


The sunny day (well, which days are not sunny in Lusaka?) continued with traditional Swedish summer songs and ended with school diplomas for the students. It was also an opportunity to say good by to our teacher for many years Lillian Dover before her moving back to Sweden.

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Namwandwe gallery - a good introduction to Zambian art

A visit to Namwandwe gallery is a good introduction to contemporary Zambian art. The gallery is situated a few hundred meters after the American School on Leopards Hills Road on the left hand side. It is not a “real” gallery but a private collection available for the public.


The gallery has no official opening hours but is open seven days a week from morning to evening. When you have parked your car under the planted pine trees in front of the main building, the guide (sometimes it takes a while before he notices your arrival) will open the gallery for you and show you a round an impressive art collection while classic music fills the beautiful rooms.


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A guide on how to throw a birthday party for children in Lusaka

by Bodil Sörensen

How to throw a birthday party in Lusaka? Well, there could be the same arrangements as in Sweden but will most likely be something totally different. There are a few reasons for that. 1. The weather. Accept for a few months of occasional rains (or continuously if very unlucky), Zambia is nice and sunny all year around. 2. People usually have big gardens and in case of rain, big houses. 3. You most probably have an inviting, sparkling pool. And 4. It is nice to get to know people, kids and adults, from different countries. Here comes a few tips and contacts when planning your party.


For jumping castles and water slides.

LEISURE HIRE LTD, +26 0979523232 or +26 0211257513, www.leisurehire.co.za They are located on 2 Lunzua rd off Addis Ababa rd and will deliver and pick up you jumping castle for a extra fee.

SHATINAS CRAFTS & PARTY FUN, +26 0979 386816 or +26 0211263265, is located on 237A Bishop rd in Kabulonga. They have a smaller choice and you will have to pick up and return the castle yourself but they are cheaper in price than Leisure Hire. There is a big variety in prices, styles and sizes. To rent one during a weekend, which is more expensive than weekdays, comes from ZMK 130.000 to 500.000.


Clowns, face painting and balloon figures.

'FUN WITH CLOWNS’ provide clowns doing face painting and balloon figures and different games. Call +26 0977 450141 for more information and prices.
Cakes and goodie bags.

If you do not want to make the cake yourself the ‘cake lady’ MICHELLE makes excellent, American style ones. You can have any picture copied as a decoration on the cake. Your child’s photo, Cinderella or Spiderman are just a few examples. The midsize cake is ZMK 180.000 and should serve 20 people. You have to pick up the cake yourself and she is located opposite Sandy’s Creations near Lilayi on Kafue rd. Call +26 0955 762208 for more information.


Goodie bags, candy and small gifts can be found in stores like GAME, SHOPRITE, SPAR and PICK & PAY. LEISURE HIRE recommends ‘SMILES’ located on plot 6468, Great East rd, near Arcades roundabout.

Other ideas are pool bathing, treasure hunts, egg hunts (around Easter), candy hunts (all year!) and various games. The Swedish tradition of fish pond fishing for your goodie bag is very appreciated.

Good Luck with your party, big or small!

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A few words from the chairman of the Swedish School

by John Billing

Finally the activities at the Swedish school begins after a long 'summer' break. This semester will include a variety of activities, apart from the regular school classes: crayfish party, lectures, movie nights, flea market and the traditional Lucia celebration. We start Sunday September 4 with a get-together for old and new member. There will be food, drinks and a bouncing castle.

For those of you who wonder and perhaps worry about the future of the Swedish school, we can to tell you that the future looks bright. We have a good income and are able to develop the school. During this year, we've spent a lot of resources in repairing and maintenance and we'll continue this work.

As always, we need tips and ideas from members on activities, so feel free to contact us.

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What Swedes like to do in Lusaka ...

Swedes in Lusaka like a coffee or lunch at;

Blue Moon Café, Woodlands near Pick’n Pay, 0211 261858
Delish, Kabulonga
Kilimanjaro Café, Leopars Hill rd near AIS, 0211 250527/255830
Mugg and Bean, Manda Hill
Sugarbush Café, Vegetables and Shop, 0211 213841, 0977 874771
Zebra Crossing, Ababa House, Addis Abeba rd,

Swedes in Lusaka like lunch or dinner at;
Chang Thai, Thai, Arcades
Dil, Indian, Ibex Hill
Dong Fang, Chinese, Long Acres, 0211 254 328
Dynasty, Chinese, Middleway, Kabulonga
El Lugar del Taco, Mexican, Svenska Skolan
Marlin, Grill and Steaks, Lusaka Club, 0211 252206
Masala Mantra, Indian, Omelo Mumba rd, 0977 894042, 0211 227090
Melsim Lodge, Éthiopian, Kalingalinga, 0979 193452, 0974 279279
Mezze, Lebanese, Kabulonga
Micki’s, Grill, Sable rd, Kabulonga, 0211 263272
Mike’s Kitchen, Traditional, Arcades, 0211 256643
Mumbai Café, Indian, Great East Roma, 0211 293003, 0977 091408
Oriental Garden, Chinese Indian, Long Acres, 0211 251163
Portico, Italian, Showgrounds, 0211 250111
Roma House, Roma
Southern Sun, International,
Rhapsodys, Arcades, 0211 256705/6
Taj Pamodzi, International,
The Mint Lounge, International, Arcades
The Plates, International, Arcades

Swedes in Lusaka like to visit;
Chaminuka Lodge, 0211 840883/4
Fringilla Lodge, 0211 214364
Lilayi Lodge, 0211 840435
Protea Lodge, 0211 212843
Sandy’s Creations, 0211 278116

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First impressions of Zambia from a newly arrived Swedish man trailing behind

By Gustaf

Newly arrived in a very different country – isn’t it a fact that first impressions are quite well parcelled? During my first months here in Lusaka, I thought I’d share some of my impressions. Maybe the reader will experience feel-good-recognition and hopefully a surprise or two. Just for the record, I am not entirely new to Africa. A couple of months in Ethiopia some 10 years ago have substantially contributed to my personal interest in the continent.

At this time, I probably have to admit that I have been added to the movement of “Swedish Men Trailing Behind”. This might not be one of Zambia’s larger identifiable species. But, if you would take only the Swedish expat community as one sub-population, then this species would definitely seem to be entirely dominating. Why this should be the case is probably a question only for Swedish political science researchers to explain.

So, what is it then that these men do? So far I have only been able to scratch the surface, but my investigations show that these men seem to be engaged, driven by genuine interest, in a large spectrum of activities (which cannot be said of their lower middle age spouses who all work for the embassy or for the UN). The only thing we “trailing men” have in common is that no one has a “real job”, even if some of us probably have a decent income from some sort of “business”, while others become rich on what life and Zambia has to offer us.

What activity I will be engaged in myself is still an open question. But I am certain that I will eventually be wealthy in either one of those ways,and maybe in both. And in the meantime, in the beginning of my family’s adventure here, it seems impossible for me to avoid getting rich on impressions and new encounters.

OK, I guess this didn’t add up to much of impressions of Zambia this time, but more of the trailing expat’s unavoidable impressions. In the next issue of Blaskan, I hope reflect on peculiarities in the languages spoken here in Lusaka, but that could of course change after upcoming impressions and new encounters…

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New issue of Blaskan ...

On September the 1st a new issue of Blaskan will be launched, sign up to our mail list and you will get it in an e-mail.

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Summary of a Successfull Year

by Theodor Sverkén Sjögren

The editor of Blaskan, mr Johan Norman, just called me and asked for some words for the June edition. He even threatened me to publish some pictures from the recent sauna night if I did not provide him with the text.


Anyway, in a house full of boxes I thought it would be a good idea to summarize, not so much the years I have spent with my family in Zambia, but the last twelve months at the Swedish School. It’s been a busy and as you already know a very successful year. Every week our members show appreciation for the activities arranged, the most important still being the Swedish lessons. During the school year 2010-2011 we have more than doubled the number of students. That is really something to celebrate!


Other events that brought a huge number of friends and members to our premises have been the Swedish Elections in September (when we also installed SVT), the Swedish week with the family day including Father Christmas for the kids and the traditional Lucia procession.


Movie nights, wine tasting, fashion shows, craft markets and the Zambian Art Week have also been appreciated, as well as starting up our newsletter Blaskan. For the future life of the Swedish School association we are also very happy to welcome Lugar del Taco and Livestock Ltd, that have already given new energy to our school.

In order to celebrate this good year, and the end of yet another school year, the board would now like to invite you and your family and friends to the upcoming Midsummer, yet another Swedish tradition with delicious food, games for kids and adults, together with good music and dancing, maybe not only around the famous midsommarstången.


See you all on June 23, and again, thanks a lot for all your support during the year!

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Camping in Zambia?

by Bodil Sörensen

Camping in Zambia is easy and cheap. Most lodges have additional camping sites to their fancier chalets and luxury tents. When camping you still have access to everything the lodge offer like, restaurant, game drives and boat cruises.

On our first (and only so far but not the last one for sure!) we went with friends to Mvuu Lodge located on the river side in Lower Zambezi. The assigned camping site, one out of three, had a beautiful view over the river, a fireplace, ‘kitchen area’ with a sink, water toilet and hot water shower.

The staff at the lodge helped with putting the tents up, lit the fire three times a day, provided lanterns and made the dishes! This was called ‘luxury camping’ and we paid 25 USD/pppn, children half price. Usually the price for camping varies between 10 and 15 USD/pppn compared to ‘chalet price‘ 150-400 USD/pppn.

Before you go camping make sure what is included and what you have to bring. On our trip we had to bring chairs and tables, all food (because the lodge was actually not yet open for the season), charcoal and all cutlery. For two nights it was no problem bringing all nice food we wanted. We had a lovely time! The kids loved sleeping in tents and it was a somewhat new experience to hear the elephants roaming the area just outside the thin fabric tent wall.

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Come and Chill at the Swedish School Relax Department

by Johan Norman

Worn out after a tough week at The Office? Feel like partying with some friends? Then the Swedish School is the place to be. We have a spacious and very fresh sauna situated just next to our pool. You can arrange some good Latino food from Lugar del Taco, and the bar could also be used for this kind of event.

For booking of our relax area, please contact Humphrey at 0977-85 85 41. For ordering food please contact Pablo at Lugar del Taco, see details in the add next to this article.

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Teacher and Librarian

The Swedish School is looking for a new teacher/librarian starting from August 2011. For more information please contact

Lillian, lillian.dover@gmail.com
Ingrid, sakwanda@coppernet.zm

During the coming months we are also about to buy new books for the Swedish School library – both for the adults and the children´s section. If you have any ideas of books you would like to see in the library, please drop your suggestions in the books drop box in the adults section.

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Visit to Nzito

If you are looking for some nice souvenirs to bring home to your friends in Europe, going out on Leopard’s Hill Road could save you some time. The lovely leather bags and printed fabrics sold at Sugar Bush every woman in Lusaka seem to be well aware of already, but there are more shops in the same area.

Kilimanjaro Café opened up just behind the American School some six months ago, and soon the Afrikolor is opening its pottery just nearby. Sugar Bush farm should already have opened the new shop and coffee shop by the publishing date of this issue of Blaskan.

Just before taking off to Sugar Bush, but on the left side of the road, there is also Nzito Furniture, selling souvenirs and furniture (desks, ottomans, lamps, sun chairs, etc) mainly from old Tanzanian boats. Founder Nicola Synnerton has plans though to start producing furniture made from Zambian wood. Some weeks ago the Swedish School Association had a very appreciated coffee morning at the Nzito showroom, and we got to learn more about the history and ideas behind the company.

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So how is Easter celebrated in Sweden?

by Liselott Rehnquist

In Sweden Easter means that the spring is finally in the air after a long and dark winter. Twigs are collected from birch trees that slowly awake from the winter and chicken eggs are painted in colourful designs. The twigs are put in big vases and dressed with colourful feathers.


Other Easter decorations include "påskkärringar" (a special kind of Eastern witches) that fly on a broom. The hearsay gives that all these "påskkärringar" are on their way by means of their booms heading to their annual meeting with the Devil at Blåkulla (eng. “The Blue Gables”).

Tradition also calls for the children to dress up as Easter witches with long skirts, colourful headscarves and painted red cheeks then they go from house to house in the neighbourhood giving away drawings in the hope of getting sweets in return. It is said to bring bad luck not to give these begging witches something to snack on to their way to the Devil. Most people obviously don’t like to take any chances with these witches but rather gather up with some extra candy to have at hand when they pay their visits.


The central role of the Easter witches gives a clear indication that the Swedish Easter traditions actually predate Christianity going back to the days when the Swedes were all pagans. Overall the Easter traditions is very much cross-cook where ancient ceremonies and beliefs have been incorporated and adopted into the more “modern” Christian context. The same kind of cross-cook is by the way very much the case for the Swedish Christmas traditions. Hence, even though Christianity has been the state religion for quite some time the beliefs held by the Swedish Vikings are still quite present in modern Sweden.

In fact, for most Swedes Easter has very little to do with Christianity or the death and uprising of Jesus. Rather, Easter is seen as an opportunity for family and friends to meet and feast on a traditional smörgåsbord of herring, cured salmon, potatoes, eggs in colourful designs, sausages, Jansson´s Temptation (potatoes, onion, anchovies and cream cooked in owen) and other kinds of food. Apart from the birch twigs you often find daffodil in vases on the dining table.


The children normally drink a special soda called “påskmust” whereas the adults drink beer and spiced schnapps. The children are also often given an Easter egg which is basically a two-pieced egg-shaped paper container with colourful decorations on the outside and absurd amounts of candy inside.

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Afrikolor - a Zambian pottery and batik studio

by Bodil Sörensen

Since two years ago a lot has happened on the small plot opposite Farmers Market on the way to Sandy’s Creations. That’s when Franca Namwiinga Murru VonHandorf and Tyler VanHandorf came back from studies in Malta and opened up their pottery Afrikolor. Before that Franca’s mother Josephine had for thirteen years made clothes, curtains, bedspreads etc out of her own batik coloured fabrics and she is still making beautiful things in her workshop.


Over these two years a new kiln is brought up from South Africa and they are continuously improving the quality of the Zambian clay produced on their premises.

Amongst their staff they have some of Zambia’s most talented potters. They are also experimenting with colours, glazes and fireings to make new textures and designs. In June their second workshop will open up on Leopard’s Hill road close to the American International School.


You can already now take your kids and yourself to pottery classes and that will also be possible later on in their new workshop. They have a lot of different items for sale.

A big part of their production is orders from lodges and hotels for beautiful tiles in shapes of flowers etc for bathrooms and kitchens. If you have an idea on a specific design you want to have made they can do it for you, or take a class and do it yourself!



See some of their beautiful production on Facebook: Afrikolor Pottery

For more information, call: 0977 331164/79, or send a mail to: afrikolor@hotmail.com



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