Dear friends,
the long-awaited rain has finally set in. Since December 14th, the fields can finally be tilled. That is a very late beginning of the rainy season. If the rain continues until the end of March, it will still be a good year for agriculture. Even in the Northwest Province, where it normally rains from October and rains an average of 1500 L per square meter until the end of March, it was still very dry until a week ago.
We are now very grateful for that, because as you know, the annual rain is vital for the population here. But that also means that there is really not much time for Christmas and New Year holidays, because field work is now a priority. Historically, holidays at the end of the year are a good fit in Europe, because then there was little to do in agriculture. Here, where the majority of the population is still engaged in agriculture, a number of public holidays at the end of December are inappropriate because now is the most active time in agriculture. Perhaps it would make more sense to postpone “Christmas” to the end of June, so to speak, since it is much quieter in agriculture.
Covid-related travel restrictions are also very noticeable here, as several international airlines have canceled their flights to southern Africa. In a country like Zambia there are relatively many “international families” and so the usual family get-togethers for Christmas turned into an „obstacle course“ because booked flights were canceled. The infection rates are very low in all of southern Africa, including South Africa.
We are doing well, we are of course happy about the rain and that we now have Kathrin, David and two grandchildren here on the farm. Siyenna – 4 years old – must always be there when the cattle are driven in once a week to help the grandpa to shower the cattle (treatment against ticks) and to count the calves.
We would like to thank everyone who has supported our work here again in various ways this year. If you wish, we hope that you have a white Christmas. (White snow looks somehow better than mud) With or without snow, we wish you a few quiet holidays and the confidence that 2022 will be a bit more „normal“ again.
Above all, we hope that we will be able to travel to Europe again next year. With best regards and wishes for a happy new year
Your Klaus and Christiane