Kuomboka

This past weekend I went to a traditional Zambian ceremony called Kuomboka. It is celebrated by the Lozi people of the Western Province every year. Zambia is divided into 9 provinces, which is then further divided into districts. The Western Province is most known for the Barotse Floodplain of the Zambezi river and a rural life that has, for the most part, yet to be influenced with 21st century amenities. Each year when the water levels are just right, following the rainy season, the Kuomboka ceremony takes place. Kuomboka literally means ‘to get out of water’ and it is at this time the Lozi king (theoretically) leads his people to higher and drier land. He begins his journey in the village of Lealui, the capital of the Lozi Kingdom in Lewanika’s time, to Limulunga, the summer or floodtime capital which is where the Litunga spends most of his time today.

The 7 hour bus ride to Kuomboka was just as much of a highlight as the ceremony itself. We left Lusaka around noon and headed west on what seemed like very up-kept roads compared to Lusaka's potholed mess. The drive out of Lusaka quickly turned into a picturesque landscape filled with tall grasses, trees, villages, monkeys, impala, maize fields, and people. I was so happy to be out of urban Africa and into the Bush. When someone in the States talks about driving through rural areas one can usually assume you'll see mile upon miles of agriculture and you don't expect to see another human being for hours on end. Rural Africa is full of people and human activity! Little clusters of huts lined both sides of the road for the entire trip, with the only exception of the Kafue National Park. The further west we drove the more narrow the road got. Grasses 8, 9, 10 feet tall created a topless cave. The people from the local villages were always walking in and out of the grasses, some with large buckets of water on their head, some with goods to sell, some riding their bikes, and others simply out to see the commotion of drivers passing through. As morbid as this sounds, I'm surprised we didn't hit anyone. The sun sets early right now because it's "winter." Winter here only means that the nights are cooler and the days are a bit shorter. No crazy, extreme weather patterns in Zambia. During the day the temperature always sits at about 77 degrees and the sun is always out. As we drove in the pitch black of night all the little huts disappeared and all that could be seen were little clusters of fires, waiting to cook dinner.

My group set up camp at a school in Mongu. Tents and sleeping bags were provided. Despite the air being filled with DEET bug killing spray and having no pillow, I slept great on hard African ground. Saturday was the big day. My group arrived at the Barotse Floodplane and hopped on a long motorized canoe-like boat. As we made our way onto the Zambezi River I found myself in a state of bliss: The morning breezes blowing in my face, the sun shining, people waving from the shoreline. I was happy. In these moments, I remembered why Africa can be so intoxicating. I was told that this part of Western Province is called "The Plains." How great, I'm from the Great Plains of the US! It did look a bit like home with flat land for miles. Except the trees are shaped different because of the continual intense sunlight and the color green is a new shade of green I've never seen. We eventually make it to our destination where we waiting to watch the Lozi king leave his palace. The rest of my day is a bit of a blur: lots of sitting and waiting to catch a glimpse of the king, taking cover from the masses of Lozi people trampling each other once the Lozi king finally appeared. In all honesty, I didn't even see the king I was too worried about dying in the mob (and loosing my group).

So in the end, I was happy to have traveled through the Western Province, take a boat ride, see rural Zambia, and witness a Zambian tradition (even if it was a limited glimpse). Tradition and cultural are uniquely human and can be nothing less of amazing. For those involved, it gives a sense of connectedness and identity. But, for those of us on the outside, we can watch and learn only with respect, and perhaps, learn more about our own identities all the while.

Caption 1: These guys were drumming in anticipation of the Lozi king. Caption 2: Do they mean Sexual Accidents are free or do they mean Sexual Accidents Free area? You decide.

Click here to see more photos from the trip.