Convenience

My church in the states is doing a Lenten study called A Place at the Table. Participants are challenged to address the issues of consumerism, consumption, and over indulgence and in the process to share what we have with those in the developing world. During the week, members are asked to eat a diet similar to what someone in the less developed areas of the world would eat on a daily basis. The money saved will then be used to fund projects in these areas with a focus on access to clean water.
     I loved that my church family was doing this study and asked to be a part of it through doing the readings and providing what little insight I may have from Zambia. Today's lesson really hit home for me. It tackled convenience and boy oh boy have I learned what this word means since being in Zambia. It means having what you want when you want it in the fastest and easiest manner. In a way, it means being spoiled. I've also learned that I took convenience for granted when I was in the states. I now appreciate what this word truly means and I no longer take it for granted.
     Zambia is a wonderful place. There is a cultural richness I haven't experienced anywhere else. The care and friendliness that people show one another is astounding. The joy that comes with merely sitting with someone and chatting is unmatched - it is people-focused and laughter filled. Everyone shares what they have and offers help where they can.
     Zambia is also a country still in development. With that comes certain hindrances to convenience. Towns are typically small and filled with tiny, family run shops with a few chains present. And while grocery stores in Lusaka and Livingstone are fairly well stocked, that same store in my town and others like it probably aren't. It may be out of cheese, fruit and/or vegetables, spices, meat, coffee, or ice cream for months. I haven't seen granola (my favorite breakfast food in my grocery store for a year.) You never know what will be available when you make your monthly or bi-weekly trip to town. It can be rather frustrating, and inconvenient, when, on one of these rare trips, there are no apples or carrots or powdered milk. But even in this I am spoiled, a privileged shopper because I can afford to shop at a Spar or Shoprite (the local grocery store chains). So, even though I may be upset when Spar has no cheese, to put things in perspective, the majority of Zambians I know have never tasted cheese.
     When I first arrived in my village, it was fun to duck into the little shops looking for what I needed or just to explore. With time and the unique sport of catching public transport to get to my nearest town though, sometimes I just wanted a one-stop shopping center. In America there are stores where you can buy everything you need from groceries to clothes to auto parts. Chances are you can even walk into a more specialized store, like Home Depot, and still find everything you need for your weekend construction project. I mention this because recently I co-facilitated an Appropriate Technology workshop and must have visited a dozen different shops tucked away all around town to find all of the materials that were needed.
    There are do many other "convenient " things I could talk about that we take for granted in the states - paved roads, cell phone plans, hobbies - but I think the point is clear. We really do take convenience for granted.
     Zambia has given me a new appreciation for what convenience is. Next time I walk into a Home Depot, Food Lion, or Target I will think how amazing it is that I don't have to visit 12 more stores before I'm finished with my shopping. Hopefully being here also makes me a more conscientious consumer and reminds me that for some families convenience means having to shell peanuts you harvested from your own field so you can eat dinner tonight.