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Laughter in the Shadows: Stories of Courage from 11 Zambian Women
"Mum, you're not like the rest of your family," her children say.Naomie replies, "That's because I have a fighting spirit." Zambian women often face extraordinary challenges that women in the Western world can hardly crippling poverty, exposure to HIV, barriers to education, insufficient healthcare services, scarce resources for their children's needs, family betrayals and even the threat of witchcraft. Yet in spite of the obstacles, many of them persevere and succeed in creating better lives for themselves and their children. Naomie and the ten other women portrayed in this book know the secret to overcoming hardships is to work hard, to challenge expectations, to be strong, to be true to themselves and to laugh, even when times are hard. Their stories are, in many ways, universal - the stories of women overcoming hardships for the sake of their families - yet they are as specific and as unique as each of the women featured in this book.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 29, 2017
Another take on agriculture ten thousand miles away from the north Slocan Valley is provided by Marianne Stamm, herself the daughter of Swiss homesteaders in northern B.C., and, with her husband, agricultural specialists in Zambia. Marianne Stamm's first book, Laughter in the Shadows, came to being after eight years of work, volunteering and friendship with eleven amazing women. 85% of Zambians work in some form of agriculture and the rest are directly or indirectly involved in copper mining.
As a mzungu, or white foreigner, she had misgivings about writing about something as overwhelming as Africa but her friends themselves asked her to tell their stories so other women in Zambia as well as women in Europe and North America would know the truth of their struggles and the rewards of their knowledge and hard work. This the author has done in a respectful, open-minded yet intimate way and likewise, there are pensive, sombre or joyful photographic portraits of each woman featured which add immense appeal to the book.
In a country where the relatives of a recently-deceased husband can and do descend on his household to strip it of every pot and pan and table-cloth, leaving the wife or wives, destitute along with their children, this is no small thing, to bravely speak up. But these are stories of women with great courage and hard-won wisdom. One woman wants her story to help others who are HIV-positive. Yet another wants to share the information about agriculture she is learning with others, to help improve their lives as well. Another is very interested in learning more about nutrition and keeps trying new crops, like soybeans. Bonus, unlike the tall stalks of maize (corn), thieves cannot hide in the short bean crop and steal from it. Most of the women want food security and better educations for their children, to be able to provide enough food to survive no matter what befalls them. The advice of one wise woman is always to start small. “Plant a small amount of something new. Do it well. Then increase the acreage only when you know you can manage.” 3000 tomato plants later she has a thriving market business.
One widow worked full-time as a nurse, which does not pay well but which comes with a small house. She travelled on the jam-packed public buses after her work shift to buy beans near the Tanzania border, where they were cheaper, and brought them back to the market at home to sell them there. She cultivated a large garden and raised chickens, bringing them into the house every night so they would not be stolen. Another walks miles to a separate plot to cultivate food crops to sell. The sheer amount of tenacity and labour and extra hours these determined women work is staggering.
The kindness and helpfulness of the author is rarely in the forefront but it is obvious to me that she is beloved and trusted for her support and friendship as she manoeuvred through bureaucracies in order to send women to an agriculture course, for example. Her lively descriptions are as vivid as the head scarves and smiles in the portraits and we feel, much like the author, invited into the living rooms to listen to the life stories of these remarkable women. The perfect gift for that special young or retired person in your family who wants to put their own education and life experience to good use in the bigger world where the need is greatest. That too, takes courage and this well-written book will inspire them.
A handy glossary of African and agricultural words and cultural terms is provided. This book is available on Kindle ($9.99 approx) and online at Amazon and in Canada at the Cecil Lake Store in BC (250-785-4001)https://www.facebook.com/cecillakegen... and in select Alberta locations as well as by contacting the author at marerobster@gmail.com for more information.
As a mzungu, or white foreigner, she had misgivings about writing about something as overwhelming as Africa but her friends themselves asked her to tell their stories so other women in Zambia as well as women in Europe and North America would know the truth of their struggles and the rewards of their knowledge and hard work. This the author has done in a respectful, open-minded yet intimate way and likewise, there are pensive, sombre or joyful photographic portraits of each woman featured which add immense appeal to the book.
In a country where the relatives of a recently-deceased husband can and do descend on his household to strip it of every pot and pan and table-cloth, leaving the wife or wives, destitute along with their children, this is no small thing, to bravely speak up. But these are stories of women with great courage and hard-won wisdom. One woman wants her story to help others who are HIV-positive. Yet another wants to share the information about agriculture she is learning with others, to help improve their lives as well. Another is very interested in learning more about nutrition and keeps trying new crops, like soybeans. Bonus, unlike the tall stalks of maize (corn), thieves cannot hide in the short bean crop and steal from it. Most of the women want food security and better educations for their children, to be able to provide enough food to survive no matter what befalls them. The advice of one wise woman is always to start small. “Plant a small amount of something new. Do it well. Then increase the acreage only when you know you can manage.” 3000 tomato plants later she has a thriving market business.
One widow worked full-time as a nurse, which does not pay well but which comes with a small house. She travelled on the jam-packed public buses after her work shift to buy beans near the Tanzania border, where they were cheaper, and brought them back to the market at home to sell them there. She cultivated a large garden and raised chickens, bringing them into the house every night so they would not be stolen. Another walks miles to a separate plot to cultivate food crops to sell. The sheer amount of tenacity and labour and extra hours these determined women work is staggering.
The kindness and helpfulness of the author is rarely in the forefront but it is obvious to me that she is beloved and trusted for her support and friendship as she manoeuvred through bureaucracies in order to send women to an agriculture course, for example. Her lively descriptions are as vivid as the head scarves and smiles in the portraits and we feel, much like the author, invited into the living rooms to listen to the life stories of these remarkable women. The perfect gift for that special young or retired person in your family who wants to put their own education and life experience to good use in the bigger world where the need is greatest. That too, takes courage and this well-written book will inspire them.
A handy glossary of African and agricultural words and cultural terms is provided. This book is available on Kindle ($9.99 approx) and online at Amazon and in Canada at the Cecil Lake Store in BC (250-785-4001)https://www.facebook.com/cecillakegen... and in select Alberta locations as well as by contacting the author at marerobster@gmail.com for more information.
December 11, 2015
I enjoyed this far more than I expected. The women profiled are genuinely inspiring, and the writer does a fine job of engaging with them "on eye level" as the Germans say – in genuine friendship, without condescension. Stamm is clearly well aware of the pitfalls of coming to Africa as a development worker, hoping to make real change happen but managing only to patronise. I deeply appreciated her self-awareness and efforts to go beyond the superficial.
As a South African I did notice a few, trivial inaccuracies, and there are one or two more significant points I would question. (I don't think her understanding of lobola, which she translates as "bride price", is in line with what it means to Africans. I don't really understand it myself but I have heard African feminists argue that it is NOT a bride price, its significance is quite different. Perhaps more like, a token of commitment and engagement with the bride's clan? I'm only guessing.) But overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading a description of a familiar culture and landscape, written without sentimentality or superiority. And the experiences and attitudes of these tough, funny, un-self-pitying women will certainly stay with me, like those of other women I know (African and European) on whose strength and resilience I draw for motivation.
As a South African I did notice a few, trivial inaccuracies, and there are one or two more significant points I would question. (I don't think her understanding of lobola, which she translates as "bride price", is in line with what it means to Africans. I don't really understand it myself but I have heard African feminists argue that it is NOT a bride price, its significance is quite different. Perhaps more like, a token of commitment and engagement with the bride's clan? I'm only guessing.) But overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading a description of a familiar culture and landscape, written without sentimentality or superiority. And the experiences and attitudes of these tough, funny, un-self-pitying women will certainly stay with me, like those of other women I know (African and European) on whose strength and resilience I draw for motivation.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews