midterms and marriage

The mid-term had begun and Drs. Thuma and Mylin were quietly discussing the source of the chocolate selection that had just been passed around to give the students that little extra “oomph” to get them through the mid-term! All of the sudden, a chorus of “ssshhhhh!!!” rang out from the students directed toward our little table of leaders. Oops. The test had already begun!

The morning had been quiet with studying students, the loudest sounds were of groups of students quizzing each other on the material, or the rustling of pages as students reviewed their own hand-written notes and textbook, or the clicks of mouse pads as students studied the lecture notes posted online. Most students were very anxious to get the first major test out of the way, particularly given the fact the power had gone out at 10:30 p.m. last night, impeding some of their prime study time! A few courageous students spent some of their precious morning hours observing surgery at the hospital. Most found a quiet corner to cram in!

The collective sigh of relief is almost audible when the last mid-term is turned in and students quickly begin comparing notes. After a brief

 break, we continue class discussing a case study on preventing diarrheal deaths in Egypt, have an introduction to primary health care background and basic concepts, and watch another clip from the PBS series “Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge” discussing the need for clean water and proper sanitation systems.

This evening we were privileged to meet Edgar and Grace, a young Zambian couple who work at the Macha Mission Hospital, and who talked to us about traditional courtship and marriage in Zambian culture and how it is currently changing. Edgar and Grace come from two different Zambian tribes, each with their own unique traditions, making it even more challenging for them to navigate between the two. Because they are of the younger generation, they don’t adhere to all of the traditions of their tribes, but still work very hard to honor their families. Though traditionally, Zambian families chose mates for their children, Edgar and Grace were friends before wanting to get married and shared that this is becoming more the norm in the younger generations. However, they are still very limited in their interactions prior to marriage. For instance, a Zambian woman should never cook for a man who is not her husband. That is something that should be reserved for marriage!

Family and community are central themes to both courtship and marriage in Zambia, with a person’s family and upbringing playing a huge role in their lives throughout courtship, and as a couple. Edgar and Grace told us about the brideprice a groom and his family must pay for a bride, explained the process a groom must go through to obtain a woman’s hand in marriage from her family, and how a couple is considered married after that price has been paid, even if they have not yet had a formal ceremony. We discussed traditional gender roles in Zambian culture, with women serving men (and never vice versa!), but with men being responsible for paying for everything (even if a woman has her own job – that money is completely hers to do with what she wants!). We also discussed the almost complete lack of public displays of affection in Zambia (a huge difference from our American culture!). Edgar and Grace also asked us a number of questions about our American cultural traditions on marriage and courtship and were quite shocked, I think, at how very different these are in our two very different cultures!  They are a delightful couple and so graciously willing and able to give us a glimpse into this unique aspect of Zambian life. 

Tomorrow we will be visiting a rural health center in the morning in one of the surrounding villages, followed by class in the afternoon. Another wonderful day in Africa!