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Walking the Bowl
Walking the Bowl: Hope and Hardship on the Streets of Lusaka | Chris Lockhart, Daniel Mulilo Chama
3 posts | 3 read | 6 to read
For readers of Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Nothing to Envy, this is a breathtaking real-life story of four street children in contemporary Zambia whose lives are drawn together and forever altered by the mysterious murder of a fellow street child. Based on years of investigative reporting and unprecedented fieldwork, Walking the Bowl immerses readers in the daily lives of four unforgettable characters: Lusabilo, a determined waste picker; Kapula, a burned-out brothel worker; Moonga, a former rock crusher turned beggar; and Timo, an ambitious gang leader. These children navigate the violent and poverty-stricken underworld of Lusaka, one of Africa's fastest growing cities. When the dead body of a ten-year-old boy is discovered under a heap of garbage in Lusaka's largest landfill, a murder investigation quickly heats up due to the influence of the victim's mother and her far-reaching political connections. The children's lives become more closely intertwined as each child engages in a desperate bid for survival against forces they could never have imagined. Gripping and fast-paced, the book exposes the perilous aspects of street life through the eyes of the children who survive, endure and dream there, and what emerges is an ultimately hopeful story about human kindness and how one small good deed, passed on to others, can make a difference in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
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Adventures_of_a_French_Reader
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Pickpick

Excellent book every one should read about the street children in Lusaka, Zambia. This book shows that even in dire situations, some people "walk the bowl," spreading a little bit of hope. The subject matter is obviously very sad, describing the terrible living conditions of these children, but I feel like it's a necessary read.

Simona I just started listening to it today … 3y
Adventures_of_a_French_Reader @Simona I hope you will find it as interesting as I did. And I hope the audiobook is of quality. Some parts are quite rough to read, so I cannot really tell you to enjoy your reading... Finishing this book, I just felt like wanting to "walk the bowl." 3y
Simona Yes it is a good audiobook and heartbreaking stories. I‘m participating in challenge #ReadingAfrica2022 and I love the concept of community and principle of good deeds through all African countries, no matter how poor or bad their circumstances are. In this book is ‘walk the bowl‘, in my recent read … it was Ubuntu - ‘I am because we are‘. 3y
17 likes3 comments
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Floresj
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Pickpick

At times graphic, intense and tragic, this book somehow turns these events into a story of hope and kindness. I came close to stopping a few times, but am happy I stuck with it for closure on the street children the authors followed. Multiple characters are intertwined throughout the book and survival is shown in all its forms.

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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Lusaka, #Zambia is home to a population of street children, who fend for themselves and just try to survive. This book follows four of those kids while piecing together the story of a murdered child. This is tough stuff with all the content warnings, but there‘s also hope threaded through this. I definitely recommend this one.

#ReadingAfrica2022

LeahBergen Oof. 💔 3y
Texreader I definitely must read this. This was my husband‘s hometown for half his childhood (the other half in Norway where he was born—his family went back and forth when his Dad was assigned projects in Zambia). It was in a civil war when he lived there. It was a unique experience to say the least. When I read the Old Drift, I would ask him about things there and it brought back a flood of memories for him. I wonder how this will be for him. 3y
BarbaraBB It sounds tough but I do need a book for Zambia! 3y
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Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB Parts of if are definitely tough, but I think the authors did as good a job as one can with balancing it. 3y
Hooked_on_books @Texreader What an interesting way to grow up! I find that fascinating, particularly since it‘s so different from my own life experience. I can‘t imagine being in a country at war, especially one not your own. This should be an interesting read for you both. 3y
Librarybelle Wow! It sounds like a must read but also a very tough read 3y
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