Zambia 2008!

I have done many crazy things in my life but taking 6 high school students may top my list! After a mini-adventure getting to Zambia, being re-routed through Dubai, Nairobi and Lusaka, we arrived in Ndola, Zambia but without all 16 pieces of luggage. Everyone coped well; we had what we needed in our carry-ons. Students even acknowledged how little they really need to get by! We spent our 2 weeks in the Copperbelt at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Sanctuary where they all became chimp experts and made new friendships. We spent days observing the chimps, teaching at the Twampane School and playing with the kids in the compound. These were the moments that really opened eyes!

We also did a few "projects." We sponsored a nearby village school to come and see the chimps, do art projects, play soccer and stay the night. They also sang and danced for us. The evening turned into a dance party with all of the Chimfunshi workers and their families along with all of us dancing too! The power in their singing hits you deep in your soul. They sang the entire hour to and from the school...all of us in the back of a truck with rhythm and harmony carrying us.

We spent a day in the Muchinshi village. This is the nearest school up to grade 9. We taught English class, writing acrostic poetry about ourselves and our lives. This gave everyone a personal look at how rural, poor Zambians describe themselves, their families, and aspirations. The same day we also painted the girls' dormitories at the Muchinshi School. The dorms are free for girls that are able to pay their tuition for school but live too far away. Painting was just the excuse for us to spend a day there; some of us were asked to join them for meals, we were refered to as "sista" by many, and were very sad to be leaving when they invited us to stay the night.

Our final project was with the Fbwanse Women's Centre in Muchinshi. This group of amazing women grow and grind corn for the elders and orphans in the village. They are able to pay for this by running a small bakery selling scones. We spent an afternoon there being greeted with hugs and singing followed by a tour of their facility. back in the large roon they sang and danced for us then presented us with a huge traditional meal: nshima (ground corn staple food), cabbage, fried sweet potatoes, chicken, kapenta (small fried fish), chibwabwa (pumpkin leaves with peanut powder), sweet potato leaves, rice, rape (canola leaves), and sweet potatoes with peanut powder. After the meal we gave a small donation for the repair of one of their mill parts.

Overall our time in the Copperbelt was eye opening and very successful. All of the students made connections with the children and adults living there. They got to hold and play with a baby chimp and became experts on the subject. I hope that they also reflected on their own lives and possessions and "needs" and a bit of perspective was gained.

After a great 2 weeks we drove a hellishly long drive to Livingstone where we visited Victoria Falls. We viewed the falls from the Zambia side but also went up in a micro light aircraft (like a hand glider with a small propeller and a pilot). This was amazing! Not only do you see the ENTIRE falls, but you see elephants, hippos and crocs from the air! Viewing the falls from the air is breathtaking! We did a dinner cruise up stream from the falls and saw some more wildlife but the real trip was in Botswana.

We did a 3 day camping safari in Chobe National Park. I feel like I can say that we saw everything! There was plenty of elephants, giraffes, zebras, tons and tons of different birds, baboons, impala, buffalo and others. But it was the special moments seeing animals do things: lions mating, buffalo by the thousands moving, zebras stampeed, the impala in a tree carried by a leopard, the leopard in the neighboring tree hanging out on a branch, hyaenas, vultures and storks sharing a carcass, elephants swimming, zebras "foreplay", plus so much more. It was a great way to end a trip!

My goals for the trip were to help young people gain perspective and open their eyes; what I was opening their eyes to depended on the students. I KNOW that these students changed the lives of hundreds of children and I hope that one of those kids changed the life of one of the students. Whether they made a connection with the animals or kids, that's all that I wanted and I think that it was accomplished.