Blogs from Kabwata, Lusaka, Zambia, Africa

Lusaka, Zambia 17 August 2012: After a 12 hour drive, some bumpy, some not, we drove through a beautiful valley and came to a bridge that we were not allowed to take a photo of, and there was an army guy with a gun there making sure there were no photos taken!! We arrived just before sunset, to the camp site that was actually a wildlife farm. The owner several years ago decided to take in rescued and injured animals. We only saw gazelles, zebras and giraffes. Giraffes are not native to Zambia. Several of our group took their cameras out at dusk and got some lovely photos of the family of 5 giraffes. The bar had a pool table and the England/South African 3rd game of a test match was being screened on the TV ... read more

Closing in on the end of my second week in Lusaka. And I am not ready to leave yet. I have now finally started to volunteer for EduSport and at this point, I really need to thank the people here for making great efforts to make me feel welcome and as part of the "EduSport family". They have been great in including me in everything and taking care of me. To briefly explain what EduSport is all about; the foundation is built on the motto "Education through Sport" and was started and is run by Zambians. That is what makes EduSport different from other aid organizations found around here; its primary projects rely purely on local workforce. Of course they gladly accept help from foreigners (such as myself), but then it is in a way that ... read more

In the last 24 hours we have been scrambling to get all the cure kits, books, shoes, and clothes in our groups vehicles to bring on the plane tomorrow (June 15, 09). Also, our group got a blessing from our church today, and we are so grateful to have such a supportive church and community. Our whole group is so excited... and a little nervous for our trip tomorrow, but we are confident to get through customs and to help the Zambians as much as we can. Goodbye until later, we will keep you posted. -Evan One of the biggest last minute challenges we encountered was figuring out a way to get all 38 boxes/bags of medical supplies, books, school supplies, shoes, and other supplies on the plane. We are each packing our personal items in ... read more