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This blog will be an account my life working in a Refugee camp in Northern Zambia called Mwange. For the next year, I will be working for Right to Play, a sport and development organization based out of Toronto. What follows will be a life altering experience. Stay tuned....
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Arrival Lusaka
March 8
Arrival to Lusaka
Calgary – Minneapolis – Amsterdam – Nairobi – Lusaka
Forty-eight hours later, I arrived in Lusaka, with relative ease I might add… I was even given the pleasure of seating emergency exits most of the way. Only problem came on the flight to Amsterdam where I had some old snobby European guy kicking my foot whenever I got to close to his “space”. The nostalgia began upon my touchdown in Nairobi, my first glimpse of sub-saharan Africa. Though I’ve seen countless images of Southern Africa and thought I would not be shocked upon arrival, my heart heaved when I saw the arid land, low brush and the colour of dirt everywhere I looked. There is nothing you can compare it to from what I’ve experienced – including the scenary, people, way of life and social fabric. More to come…
I met my project partner, Sophie at the airport who was joined by our driver/mechanic/all around genius, Peter. Peter is a native of Lusaka, while Sophie is from Calgary and has been working on the project in Mporokoso since July. My first taste of Lusaka was unimaginable. Everywhere you turn there is people… Not much for development, the buildings are all run down, the roads are unpaved, sidewalks are unheard of. Anything of value is behind a gate with barbed wire or electrical fences… The crime rate in Lusaka is quite high, carjacking are quite common and you are advised to never drive by yourself at night…
We proceeded to the Right to Play house in Lusaka where we are staying. I met Carmen and Naomi who are organizing the project here. I found out that we wouldn’t be heading to Mporokoso until Sat. as our truck was in the shop. Then it was bed time….
Woke up at 8 to go out for my first Zambian dinner (though we went to an Italian restaurant!!), and met a few more people… According to Sophie, we had a lot of work to do in the next couple days, so we weren’t out too late.
Arrival to Lusaka
Calgary – Minneapolis – Amsterdam – Nairobi – Lusaka
Forty-eight hours later, I arrived in Lusaka, with relative ease I might add… I was even given the pleasure of seating emergency exits most of the way. Only problem came on the flight to Amsterdam where I had some old snobby European guy kicking my foot whenever I got to close to his “space”. The nostalgia began upon my touchdown in Nairobi, my first glimpse of sub-saharan Africa. Though I’ve seen countless images of Southern Africa and thought I would not be shocked upon arrival, my heart heaved when I saw the arid land, low brush and the colour of dirt everywhere I looked. There is nothing you can compare it to from what I’ve experienced – including the scenary, people, way of life and social fabric. More to come…
I met my project partner, Sophie at the airport who was joined by our driver/mechanic/all around genius, Peter. Peter is a native of Lusaka, while Sophie is from Calgary and has been working on the project in Mporokoso since July. My first taste of Lusaka was unimaginable. Everywhere you turn there is people… Not much for development, the buildings are all run down, the roads are unpaved, sidewalks are unheard of. Anything of value is behind a gate with barbed wire or electrical fences… The crime rate in Lusaka is quite high, carjacking are quite common and you are advised to never drive by yourself at night…
We proceeded to the Right to Play house in Lusaka where we are staying. I met Carmen and Naomi who are organizing the project here. I found out that we wouldn’t be heading to Mporokoso until Sat. as our truck was in the shop. Then it was bed time….
Woke up at 8 to go out for my first Zambian dinner (though we went to an Italian restaurant!!), and met a few more people… According to Sophie, we had a lot of work to do in the next couple days, so we weren’t out too late.
