General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
Overall, I have had a wonderful experience in Zambia. Within this short one week experience, I was able to learn a lot about the country- the culture, cuisine, people, and ups and downs of the lives here. This was a great learning opportunity and this experience has already inspired motivation for bringing change into the world in need. Sharing the tales from this experience with my loved ones have already opened the opportunity to educate people and inspire fundraising and donations as well!Country
Zambia is an amazingly friendly country. People are very nice and open to friendship. They are inquisitive and accepting of the differences that I presented to them. Food and accommodation is very cheap as well, making the country available for affordable tourism. Everyone speaks very good English and I also have not felt unsafe anywhere!
Project & Staff
The project I worked in was a very fun one, where I helped build a mud house. As crafty as it sounds, it is a combination of technical knowledge learnt by the villagers by tradition. Due to lack of manpower created by different disease epidemic that affected the young adult generation, the village is left with a higher ratio of children and elderly compared to adult of age needed for hard labor. The houses made of mud needs reconstruction, and lack of income and manpower makes it difficult to do that. The project is completely funded by volunteers and is run very efficiently. The staff are very altruistic in nature and have left their lives in other countries to settle in this village to continue this cause. I have had a great experience and the patient staff has answered all my inquisitive questions for me to be able to learn more about the country, it’s people and their needs!
Tips
Have an open mind and go with the flow. There are many ways to help the individuals in need. As I am very goal oriented, I started creating goals of how much work I want done in the given time. Within a short time, I realized how patient and open minded these villagers are. They themselves being in need, were ready to take life as it is and surf the wave rather than swimming against the current. They gave the project a very festive atmosphere by chatting, smiling, singing etc., while continuing to work, rather than making it a stressful environment. I am greateful to the people here to remind me of how we are responsible for shaping our own lives by keeping the balance between work and fun!