5 Comments
I wrote earlier about my trip to Zambia this summer, and here are some more details:
I lived with 5 other girls who each had a group of boys or girls that week to oversee. We stayed in Mulangishi Villiage, a small neighborhood with homes usually to house government officials. We had electricity most of the time, and semi-warm running water some of the time. The boys and girls would ride busses each morning from their villages into the compound run by CampLife, where we would meet them.
During the week with my boys and girls, we would play games with them- mostly dancing games. I was constantly reminded how awful of a dancer I am, especially compared to the Zambians. They would push me in a circle during a game and find great entertainment in watching me attempt to move like them. With my boys, when we weren’t singing and dancing, we were playing soccer. The ball we used was made up of plastic bags that were rubber banded together. My girls loved soccer as well, but also found joy in playing with my hair that was “too soft”. They were amazed that after they braided my hair, the braids would just fall out and not stay in without using a rubber band to hold in the braids. “Your hair is too soft, Auntie Morgan.” they would say.
For lunch, we would give them four pieces of bread and a drink that was equivalent to rice milk. And at the end of the day, we would send them home with an apple and a Tootsie Roll or “sweet” that many of them would save for their family.
On Thursdays, it was “Shoe Day.” Each child was given a brand new pair of tennis shoes. On average, it would take almost a year’s wages to have enough money to buy a new pair of shoes. These children got them for free. After they received their new shoes, we would go into their compounds to see where they lived. This was the most eye-opening day, seeing the conditions in which the kids lived day in and day out.
On Fridays, we would give each of them a “Blessing Box.” A Blessing Box is a gift that contained five pencils, two ballpoint pens, an eraser, crayons, stickers, a ruler, notebooks, and a Beanie Baby. This was a HUGE deal for the Zambians to receive these supplies. For most of the children, they could not go to school because they couldn’t afford the supplies that the school required. This way, the kids had a better chance of going to school because the supplies were provided for them.
I cannot wait to go back next summer to see my kids again. This was by far the most life-changing experience of my life. I would encourage anyone, if you ever have the opportunity, go to Africa! You will not be the same.
