December 9, Arrival!- Aimee Neff

Day 1

Betsy, Azahara, Consuelo, Amy, Kathryn and I have officially kicked things off in Zambia! We landed this afternoon in the capital, Lusaka, after a short two-hour flight up from Johannesburg, South Africa. World Vision staffers Paul, Chris, DJ and Mutinta were there to greet us and take us to lunch at Bonanza Golf Course near the airport. Golf Fore Africa has an awesome partnership with World Vision, who is doing work in over 100 countries. The more I learn about Golf Fore Africa’s partnership with World Vision, my gratitude grows for the work they are doing in Zambia and around the world! 

 

This evening we had a delicious dinner with more of World Vision’s awesome staff and went over what we can expect in the days ahead. A huge thank you to our World Vision staff that is hosting us this week: Kathryn, Mutinta, Jason, Kenny, Maybin, Hazel and Kalimansi!  

A few takeaways after talking with some Zambians over dinner: 

  • There are currently 10 provinces in Zambia 

  • 73 different languages are spoken throughout the country (most Zambians only speak 3 or 4) 

  • Zambia is in the lower 20-25% of countries in the world with access to clean and safe water 

  • Southern and western Zambia are currently in a Category 3 Crisis due to drought in recent years as food and water have become limited 

  • It is approximately the size of Texas 

  • In 1964, Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom 

  • Zambians love to dance and are very hospitable! 

The goal this week is to have open hearts and minds while learning as much as we can about Zambia and the life-giving and changing impact of clean and safe water. 

“Knowledge is like a garden: If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.” -African Proverb