17 days & counting...

Well, it’s been 8 1/2 months since I arrived to work/live in Zambia and I must say time still flies when dealing with the underprivileged in a charity NGO capacity. I doubted this, knowing I’d be on my own living at Lifespring Farm w/o my friends & family whom I rely upon so heavily. Plus, the African pace is much slower than corporate work in busy Toronto but I sit here with only 2 ½ weeks remaining and can’t believe I’ll be home the first week of June.

See, I’ve always had a house-mate since I left home after school in 1988 so I thought I’d be lonely here but not with 8 UK’ers around. The Benns & Burn family that live, run the farm & the charity/foundation have kept me busy plus socializing with the many amazing visitors who travel through this place that I’ve learned to call home.

Since December, I have made many friends in town and tried to get over to Chifubu once a week to help at the Isubilo charity and visit the children that you see posted all over my walls from my previous trips in 2003 & 2005.

As of April 10th, I moved off the farm and into Ndola to work at Isubilo Community Centre and live with 2 wonderful girls – Kristi from St. Catherines and Julia from Sussex, England. So I have housemates once again!!



I have so enjoyed my work at Isubilo as I speak more & more bemba every day and I have built stronger relationships with the staff & clients alike. My time with the Zambians has taught me so much about life struggle, dealing with disease/poverty & seeing how hard it is for the orphans to have practically no guidance from any elders therefore, leaving them with little self-worth and no discipline.

Just think what it would be like not to have parents to raise you and only be able to go to school for 3 hour periods so basically not enough time to be truly mentored by your teacher.

This is why I believe in these charities that have hired wonderful local people to help these children and to have a comfort stable place to visit and play with other children who are experiencing the same. It fills my heart to see the children rely on their friendships that they’ve made over the past 7 years as Isubilo clients. I have seen death of all ages,

I have recently seen some of my kids tested and are positive for HIV,

I had two of the boys steal from me and had to discipline accordingly (one of my saddest days here),

I have seen grown men beat women on the street,

I have seen young street boys get high by sniffing petrol from a coke bottle,

I have seen teenage girls sell their body for money,

I have seen children drinking water from the Mushili road ditch

and although all very hard to see-- this is life in Africa.

I now count my blessings that I was born in a country with opportunity and that I had my parents to teach me life lessons that children here miss out on. We are all God’s children and nobody deserves to live in such poverty.

I can only hope that my time with these children has been somewhat of a benefit to them. These precious people have certainly taught me a thing or two about simple living. Wherever my next path shall lead, I will walk with them in my heart and I will live a different life because of my experiences here.

Thanks for listening & keeping up on my blog.
Love, Tracey xox