Community water projects, and a welcome BBQ
Yesterday was my first night in Zambia and I slept like a baby! The weather here is beautiful; it’s cool in the mornings and warm in the evenings. I still cannot believe that I’m in Africa! We just finished our group reflection and there are so many new realizations I am mulling over. I feel so fortunate to be experiencing the culture of Zambia with such a diverse and wonderful group of people.
Today we visited two PlayPumps sites and I learned so much. The first site we visited was a rural area thirty minutes outside of Lusaka and we got to see a solar panel that provided water to the residents of the village. This solar panel costs $20,000 and approximately two days to install yet it makes such a significant impact on those peoples’ lives. The children there were very welcoming and seeing their smiles made my day! The second site we visited was Chawama Zocs Community School where the first PlayPump in all of Zambia was installed. The community school is for orphans and also has an elderly care home (the ONLY one in Zambia!) Because of the PlayPump, a new playground was made for the children with beautiful murals, creative structures such as giraffes, and a nice pond. Every turn of the PlayPump brings up five liters of water from the well! It was really exciting to see these sites! I feel so fortunate to be here and cannot wait for the rest of the adventure!
Finally, hi Mom, Dad, Bhai, and Urvi! I miss you guys!
-Rushika
I had a wonderful day today! I experienced some new things, learned more about Zambian culture and met new people. I feel very fortunate to be in such a beautiful country and love how the locals are so friendly. When driving through Lusaka many people waved and smiled at us and the children were also very sociable and excited. After visiting the play pump, we were invited to a cookout. I was astonished to see a whole pig rotating over a fire and I was very curious to see how this meat would be served. At dinner the pork was chopped up and was served with many other dishes and sauces. The food was delicious and I enjoyed every minute of the cookout. After dinner, some locals performed for us by dancing and singing. I loved it mostly because they seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was. I was also very surprised because a man started picking people to dance with them. One of the first people he chose was me! It was very fun and enjoyable even though I can not dance nearly as well as the Zambians.
I can honestly say that I truly enjoyed my first full day in Zambia and this experience will be very memorable. I would encourage anyone to take a trip like this.
PS. Hi Mom and Dad! ... Happy Early Birthday!
-Jovena