Niya: Welcoming with Kindness
Niya, from Washington, DC, is a student at George Washington University and participant in LearnServe Global Zambia 2026.
During my time with the LearnServe Global exchange program in Zambia, I was able to become well immersed within the culture and get an amazing experience of what it’s like to live there. My first impression of Zambia right after landing was being greeted by the Zambian LearnServe cohort, and we were met with such kindness. They helped us feel so welcomed in this country that was new and foreign to us. I was able to get to know each of them individually throughout the trip and none of them made me feel like a stranger even though we had just met, which is something I will never forget about being there.
“My first impression of Zambia right after landing was being greeted by the Zambian LearnServe cohort, and we were met with such kindness. They helped us feel so welcomed in this country that was new and foreign to us.
While we were there, we also were able to interact with the community doing service projects. Specifically there were two days that I particularly favored. One was when we were able to make gift bags for children in need who were a part of the Fountain of Hope. We had the privilege of getting to know some of them while we were split into groups of girls and boys, learning about topics that catered towards the groups. Then LearnServe got to paint a part of one of their buildings all while we were still able to interact with the children of the Fountain of Hope.
Similar to this day, we visited Njira, where the Zambian LearnServe cohort meets. While the main premise of this day was to also paint a building there, I was able to engage with some of the children within the community. I remember playing soccer with some of them and someone from our LearnServe group. More children along with LearnServe members came afterward and we all played different games and taught dances to each other. The Zambian students were able to teach some of us visiting students dances they do there, and we were able to return the favor. I loved being able to not only learn from them while being there, but we were able to share parts of our culture with them as well.
I truly enjoyed my time visiting Zambia. It was an amazing experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything else. I loved getting to know the culture, food, living styles, people, and everything else while staying there for two and a half weeks. To this day, I am still in contact with the friends that I made in Zambia and am very grateful to have made these lasting connections. I’m elated to say that I was a part of the LearnServe Global Zambia cohort of 2026, keeping all the memories and knowledge I’ve learned from my stay for years to come.