Before I leave for any trip, I like to immerse myself in books about the country. Sometimes that means reading about the local history, but more often I use fiction or personal stories to help me get deeper insight into the culture. Here are a few of the books that help me set the stage for my trip to Zambia.
Shiva Naipaul, brother of the famous author V.S. Naipaul, writes his humorous and sometimes unsettling observations after a trip to Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia in the 1970s. It's a great insight into attitudes among Blacks, Whites, and Indians in Africa that still persist today
Alexandra Fuller's New York Times best selling memoir about her childhood in Rhodesia, Zambia and Malawi during the Rhodesian civil war. It's an insight into the brutality and segregation of that society at the time from the eyes of a child trying to piece it all together.
The Eye of the Elephant is the riveting tale of the Owen fight against elephant poachers in Zambia's Luangwa Valley. This book, together with the Owen's advocacy work with local villagers is credited with reversing a trend that was destroying these magical animals and their habitats.
If you're traveling to Zambia, this is the most complete and up-to-date guidebook for the country. A history and culture section does a good job of outlining the most important information for you to know about the country, and the guidbook lists resources for visiting both the major national parks and more off-the-beaten-path destinations. The author's love for Zambia really shows through in this book.
Missing a little context? Jump to the bottom to learn more about why I'm in Zambia this week.
Spoiler alert - the libraries are real, and by the end of this day we cut a red ribbon
I may have helped organize the Passports with Purpose fundraiser, but it was the work of about two thousand people (between bloggers, donors and corporate sponsors) who really built this project. So to load myself into a car, ride about 90 minutes outside Lusaka, and be greeted with such overwhelming enthusiasm felt a little bit like stealing someone else's glory. Here's my best effort to capture the feeling of that day so that you can enjoy your fair share.
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Even Google maps can't help you find Chilileka Basic School
Our early morning rush to pack into the car an leave town felt reflected in the crush of the urban Lusaka roadside.
Leaving downtown Lusaka
But as we left the city, our energy started to mellow, and there was a chance to reflect on what it meant to build a library in Zambia. Our township tour the day before had deeply touched me. The kids we met in Lusaka's slums really had nothing. Even fewer services reach kids in the country. Access to clean water, shelter, food and medical care are much needed fundamentals. Still, for the kids who survive childhood, an education is the only way to rise out of the hand-to-mouth cycle lived out by their parents - and for that, they need books. It's impossible to become truly literate when you learn to read from a blackboard.
You're never truly alone in Africa, there's always someone walking along the roadside
Michelle, Beth and I really didn't know what to expect from this visit. It's hard to get a handle on a country like Zambia in advance. Even in the age of the Internet, there are few pictures outside of the tourist areas and guidebooks don't paint a clear picture of what a rural school might look like.
And what about the students and teachers, would they see our visit as an intrusion? a welcome distraction?something else? As the city dropped away, I wondered about that too, but as we drew closer to the school, there were cell phone calls between the school and our Room to Read escorts. Clearly something was afoot. The buzz that had faded as we left the city picked up again, and we readied ourselves to greet the students.
In what felt like a thoroughly African welcome, we were greeted with drums as community members and students danced the traditional "War Welcome Dance" for this area. We poured out of the car, eager to be in the center of it all, and eager to see the library that you helped build.
Community member dancing a Chitonga welcome dance
Frankly it was overwhelming. In a good way. We shook hands with the teachers and community members who had lined up to greet us and were escorted into the headmaster's office where we learned a little about the history of the school and the community effort that had gone into the library (Community members contributed 25% of the building cost in the form of labor and locally sourced materials like sand or rocks.)
And then we streamed into the library itself. As we approached the door, the kids burst into a welcome song. I wish I could do this moment justice. The sunlight streaming in through the windows behind them, the voices that completely filled the room, and the warmth of yellow library walls and the hand-drawn pictures that decorated them. Beth, Michelle and I hovered in the doorway taking it all in, eyes brimming over with tears. The effort to raise the money, to arrange this trip, and to travel so far from home all worth it for this one moment.
Kids at the Chilileka Basic School in Rural Zambia welcome us to their new library
I could have lived in that song forever, but eventually it ended and we found our seats. A nervous energy took over as one of the teachers announced that the students would be showing off some the skills practice the library is used for.
We just loved watching the kids push themselves through the program. It's true that they were nervous, but they were excited too. And as I sat there wondering how much of this was rehearsed, I realized it didn't matter. With my own kids, one of the most important tools I have is to show them how much I value their education. The fact that the community leaders, including the village headman, had come out for this event. The fact that we had flown in all the way from Seattle to witness their reading. The fact that we brought along postcards from so many donors. And the fact that you had contributed so much money to give these kids a place to learn sends a strong signal about how much value we all place on their education - and that's a message that I hope will stick with the kids in the Chilileka Basic School long after we've flown home.
Reading out loud in Chitonga
Keeping traditional aural storytelling alive, the village "grandmother" tells the kids a story.
Me being interviewed by a student about why we built the library
Traditional local games and European games are used in the library. They teach counting, strategy and logic skills
And here's the message I hope will stick with you. YOU did this. Your contribution made an immeasurable difference in the livest of the 300+ students who attend the Chilileka Basic School and the countless children who will follow them.
I'm a co-founder of an annual travel bloggers fundraiser called Passports with Purpose that raised $90,000 last winter to build two libraries in Zambia. The libraries, built by Room to Read are now complete. Co-founders Beth Whitman, Michelle Duffy and I flew all the way to Zambia from our homes in Seattle to learn more about the kids being helped. Pam Mandel and Meg Paynor couldn't quite make the trip work with their schedules, and we missed their warmth and humor on this trip.
We owe a huge "Thank You" to Expedia who not only sponsored our airfare and hotel stays, but also helped us work through scheduling and local arrangements that proved to be more tricky than we'd originally envisioned.
Got Questions about the library, Zambia or Room to Read? Ask them in comments and I'll do my best to answer.
I don't believe that it's ever possible to wrap your head around another person's experience. Not even your neighbors or close friends. And life in another country with its own culture and traditions is even harder to comprehend. Things might look similar, human needs are the same, but everything works just a little bit differently. Frankly, it boggles my mind, but it's worth an attempt, because the more we understand about one another, the more we can support each other.
Kids playing in Lusaka's Garden District
Beth, Michelle and I spent our morning in Zambia touring the Garden Compound, one of Lusaka's slums. I've never seen poverty at such close range before. Certainly not at this scale. Over 50% of Lusaka's population lives in shantytowns like the Garden District.
Several families might share a single home
Very few homes in this neighborhood have running water, but you can pay to fill your bucket from a tap.
Shared water tap in Lusaka's Garden Compound
Think about that for a minute. It means no flush toilets, for one thing. It also means that if you're out of money, you're dependent on others to drink or wash yourself. And in general, when money is tight, the water would be used more for drinking or cooking, and not so much for keeping clean and healthy.
Families with a bit more money have a pit latrine outside.
Can you find the bathroom in this picture?
Food is sold in small amounts. Even cooking oil is meeted out into old water bottles for people who cannot afford a whole can.
Fresh fruit and vegetables sold streetside
Most people cook using charcoal (and breathe those fumes), but for those who can afford it, electricity is available on a pre-paid basis, similar to cell phone air time
Electric stove inside a 2mx3m kitchen/living/work space
There are tons of kids. TONS of them. Zambia has some of the largest families in the world, and one of the highest AIDS rates. Often that means both parents have died and an older sibling is trying to care for younger sisters and brothers. There aren't many services (in fact, the Street Kids program that was working in this area closed due to funding issues) so those kids really are on their own.
Kids in the Lusaka's Garden District
School is free, and families must provide a uniform, books and any needed classroom materials. The total cost is about $400 per year - that's a lot a country where the per-capita GDP is $1600. And still, there's such a strong desire to give kids an education, that the Garden district's public school is full - meaning that some kids walk long distances or families find even more money to pay for a private education.
Kids headed to school
But there is happiness here too, we never felt the tension that I've felt visiting other African countries. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and kind. They've helped us find our way around, and it is safe to walk together at night to a neighborhood restaurant. Despite all the poverty, there seems to be a strong sense of community and a real hope for the future.
And even in the slums, where things seem so desperate, in many ways people have the same cares and worries that we do at home. The women are stunningly beautiful, with their hair perfectly plated and beautiful wraps, while I walk around looking dusty and tired.
Hair Plaiting - A service you can offer even with very little investment
The kids make balls out of plastic bags (and find other odds and ends to play with
Soccer balls made out of plastic bags (Plastic bags are the one thing in abundant supply here)
A stripped car can serve as a playspace
The usable parts of this car have been sold off. Now it's a backdrop to the neighborhood
Women find time to sing or talk together
A shady spot in the Garden Compound - this tree remains from the garden that used to be here
Wired phone service never made it to this neighborhood, but everyone seems to have a cell phone.
Top up your cell phone here
Toddlers are as relentlessly adorable here as they are anywhere
Nshima (cooked cornmeal) is the Zambian staple food and the main food at every meal
There's a big effort underway to add more roads - which would help bring more services into poor areas.
Road construction in Lusaka, Zambia
With tourists, comes the opportunity to make products that could be sold
Purses for sale
There are local, and internationally funded, efforts to provide safe activities for kids
Happy Face Kids Art School in Lusaka's Garden District
But most of all, there's spirit, and fun, and great energy in the most unexpected places.
Kids stop playing to yell hello and pose for my camera as we walk by
After a day "digging in deep" my head is full. The best I can do, I think, is to share - because the more we know about one another, the better we can support each other. I hope that my pictures and words will inspire you to help too, in whatever way makes sense for you. And I if you contributed to Passports with Purpose I want you to know, that that the library you helped is absolutely fundamental to these kids growing up with a better future.
Our excellent and eye-opening tour was conducted by Lusaka Experience who runs several cultural tours in this area. I paid for the tour at my own expense, and I can't recommend them enough. If you are headed to Zambia, feel free to email me for more info about the tour.
We wouldn't have made it here at all without the very generous support of Expedia who paid for our airfare and hotel accommodation so that we could better understand and tell about the impact of our 2011 Passports with Purpose fundraiser. Planning a trip to Africa for three people on separate schedules is not easy, and there were even more moving parts on this trip than usual. Expedia really stuck with us through it all and I deeply appreciate everything they've done to make this trip a success.
Kids show off their spelling at Chilileka Basic School in Zambia
I'm on an emotional high after visiting the Chilileka Basic School in rural Zambia yesterday. I'll write and post more pictures soon, but I thought I'd start by sharing this photo of spelling practice.
Even though my kids aren't with me on this trip to Africa, I've been trying to find ways to bring them along virtually. Reading books and looking at pictures is one way to do that, and has been a fabulous leaping off point for discussions about traditions and folklore, how people live around the world, some of the things we take for granted, and some things (like being in a family) that are the same no matter where you live.
I thought I'd share some of the books we've been reading. Even if Africa is only a distant dream for your family, it's fun and rewarding to learn about a new place.
Eyewitness Books Africa provides a very visual look at African lives and cultures
The picture-packed Eyewitness Books series is especially great for learning about places that look very different than where we are. This one does a nice job of covering a lot of ground, both in terms of the number of cultures represented, and in terms of the topics covered.
In this story, a mother and son walk from their village to the market to buy flour for pancakes. On the way, the son excitedly invites each of his many friends to join them for dinner. His poor mom, worried about how far she can stretch their limited flour clucks and worries about each new guest. At the end of the story, each guest arrives with a gift of food, and their feast is doubled many times over by their generosity. This book is a great leaping off point for many different discussions depending on what your child is interested in. One way you might go is with a concrete discussion about how lives look different in many parts of the world, but that values around family and sharing are the often the same. Another aspect of the story is the fact that we don't all have the same resources, but we can find ways to help each other out.
The soothing pictures and rhyming story in Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain make this a great choice for younger kids, especially if they love animals.
Some books were given to me by the publishers for review and I have donated them to my childrens' school library. If you buy the book using the Amazon link, I earn a small commission, and that income helps me keep the site going.
Disneyland's California Adventure is getting ready to open in just over a month ( on June 15, 2012) but I was able to get a sneak peak at the rides and attractions that are planned for this 12-acre addition to the park.
Behind the Scenes at Disneyland's Corporate Offices in Anaheim
Going behind the scenes was really super fun for me. The small details that you'd expect in the park continue even in the spaces that only employees will see. I felt like I was peering into a secret world where fireworks are common and goofy's jalopy might pull around the corner carrying a few needed items.
Team Disney Anaheim Building (TDA)
Do you ever see a staff door open at a hotel or amusement park and peek inside to see what's behind it? That's what it felt like when, together with my host, a member of Disneyland's Public Relations team, I hopped in a golf cart and drove onto Disneyland's back lot.
Map of Cars Land and Disney California Adventure
I can't show you pictures of the closed back-lot area, but I will say that stepping from the backlot, which feels much like any light-industrial lot, through a hidden passage and right into Disney California Adventure was one of the most surreal experiences I've ever had. More than anything else I've seen, it gave me an appreciation for how much attention Disney pays to making sure that the scenery in every one of Disney's "lands" is complete, without any hint of its real backdrop peeking through.
I was born in Pebble Beach, California and spent lots of time in the Northern California Coast towns as I was growing up. This landscape felt so familiar and comforting to me, and yet I couldn't place it exactly - it's not one place. Instead it feels like a blending of my childhood memories - like walking down a familiar street in a dream..
And speaking of dream worlds, Cars Land was just around the corner. It was still a hard-hat area during my visit, but we could peek over the signboards and get a view of radiator springs. The rockworks has that warm embracing feeling that I remember from my visit to Santa Fe and our drive through New Mexico, and yet it's surreal too - the rocks jutting out of the rockworks are inspired by the tailfins of 1950's automobiles. On closer inspection, hidden elements decorate the rockwork just like they do at Disney's Aulani Resort's Rockworks. I'm looking forward to getting a closer look and uncovering some of those hidden figures.
Peek over the wooden barriers, and you get glimpse into a whole new land
Cars Land Promo Sign
"Tow Mater" Sign at Cars Land
New Cars Land Rides
The new Cars Land will host three new rides, plus restaurants and themed shops. Here's a peek at some of the sketches and models used to conceptualize the new rides. If you visit Disney California Adventure, you can see these images too - they're in the Blue Sky Cellar.
Let's hope these vintage-looking ride posters are available for purchase
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
Can trucks square dance? Apparently they can in Cars Land. On this ride, trucks square dance around a "dance floor" pulling you around and whipping you as you race past other trucks.
Drawing of Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
Luigi's Flying Tires
The inspiration from this ride was taking from the original flying saucers ride in 1960's Tomorrowland. The idea has been modernized, and the idea is that the tires glide just above the ground. Each rider gets his or her own tire and can steer and tilt them around the ride.
Pinboard of design concepts for Luigi's Flying Tires
Luigi's Flying Tires Ride Model
Radiator Springs Racers
The Radiator Springs Racers ride will give visitors a chance to trade through the landscape of the CARS movie. The cars actually race one another, and you don't know in advance who might win. A fun touch to note here: each imagineer got to design a license plate for one of the cars.
Radiator Springs Racers Pinboard - Love the Uniforms
Radiator Springs Racers Track Map - Love all the Winding Roads!
Models for Cars Land
Radiator Springs Racers Ride Car Model
More Pictures
Here are more pictures of the sketches and models I saw of Disney California Adventure's new Cars Land
When my husband and I made our first trip to Africa in 2001 I poured over any images I could find that would help me wrap my head around what it would feel like to be there. There really wasn't much available, and the web was still very text based. Eleven years later, it's as simple as doing a few searches, even though most Zambians aren't connected to the Internet, travelers have brought back photos and videos help us understand what their world looks, sounds and feels like.
Here are a few videos that I shared with my kids.
Zambian Kids Drumming
Zambian Kids Playing Soccer
The ball is made of rolled up clothes, and the kids are not wearing shoes.
There's something about the African landscape that is deeply settling. When I first visited the African continent 10 years ago, it felt like coming home. As we flew into Lusaka today, I felt those same feelings resurfacing - I've never been to Zambia before, but already it feels strangely comfortable and completely new all at once.
View from the Airplane Window
And as we landed, the ground crew waved and smiled at us as if we were the first airplane to land in weeks (though many flights land at Lusaka International Airport each day). They looked as overjoyed as I felt.
Isnt' the sky amazing? Who _wouldn't_ want this view after 38 hours of travel?
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the people who made the Passports with Purpose libraries a reality, and to Expedia whose generosity brought us 11,000 air miles, all the way to Zambia, to see your work ourselves.
Welcome to Lusaka - Entering the Airport
Roadside - headed into Lusaka
P.S. Internet access is a little bit rocky, but I'll be posting more pictures on facebook and twitter
As I get ready for this trip to Zambia, it's been fun to answer questions from family and friends (and in the process, to realize how little I know about Zambia and more broadly about Africa). The kids are helping me create a list of questions to take with me - everything from "Do the toilets really flush backwards" (Everest) to "What do they eat" (Darya) to "Do they have kitty cats" (Eilan).
I thought I'd open the it up to you too... what questions do you have about Zambia? About Africa? Don't be shy - it can be anything from the esoteric to more serious questions like major crops or political stability. I'll do my best to get answers and share them here when I return.
My reflection in an Experience Music Project Museum window
I leave for Zambia this weekend, and I find myself thinking a lot about Seattle as I get ready to go - about how our lives are different in so many ways from what I'll see on the ground in Lusaka. Here's one last photo from Seattle before I go. Next week, expect to see pictures of Africa here!
About Me I'm Debbie, mother of three delicious kids and I write about traveling with little kids. That's my daughter in the backpack and my son in Paris on Halloween.
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