I’ve said goodbye to a lot people over my three years in
Zambia, far more in both number and frequency than in any other period of my
life. Anyone will tell you it’s the nature of life in that environment,
especially if you stay more than a year in one place. Meeting cool new people
is bittersweet in its natural time limits, and it’s easy to become cynical once
you’ve said goodbye to a few cycles of friends.
It was surreal, then, when it was my turn to leave. While I
never expected to stay in Zambia the rest of my life, the fact that I had
tripled my time there after my initial one year stay had given my experience
something of an endless feel. As these were my first real post-college jobs,
and my first true home away from Boston, I also wasn’t accustomed to this
process of leaving, which people do all the time all over the world. While it
was on the horizon basically since 2014 arrived, it still crept up on me as I’m
sure it does with most people. It felt like the time to departure was becoming
exponentially shorter every time I checked. But everything went on, just like it continues
to do after you leave. Work, trips, errands, sports, I only started to feel the
difference when normal meet-ups became “last time I’ll see you” affairs.
Everything wrapped up ok, which I’m thankful for. Had the
chance to say goodbye to important people and places, including a lucky
opportunity to see all the KF students in one place. I sold my car and my few
immobile belongings, and packed my life into two suitcases with only a moderate
amount of weight and space related stress. Emily and I had people over for one
last party with friends, and I wrapped things up at FINCA. Then, it was time to
look forward.
Forward is the grease that allows you to turn the wheels of
leaving. And we were fortunate to have plenty to look forward to, both in the
short and long term. Ahead of us, an action packed few weeks on the west coast
of the US. Beyond that: a new adventure in a new location, the fruit of a long
job search and much deliberation. Beginning mid-September, I started as an
analyst on the Microfinance Partnerships Team at One Acre Fund. In October, I
will move to Kenya, to a town near Kisumu in Western called Bungoma, where I
will join Emily and be based for two years.
I’m excited about this new
opportunity, where I hope to expand my skills and experience within the field
at a company known for its analytical, client-first approach to agricultural
microfinance. It has built a strong reputation since being founded in 2006,
providing small-scale farmers with access to timely, high-quality farming
inputs on credit, with repayment schedules that meet their specific
cash-constraints prior to the harvest season. I’m looking forward to the very new environment, in both
where I’m working and where I’m living. It’s an exciting time and I’m sure I’ll
have more stories to share about it soon. And I'm grateful for all the stories Zambia gave me over these last three years.
(Final weekend trip to Mulungushi Dam)
