When I first arrived in Zambia as a fellow with Kucetekela
Foundation, one of my first tasks was organizing the Work Experience program
for our Grade 10's. We
split up the driving to the sites amongst the staff and I was assigned to bring
Martinho, a mild-mannered 10th grader, to his internship at a medical
laboratory. In order to beat traffic I would pick him up early in the morning
and we’d arrive well before the lab opened. Sitting together in the parking lot
that first day we were initially at a loss for words, but, over a game of chess
on my computer we started to bond. That became our morning ritual, the chess
games a conduit for us to talk and learn about one another, and from that week forward
we stayed close.
Early this year I officially became Martinho’s mentor
through KF, which was a very happy moment for me. Now it’s Frisbee rather than
chess that connects us. Our car rides together and lunches every few months give
me a chance to find out how things are going at school, but it’s also a time for me to learn more about this gifted, motivated, and
increasingly well-spoken young man.
Last month I found myself in a position I don’t think I
could’ve predicted two years ago: watching Martinho graduate from Grade 12 and
the KF scholarship program. Seeing him and the other KF graduate Kate dancing into
the ceremony, sitting in their formal wear and gowns, collecting their prizes
for first and second in the class (big grins on their faces) was at
the same time a happy and surreal experience. Being surrounded that afternoon by
the KF students and all the positivity of the day flooded me with good memories
and reminded me of things I loved about Zambia which I’d started to forget.
(Kate and Martinho)
It’s that time of the year again; the other weekend we
packed ourselves into the Rav’s and went north for the bat migration. As
usual it was a great trip, and because the bats had shifted their roosting
place closer to the viewing area, we were able to witness it from what felt like
a whole new perspective. This year BBC came to Zambia to film the migration for
the BBC Africa series. It’s featured in Episode 2 of the series, “Savannah”. I
think a quick cameo from us dedicated bat watchers would have added something
nice, but it seems they’re not interested in filming humans for
this program. This year we also included a stop over at a nearby waterfall. It
was really a stunning place; it felt like we’d walked down into some preserved prehistoric
oasis. Swimming at its base after hiking in the heat was an excellent way to close
out the trip.
Re-reading this post, I realized the content is, in many
ways, very similar to the post I had written this time last year (am I becoming
that predictable?). If I had just waited until next Thursday I would’ve
included a bit about the Thanksgiving dinner that we’re planning to have. I
think it’s safe to say that, like every year, it’ll be a welcome and comforting
reminder of home. Wishing you all a very happy early Thanksgiving. And a happy early 60th birthday to my Dad; it seems this, my 60th post, was well timed to celebrate
