01. The Beginning

For the past five years, I've dreamt of living and working in Africa. To secure my place fighting the biggest and most unacceptable injustice in the world, extreme poverty. To live with, to learn from, and to love a new place and a new people.

Today I sit in a Boeing 747 at 37,000 feet crossing the Atlantic Ocean approaching Zambia, and while the lasgna is foul, I consider anybody in my spot to be very lucky! Tomorrow I start my first day of a one volunteer placement with Engineers Without Borders in Kalabo, Zambia. I've been through intense training and it's finally time to get on the ground.

If you would like to be emailed every time I update my blog, send me a quick note and I'll make that happens. Also, check out some of the links to the right - you can find out the current time and weather where I'm staying.

People keep asking my why I want to live in Zambia? Isn't it the 11th lowest country on the human development index (HDI) rating in the world? Isn't the life expectancy only 37 years old? Doesn't drought, disease and famine ravage the country side?

Well yes, these may be true, but I'm sure there is much much more to it. I expect I'll be welcomed into a hardworking, intelligent and vibrant culture. I expect that people here will teach me profound lessons that are scant in the western world. I have so many questions and I believe that positive change is possible.

To learn more about Zambia click here.

But how can it change and how can I contribute? What is life really like in Zambia? What do people do for fun? How do people cope with poverty? What is poverty? How big is a hippopotamus? How do you say the word "opportunity" in Lozi? (the local language in my area) How can we help?

Hopefully I’ll find answers to some of these questions while living in my new home called Kalabo which I’ll write about in a few weeks.

Thanks for your support and have a fantastic August! I’ll send my new address and phone number as soon as I find a home.

- Chad