What Even Is Accompaniment?

Now that this part of our journey is wrapping up, I am sad to note that this will be the last blog post for Gonzaga-in-Zambezi 2025. It feels like a lot of pressure, but I hope this does it justice!

To be so completely honest to the strangers that read this blog, I was terrified in the weeks leading up to this trip — terrified of meeting so many new people, terrified I would not form meaningful relationships, and terrified in my lack of knowledge of what the Zambezi community would be like. Now, looking back on those feelings, I can’t help but laugh. This community that I was so scared of meeting has become my second home these past 3 weeks. The people of Zambezi have welcomed us with open arms, hearts of excitement and gratitude, compassion for our lack of Luvale/Lunda knowledge and love for more of God’s people. With all that they have shown us, the best thing this community has offered to us is teaching what true accompaniment is.

In my previous blog post, I focused on human connection and wrote “connections don’t have to be some grand gesture, and oftentimes are formed in moments we don’t notice or remember”. The same can be said about accompaniment. Within our group of 18 zags, we have lived by accompanying in the quiet moments — as we walked to the Zambezi River to watch the sunset, trudging through the sand on our way to the market, and the loving glances when someone’s “person” comments on the blog.

Every time my parents comment on the blog (hi you two) and their names are read aloud, I know the tears are coming. It’s become a little joke when they comment now, as all of the zags turn to look at me when their names are read, and I try my best to make it 5 whole seconds before crying. The truest form of accompaniment I have felt is in those moments, when inevitably the zags who chose to sit next to me offer an arm rub, hand squeeze or a hug.

Every year, on one of the last nights in Zambezi, Gonzaga students are asked to invite a person that has accompanied them throughout their time to “The Accompaniment Dinner”. Guests are invited for a night of yummy food, trivia questions, and lots of photos to remember the smiles of our favorite Zambian people!

My dinner guest was a young man named Musoka, who was an A+ student in our English class. He showed up to every class at least 10 minutes early, with a giant smile on his face, eager to learn more from what we had to offer. On the first day of class, Musoka showed up with his arm completely bandaged from his wrist to his elbow, I was concerned about what had happened. He shared with me, Sarah, Natalie and Becca that he had gotten hit on the forearm by an iron bar. He said it so calmly that I was slightly thrown off, but his calm presence became something I continued to gravitate towards throughout the 3 weeks of classes. For the final project in our English class, we asked our students to write a 1.5-2 page paper, reflecting on an object that held significance to their life and who they were as a person. Musoka wrote a detailed and emotional piece about a picture frame being his item and how this ties back to his late mother as it holds a special photo of her. He taught me accompaniment through the way he trusted us in teaching him, but also the way he trusted us with his raw and emotional story.

As much as Musoka is AWESOME, there are so many other awesome people we have met during our time. So, here are short highlights of each person our ZamFam invited to the accompaniment dinner:

Grace is a teacher at Chilenga, who Carly said practiced accompaniment by trusting Carly’s ability to teach her 2nd graders, guiding Carly through teaching in an unfamiliar environment and language, and sharing the wisdom that comes from being an experienced teacher.

Nathan accompanied Kamy by sharing nursing school advice and providing opportunities for the health students to grow and learn more about Zambian healthcare.

Steve was my and Cate’s homestay host-dad! Cate felt he accompanied her by educating us on Zambian culture while teaching us the importance of letting loose through music and dance. (We danced A LOT)

Monica is a teacher at Zambezi Boarding who accompanied through trusting Caroline M., Katy and Mia to teach the secondary computer class, reassuring them of her trust, which helped increase Caroline’s confidence in teaching.

Mary is one of the local tailors, who Sean felt accompanied as they sat and chatted many times, instead of making it a transactional relationship. Their relationship was bound tight as Sean learned her life story and what motivates her.

Becca felt accompanied by Mercy and Andrew, two English teachers at Zambezi Boarding, as she learned about teaching in a Zambian secondary school and was given the opportunity to step into their classroom.

Eunice showed accompaniment as she warmly welcomed Alea into her home for her homestay and made her feel truly welcomed in Zambezi.

Nancy and Trinity are the sweet women who have helped us with our laundry and keeping the convent clean throughout our stay. Sarah felt accompanied as she and Nancy sat and did laundry together, as well as when she and Trinity hung out in her room as Trinity cleaned.

Ruben and Francis work in the hospital’s lab, and Sloane felt accompanied as they took the health students in and taught them more about procedures. They created a safe, inviting and fun environment that helped the group learn more about health care.

Katy met Charity randomly in the market, and they ran into each other a handful of times during our stay in Zambezi. Katy felt accompanied as she was invited into Charity’s close community and space, as well as through Charity’s willingness to always talk.

John accompanied the business class way before we even arrived to Zambezi as he worked to promote the class and do the heavy lifting on the administrative side of the class. Mia felt accompanied when John would show up everyday to class, not to help teach but to watch and support silently.

Dr. Clayton is the main doctor at the Zambezi District hospital, and Ellie felt accompanied as he allowed the health students to follow him around the building, making sure they were informed and up to speed on each patient they saw.

Piper met Mwangala while exploring the market, and felt accompanied as they chatted about lives and the difference in experiences due to the age gap.

Brudas is a physical therapist that Taylor has been shadowing at the hospital. Taylor felt accompanied as Brudas made the experience very hands on and truly ensured the health students learned.

Ester was one of the first Zambians that Kathleen met organically, and she invited her and Sean to sit in the backyard of her house. Kathleen felt accompanied as they chilled and chatted, while appreciating the company and music around.

Natalie felt that Arnold was the first person she had an actually deep conversation with. She felt accompanied in his willingness to sit and teach Natalie about the deeper meanings behind some of Zambia’s cultural practices.

Ephraim is an ophthalmologist whom Jeff met when taking James (the tailor, NOT our James) for a check-up appointment. Jeff saw accompaniment in the selfless way that Ephraim consulted James on his eye issue, with no expectation of being paid and instead chose to use his expertise to serve someone in his community.

James felt that, with Winifrida, the accompaniment was a two-way street as the health students got to accompany her on her visits with her HIV/AIDS counseling patients.

Chipego was a new-to-Zambezi student in the business class last year that Lucia got to know, teach and accompany. Yet, in this past year, the two have grown, and now can accompany each other in learning and teaching each other more about Zambezi and the broader community.

These community members, who come from all different walks of life and around Zambezi, have shown us hands-on what true accompaniment looks and feels like — trusting others in our spaces, offering a comfortable silence to sit in, and sharing knowledge and life experiences with one another. We truly could not do this trip without this community and their selfless accompaniment. As we sat at around for “The Accompaniment Dinner,” I felt the comforting love that emotes from each person we brought; a testament to the power of accompaniment and how deep of an impact a small gesture or moment can have.

There is an African proverb from one of our readings that says “The stranger who returns from a journey may tell all he has seen, but he cannot explain all”… I pray that this blog has given our families, friends and everyone we love, a little more insight into the journey and transformations that occurred through accompaniment during Gonzaga-In-Zambezi 2025!

ZamFam 2025 – Thank you for accompanying me on this trip, I couldn’t have done it without your support to lean on. I’ll see you in the fall, chindeles!

Mom and Dad – Please don’t forget to pick me up from Oakland Airport. Love you!

Lots of love, gratitude and peace,

Caroline Oromchian
School of Education, Class of 2028