The Tour of Zambezi

Chimene Mwane friends and family, 

We are officially settled here in Zambezi! We all had some much needed sleep and woke up ready to take on the day. While our wonderful breakfast chefs, Will, Lucia, & Sarah were cooking breakfast, everyone relaxed on the couches, prepared some coffee, and collected clothes for laundry day. While waiting, me, Brynn, Katie, & Julia were hustled up under Katie’s “princess” bed and chatted about the most random things with lots of laughter. It was like a slumber party but in the morning! We later gathered for some delicious French toast with bananas, peanut butter, and the most AMAZING honey that Josh got from Father David Phiri. 

After cleaning up breakfast, Father David took the afternoon flight group on a tour of Zambezi, while the morning crew stayed back at the convent unpacking our supplies and relaxing a little bit, while Ani made some sick flyers for our classes starting Monday. We toured the town in Father David’s pickup truck, waving hi to everyone we saw. Our first stop was a tour of the Zambezi hospital where we visited the Men’s, Women’s, and Children’s wards. We met some of the doctors and patients there, learning about them and how their conditions are treated at the clinic.  

Our second stop was at a local store in town where we can buy soda drinks and snacks at. Driving through town, the group waved to everyone in sight, saying mwane (a respectful greeting) and Zambians yelling mwane and welcome with joy. Everyone is so welcoming and kind to us, it truly feels like a community here, reminding me of the Zag community back home. 

Our third stop was the Zambezi River, where my breath was taken away at the blue water moving its way down the river, canoes pulled up on the shores, the green trees on the horizon, and the stillness of life. From previous trips (shoutout to Zambia ’23), I’ve heard about canoe trips at sunset on the river, which I am so excited to experience (sorry Mom, I AM going to do it!). When we were leaving, we met some more people and told them about our classes, which they were so excited for and making us pumped for Monday. 

Our fourth stop was Zambezi Boarding school, one of the many schools here in Zambezi, and the school Will & I will be at in a few days. The school was very beautiful with stunning plants on the sidewalks, high school students walking around, and big classes in session. We got to introduce ourselves to a senior math class, and when I looked at what they were learning, it was Trigonometry! While I love school, math is not my forte so I might have panicked a little! The students and teachers were excited for us to come on Monday, which can’t come any faster! 

Our fifth stop was Chilenga primary and secondary school where Gonzaga had donated a library to their school years ago. While talking to Father David, I noticed everyone else playing with the kids and my heart burst with happiness, knowing we have so much love to give and spread during our time here. On our way back to the convent, Will & I discussed how special this place really is and how we are grateful for our experiences with the community. There is no place like Zambezi and I feel fortunate to be a part of this community. 

Before lunch, a group of us went to the back of the convent and played with the kids that showed up. Charlie, Will, & Julia were playing monkey in the middle with the older kids, while me & Sarah took a class from Lucia with the younger kids, practicing our leaps and jumps. Seeing the laughter and smiles of the kids made me feel like a kid again myself, being goofy and carefree. 

Mama Katendi & Charlie prepared a yummy lunch, consisting of beef stew, fried rice, and fried okra which was some of the best okra I’ve ever had. Our lunch conversations consisted of our plans to head to mass tomorrow morning, followed by homestay for next weekend, and how the honey here is 10x better than the honey at home. We finished lunch and had a chill afternoon with us splitting into our teams preparing for classes on Monday. Everyone was in the zone, working hard to prepare a good week of classes, and getting excited for what’s to come along with some nerves, because we all have nerves. 

We finished the day off with watching the sunset at the river. During that time, I could feel the peace and stillness of life around me, reminding me to be present and build CONNECTIONS with everyone I meet during my journey in Zambezi. 

Sending best wishes and love, 

Ellie Powers ’24