For 19 years, Gonzaga faculty and students have developed, cultivated, and deepened relationships in the rural town of Zambezi, Zambia. This Friday, May 16, eighteen new Zags will contribute to this extraordinary story of accompaniment. In a special treat this year, I’ll be joined by Dr. James Hunter, an accomplished linguist and truly gifted educator who will help guide through our explorations of language and culture. And, in a late development, Lucia Doty will return to serve as a TA, assisting our students as someone familiar with the challenges and growth opportunities this experience will present.
For those of you new to this unique study abroad, some context on our intentions is helpful. Unlike study abroad experiences rooted in a foreign university, our month-long classroom is the community of Zambezi. This remote town is nestled on the Zambezi river, the fourth-longest river in Africa, in the North-Western Province of Zambia, roughly 500 kilometers west of the provincial capital of Solwezi. This proud community has a rich cultural tradition influenced by the Luvale and Lunda peoples. Through community projects, developed in partnership with local leaders, Zags will convene lessons in computing for business leadership, health education, adult English literacy, and many will partner in local classrooms. However, our intentions are not to “help” Zambians but rather to come alongside them in a decades-long relationship to assist them in standing on their own two feet.
This practice is rooted in the Jesuit posture of accompaniment – an intentional effort to operate at eye-level with Zambians, acknowledging the mutuality of our learning together, not in directing others through complex hardships but in walking alongside them, navigating challenges together with empathy and understanding. This program recognizes that transformation occurs in the relationship of mutual reciprocity, when we learn to come alongside in relationship to unlock the power of accompaniment for change.
While Gonzaga has partnered in tangible projects (library at Chilena, Zambezi Writers’ Corner magazine, Zam City FC, Dipalata Community Hall, Zambia Gold Honey) most Zags will share with you the friendships developed during their time in Zambezi. It is in these relationships that true learning occurs for Zags and Zambians. We hope you will accompany us during this next month (May 16 – June 16) as we navigate the complexity of intercultural partnerships and reflect daily on our learning. Gonzaga students and faculty will be posting on this blog as we make sense of our experiences and share this learning with you. We hope you will comment on our postings, in a virtual conversation of your own learning and questions (and to stay connected to us).
Kisu, mwane (for all of you fluent in Luvale) and Mwani (for the Lundas among you!)
Jeff Dodd
Associate Professor
Gonzaga University
English Department