Zambia

The duality of Zambia.

‘You look like Kraftwerk.’
‘What?’

The statement is incredulous, not only because I don’t look like any of the band members, but because a kid of six or seven from the Kabwe slums of Zambia should have any knowledge of the Autobahn creators. It reminds me of a time when I was standing in the middle of a desert looking at a seagull looking back at me. How did it get there? How does this kid know about Kraftwerk? I shake my head to rid it of the fuddle of two days’ worth of travel and bring some clarity to the situation.

She repeats the statement. I look perplexed. She moves on.

And so goes my introduction to the dichotomous lifestyle of the Kabwe inhabitants. It is full of big smiles and generosity despite the chronic poverty. A panhandler pauses his pleas to answer a mobile phone. Mobile phones are everywhere. No one is without one and every other store has a talk-time top-up kiosk. Most people have no transport yet billboards are advertising faster broadband speeds. ‘Facebook me,’ I keep getting told. The football skills of the kids are amazing despite playing with a ball made from plastic bags and the pitch resembling a building site. Their passion for knowledge is insatiable despite the ad hoc learning opportunities and classroom attendances in triple figures. The sense of community is strong. Their timekeeping is shocking. The place is welcoming and intoxicating.

For the previous two weeks I have been working alongside teachers using sport as a medium to teach life skills to school kids. Lamentably my stay in Kabwe has come to an end and I am sad to leave. I have learned so much and still have so much to learn. Before catching my return flight I have a little time to buy a few souvenirs. So I head over to the village market to spend the last of my kwacha.

‘You look at my craftwork?’ a kid asks.

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A great way to visit Zambia is to do so in conjunction with an NGO (such as Sport in Action or Coaching for Hope) and devote a chunk of your time to helping out in the villages. The organisers and peer leaders are knowledgeable and well connected and straight away you’ll be tapping into the heartbeat of the country and experience things you’ll probably otherwise miss. As for preparation, the best plan in this country is no plan.