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<title>Zambia '17 Archives - LearnServe International</title>
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<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Victoria Falls (7/11)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-victoria-falls-711-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-victoria-falls-711-2</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-victoria-falls-711-2/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2017 18:21:08 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Central High School]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6881</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Today we embarked on an adventure as full-blown tourists. We started our day with a hardy breakfast made by the hotel chefs. We then got […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-victoria-falls-711-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Victoria Falls (7/11)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9738" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-victoria-falls-711-2/autumn-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Autumn-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Autumn-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Autumn-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Autumn-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9738" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Autumn-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Today we embarked on an adventure as full-blown tourists. We started our day with a hardy breakfast made by the hotel chefs. We then got on the bus and traveled to Victoria Falls, which the locals call “ Mosi-Oa-Tunya.” The falls were very beautiful. As we continued to explore we crossed a bridge that went really close to the waterfall. By the end of the bridge everyone was soaked from the mist. We then walked twenty minutes down the cliffs to the “ Boiling Pot”. It was a very unique site, where we all took a group picture and a couple of selfies. As we made our way back to the top, a family of baboons accompanied us. This was a great moment for me because I never seen a monkey outside of a cage. However, others weren’t as excited as I was! Some of the LearnServe girls ran out of fear of getting their belongings snatched. Now I can say that I shared a sidewalk with wild monkeys.</p>
<p>After the falls we went to the market where locals traveled from their villages to sell crafts. The next activity was going on a jeep safari. We boarded jeeps and headed off into the wild. As we traveled we saw elephants, impala, crocodile (which is very tasty; we had it on pizza at a local restaurant), zebras, and even rhinos. The rhinos were the best part to see because we got off the jeep and got really close. We had to be escorted by police to see them. The White Rhino is in danger of becoming extinct so they have to be protected by armed guards due to poaching. Lastly we ended the night at the waterfront Café. We had a table that had the perfect view of the Zambezi river.</p>
<p>Autumn J., Central High School</p>
<p><img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9739" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-victoria-falls-711-2/victoria-falls-1/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1.jpg" data-orig-size="640,480" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Victoria-Falls-1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1-400x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1.jpg" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9739" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" srcset="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1.jpg 640w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1-230x173.jpg 230w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1-350x263.jpg 350w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Victoria-Falls-1-480x360.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-victoria-falls-711-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Victoria Falls (7/11)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8343</post-id> </item>
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<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Leaving Livingstone (7/10)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-leaving-livingstone-710-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-leaving-livingstone-710-2</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-leaving-livingstone-710-2/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2017 18:12:44 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Springbrook High School]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6876</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Leaving Livingstone today was a bittersweet feeling. Part of me was happy to be starting the long journey home, while the other was sad to […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-leaving-livingstone-710-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Leaving Livingstone (7/10)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9745" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-leaving-livingstone-710-2/madison-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Madison-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Madison-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Madison-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Madison-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-9745 alignleft" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Madison-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Leaving Livingstone today was a bittersweet feeling. Part of me was happy to be starting the long journey home, while the other was sad to be leaving a place that I have grown so connected to. The 7-hour bus ride however, gave ample time for reflection. I was able to think about the huge impact this trip has made on my life. I gained not just a tremendous amount of world knowledge but also a deeper understanding of who I am as a person and my place in the world. The experiences I’ve had here and the people I’ve met are things that I never could have imagined or asked for. From the girls at Gladys’ who were a beautiful insight into the power of education, to our South African friends at Greenpop who gave us a powerful lesson in cultural boundaries and exploration, Zambia has been a truly impactful and meaningful experience that I will never forget.</p>
<p>Madison C., Springbrook High School</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-leaving-livingstone-710-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Leaving Livingstone (7/10)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8341</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Farming at Greenpop (7/9)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-farming-at-greenpop-79-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-farming-at-greenpop-79-2</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-farming-at-greenpop-79-2/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2017 17:56:13 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wheaton High School]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6868</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>So far Zambia has been an amazing experience that I hope to be able to remember, so I can pass the memories to my children […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-farming-at-greenpop-79-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Farming at Greenpop (7/9)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9751" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-farming-at-greenpop-79-2/mariam-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Mariam-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Mariam-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Mariam-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Mariam-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9751" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Mariam-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />So far Zambia has been an amazing experience that I hope to be able to remember, so I can pass the memories to my children and grand children and great grand children. But since that won’t be happening anytime soon, I am happy to be able to share this beautiful experience with my readers. Going to Zambia wasn’t much of a big leap out of my comfort zone, considering I enjoy traveling. However, what made it so different for me was that I was traveling with a group of teenagers and a couple of adults who were not my family. I was unsure of what to expect and a bit nervous that our different personalities might clash. Luckily things are going much better than I expected.</p>
<p>My most recent and probably happiest moments took place at Greenpop. Greenpop is an organization that promotes the preservation of everything green. While at Greenpop I was able to make many new friends from South Africa and other parts of the world as well. We did many fun activities, such as going out to the field to farm with local farmers, and teaching eco-education at one of the local schools. My favorite activity was farming, as we got to interact with many of the farmers’ wives. One of the wives even had the same name as me but spelled it differently. Above all I even saw a snake. We were playing around the straw grass with one of the wives and when I picked up a pile there was a black and brown striped snake underneath. One of the farmer’s wives started screaming but because of the language barrier I couldn’t understand whether she was yelling at me or warning about something till she started screaming and pointing vigorously to the ground. Although I learned the proper way of farming that day I also learned how to say snake in Tonga, which is the language most Zambians in Livingstone speak.</p>
<p>Zambia has been a fun experience and I believe as a group we have grown much more than just individuals who cope and live with each other. I believe through our disagreements and agreements and laughs and tears we have now grown as a family #Zamfam.</p>
<p>Mariam A., Wheaton High School</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-farming-at-greenpop-79-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Farming at Greenpop (7/9)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8339</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Revisiting Greenpop (7/8)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-revisiting-greenpop-78/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-revisiting-greenpop-78</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-revisiting-greenpop-78/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2017 17:26:06 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sandy Spring Friends School ]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6862</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Today has by far been the most relaxed “service day” we’ve had this entire trip! Since this is the last leg, the bulk of our […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-revisiting-greenpop-78/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Revisiting Greenpop (7/8)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9758" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-revisiting-greenpop-78/yagass-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Yagass-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Yagass-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Yagass-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Yagass-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9758" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Yagass-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Today has by far been the most relaxed “service day” we’ve had this entire trip! Since this is the last leg, the bulk of our service had already been done. Yesterday, we went over to the Mukuni Village Primary School, and brought over supplies in order to be completely responsible for painting one of the buildings (both inside 3 classrooms and outside the building itself). We planned to paint for one day, but because we did not finish we returned the following morning to finish the job. Luckily all we had left to do was basic finishing touches, and one outside wall. Our trip leaders had promised us the rest of the day for rest and free time (which was extremely exciting to hear, as we have been working and been very busy everyday of this trip thus far).</p>
<p>We were also promised one other thing… a revisit to GreenPop! Personally, I was not one of the students that particularly enjoyed the whole GreenPop experience. I think it was due to the camping aspect. On top of that, we suffered very, very cold nights. Coming into it I thought to myself ‘this can’t be that bad, we are from Maryland, we have experienced cold winters.’ I was wrong. This. This was a new level of cold, especially when you are the one sleeping outside.</p>
<p>Aside from that, my favorite part of the GreenPop experience was how I got a chance to meet a few new good friends who were also staying at GreenPop from Cape Town, South Africa. I got a chance to develop very good friendships and connections that made it almost impossible and very emotional for me to have to say goodbye. That is why for me, hearing that we were going back to GreenPop to attend the talent show and the dance party was absolutely exhilarating! When we finally got there that night, you could instantly feel the genuine happiness the rest of GreenPop had seeing the LearnServe group once again. I particularly was beyond excited to see the 4 good friends I made from Cape Town: Jade, Cerys, Abby, and Ilham. Two of them actually happened to be performing that night in the talent show as we cheered them on singing Ed Sheeran’s ‘A-Team.’ After the talent show, it was the last time all the participants of GreenPop (including us from LearnServe) were together having a carefree good time. We danced, sang, and enjoyed each other’s company. This is what made this goodbye extra hard. GreenPop has made me a more humble person, and I will forever be appreciative of that and for the new South African friends I made who I definitely plan on keeping in touch with.</p>
<p>Yagass B., Sandy Spring Friends School</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/11/learnserve-zambia-2017-revisiting-greenpop-78/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Revisiting Greenpop (7/8)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6862</post-id> </item>
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<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Butterfly Tree (7/7)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/10/learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/10/learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jul 2017 13:55:09 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Rockville High School]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6748</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Yagass, our wonderful leader of the day, woke us up at 6:45am sharp this morning. As most teenagers do, I responded to her wake up […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/10/learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Butterfly Tree (7/7)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9816" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/10/learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2/stefan-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Stefan-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Stefan-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Stefan-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Stefan-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9816" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Stefan-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Yagass, our wonderful leader of the day, woke us up at 6:45am sharp this morning. As most teenagers do, I responded to her wake up call with a quick moan and then rolled over for five more minutes of sleep. My five more minutes of sleep quickly turned into 15 minutes, then 20 minutes. I woke up and frantically grabbed my clothes for painting, my shoes, brushed my teeth, and gelled my hair. All in time for our 7:15am breakfast call time, a pretty successful morning in my opinion. We were then welcomed to an amazing breakfast provided by the Wasawange Hotel. There was food at breakfast that the group hadn’t seen in days, mainly meat, due to our Greenpop excursion. I sat down and had some eggs with bacon, sausage, and a scone type thing. I finished my bacon and hot chocolate with happiness, another contribution to a successful morning.</p>
<p>After breakfast we loaded onto the bus and headed for Butterfly Tree, our main stop of the day. As we piled into the bus I overheard Ms. Malikkah asking about the soccer balls. I quickly turned to Noah with excitement. Both of us were looking forward to a soccer match with the local boys.</p>
<p>We drove for about ten minutes then stopped to buy all the paint we were going to need for the day. Of course a stop in town by the markets with our fun bunch of kids did not mean we were only going to be entertained with paint. As we waited on the bus for our leaders to purchase the paint, Anisa, whose known for her negotiating skills at the local markets, got the idea to go get a souvenir at one of the shops. She got out of the bus with Chris, our wonderful intern, and walked into a shop with a mission to get her souvenir for the cheapest price possible. Now, watching Anisa do her thing and negotiate was beyond entertaining, especially at 8 in the morning. We all pressed against the bus windows and watched her begin to bargain. She returned to the bus with a success story for all of us, and her souvenir. We then helped load all the paint into the bus and then were off again for Butterfly Tree.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9817" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/10/learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2/z-butterfly-tree-400x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Butterfly-Tree-400x300.jpg" data-orig-size="400,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Z-Butterfly-Tree-400×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Butterfly-Tree-400x300-400x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Butterfly-Tree-400x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9817" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Butterfly-Tree-400x300.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="300" srcset="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Butterfly-Tree-400x300.jpg 400w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Butterfly-Tree-400x300-230x173.jpg 230w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Butterfly-Tree-400x300-350x263.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />Being greeted by smiling, waving children at Butterfly Tree was the final component to my successful morning. Our time at Butterfly Tree began with some information about the village’s history and the story of their chief. We then unloaded the bus and were shown our canvas for the day. Throughout our trip we had seen some of the most struggling schools and some of the most prosperous schools. This school was very nice and definitely was on the better side of schools we had seen. Our mission of the day was to paint the inside and outside of three classrooms. I looked at these classrooms and was instantly humbled, a common feeling throughout this trip. This school was one of the best we had seen and there was still only one broken chalkboard, partially broken desks, no electricity, no indoor plumbing. It was nothing like our schools in America. The LearnServe team then began painting our assigned classrooms, along with the help of some of the students at the school. We even got help from the chief’s nephew. I spent most of my next two hours painting and chatting with the local students, as did most LearnServe kids. I was even stopped and told that I looked a lot like Justin Beiber and asked if I was related to him. I responded with a smile, a no, and then a poor attempt at signing one of his songs, all ending in a good laugh. Lunchtime then rolled around, we were tired and starving.</p>
<p>Everyday has its highs and it’s lows, Lunch today was the low of the day. We took our lunch into one of the classrooms we were working on, and began to eat. Instantly a swarm of students gathered at the windows to watch us eat. The children then began calling out for food, saying, “Give me food”, “I am hungry”. We were informed not to give any of the kids food because It would start a ripple effect throughout the school. And we did not have enough food to feed the entre school. I quickly lost my appetite due to the children’s begging. So I sat and ate my lunch looking at the floor, not trying to make eye contact with any of the students, sad and angry. The situation quickly took a turn for the better when Anisa got the idea to go out and dance with the kids and play with them after finishing our food. The afternoon was then filled with a lot of dancing and music, provided by DJ Chris, the intern. After our dance party we continued to paint.</p>
<p>While painting I was given the opportunity to reflect on how our trip was making a difference. I began with the question of whether our trip was even making any sort of an impact. I then thought about the debates around service trips in general and how they are sometimes seen as a quick two-week trip that doesn’t benefit anyone except allowing the participants to feel better about themselves. I came to the conclusion that our trip was impacting lives, and for more than just the time we were there for. I figured that since a lot of our work was focused on teaching we were able to actually affect the lives of the people we were working with for years to come. At this point, I was content with our trip. However, we can always do more.</p>
<p>We finished painting at around 3. The school and the principle seemed very pleased with the progress we had made and the quality of the work. It was now time for soccer. We showed up to the field and saw the other team already warming up and running drills. We made our team and then started the game. We had five of the local boys on our team and Mariam joined the opposing team. The first half left the opposing team with a leading score of 2-0. But of course this didn’t stop team LearnServe (our team) from coming back and winning 4-2 (sorry, Mariam!). The game was a success, in both the sense that we won and we had fun with the local boys. We created friendships, laughed, and worked as a team. We ended with a picture of everyone together.</p>
<p>Surprisingly the fun was not over just yet. Our next stop was dinner, after showering and getting ready at the hotel of course. The restaurant we went to was very nice and was quite the experience. The food was delicious; I ate a bacon cheeseburger because they were out of crocodile meat, sadly. The dinner also included live music from a local band and some fun locals who sat around us. The dinner allowed us to eat, chat, sing, and dance. Moments like this, where we are all sitting around singing to “In the Jungle” in the middle of Zambia are what make me realize how blessed I was to be able to go on this trip.</p>
<p>Overall it was a good day, like all the others. Filled with work, constant reflection, new friendships, and just plain old fun.</p>
<p>Stefan P., Rockville High School</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9815" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/10/learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2/dinner-in-livingstone/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone.jpg" data-orig-size="640,480" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Dinner-in-Livingstone" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone-400x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9815" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" srcset="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone.jpg 640w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone-400x300.jpg 400w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone-230x173.jpg 230w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone-350x263.jpg 350w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Dinner-in-Livingstone-480x360.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/10/learnserve-zambia-2017-butterfly-tree-77-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Butterfly Tree (7/7)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8328</post-id> </item>
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<title>LearnServe 2017: Perspectives on Consumerism at Greenpop (7/5)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-2017-perspectives-on-consumerism-at-greenpop-75-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-2017-perspectives-on-consumerism-at-greenpop-75-2</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-2017-perspectives-on-consumerism-at-greenpop-75-2/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:12:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Woodrow Wilson High School]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6726</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Wednesday, July 5 Hi everyone, I’m Noah. For those of you who don’t know, I joined the trip late after a space opened up last […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-2017-perspectives-on-consumerism-at-greenpop-75-2/">LearnServe 2017: Perspectives on Consumerism at Greenpop (7/5)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Wednesday, July 5</strong></p>
<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9834" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-2017-perspectives-on-consumerism-at-greenpop-75-2/noah-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Noah-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Noah-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Noah-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Noah-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9834" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Noah-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />I’m Noah. For those of you who don’t know, I joined the trip late after a space opened up last minute. I can confidently say it was the right choice to come and I’m glad I listened to my persuasive influences (cough, cough… Gaby). To start from a place of complete honesty, blogging is not one of my favorite parts of these trips but I’m actually excited to do this one because I absolutely loved Greenpop.</p>
<p>I believe my fellow LearnServians, Randen and Mariam, covered the basics of what Greenpop is all about so I’m going to share my own personal highlights. First of all, both the campers from South Africa and the Greenpop staff were so nice, open-minded, and friendly. I think our trip leader, Clarence, summarized it perfectly as a Zambian Woodstock for “forest people”. My tent mate, Stefan, and I made lots of friends instantly and felt very welcomed. We bonded with the South African kids over our teenage similarities and differences. We had meals where topics revolved around American slang, bus rides where American dating was compared to contemporary Netflix shows, talks around the bonfire about South African party culture, and much more. I was personally surprised with how interested they were in learning about our lives as Americans and it felt like we were mini-celebrities for a couple of days. We still interacted with our fellow LearnServians but almost everyone found their own South African counterpart.</p>
<p>An aspect of Greenpop that sparked a lot of questioning in myself was the vibe around food and consumerism that sharply contrasted my typical American experience with both. The entire time we ate vegan with only one day of meat which consisted of chicken. On that day, they talked to us about what it means to eat meat, the history behind it, and that it was once only eaten in times of celebration or on special occasions. This ideological component and the food itself made me reconsider the choices I want to make with my diet at home. Not only was the vegan food good, it was all super healthy and served in lean portions. I felt great the entire time and attribute some of that to having great fuel and not overeating as many in America tend to do. I usually eat a lot at home but my time at Greenpop has made me realize how I may be consuming too much, as my portions at Greenpop seemed to fill me up. Not to mention that lots of research shows that this kind diet has lots of current and future health benefits. Mom and Dad, just a heads up that I am coming back with the hope that we will rethink some of our food choices at home, not just for its health benefits but for the environmental impact a healthier diet can have. Not a complete detox (District Taco is still important to me) but maybe a little more than the basic Whole Foods run.</p>
<p>Overall, I have loved the experience of Greenpop and feel it’s been my favorite part of the trip so far. I remember one night by the campfire, looking up at the stars, and feeling so much joy about what we were doing and where we were. Fun fact: South Africans call the Big Dipper the Southern Star which Stefan and I don’t think makes much sense but it’s not really our call. I would highly recommend the Greenpop experience to anyone, especially Americans as it provides an insightful perspective on the lifestyle of excess, entitlement, and consumerism.</p>
<p>Zicomo (probably spelled wrong),</p>
<p>Noah K., Woodrow Wilson High School</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9835" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-2017-perspectives-on-consumerism-at-greenpop-75-2/zambia-1-1024x768/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768.jpg" data-orig-size="1024,768" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Zambia-1-1024×768" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-400x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-1024x768.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9835" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-400x300.jpg 400w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-768x576.jpg 768w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-830x623.jpg 830w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-230x173.jpg 230w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-350x263.jpg 350w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Zambia-1-1024x768-480x360.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-2017-perspectives-on-consumerism-at-greenpop-75-2/">LearnServe 2017: Perspectives on Consumerism at Greenpop (7/5)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8327</post-id> </item>
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<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Arriving at Greenpop (7/4)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-arriving-at-greenpop-74/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-arriving-at-greenpop-74</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-arriving-at-greenpop-74/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:08:30 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Friendship Tech Prep High]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6724</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Tuesday, July 4 Thinking back on the last couple of days, the only thing on my mind when we were leaving Lusaka was the students […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-arriving-at-greenpop-74/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Arriving at Greenpop (7/4)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Tuesday, July 4</strong></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9838" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-arriving-at-greenpop-74/randen-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Randen-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Randen-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Randen-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Randen-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9838" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Randen-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Thinking back on the last couple of days, the only thing on my mind when we were leaving Lusaka was the students at Daughter’s Vision. I was thinking about how they all were so excited to see us in the mornings and the afternoons. Just seeing their faces made my day. There was one special girl whose name I couldn’t understand, but started with an L so I called her Linda. Just looking at her smile, watching her dance and hearing her say her first word gave me the best feeling I’ve ever had before. She said “bye”, and that made me feel like staying and just being with them more.</p>
<p>After a long 6 hour bus ride, we finally arrived at Greenpop in Livingstone. They were already greeting us even while we were still on the bus. They made us feel very welcomed and we knew we would be enjoying our short time here. Right away, Greenpop gave me new insight on deforestation and why it should be taken seriously and on the culture in Zambia and I knew we would be learning a lot here.</p>
<p>I struggle at communicating and interacting with other people that I don’t know at all. But, once I started talking to a few people here, it could be the staff or other students, it just made me want to talk to everyone and see where they were from, get to know them, and see the differences and similarities between the U.S. and other countries. You get to see the life that everyone brings from different parts of the world.</p>
<p>The first night was the first time I slept outside and the first time I ever slept in a tent. I learned that when Greenpop underlines “Bring a warm blanket”, that’s what they mean and for a good reason. It was very very cold but, as the days passed, it seemed to get less chilly at night and in the morning. Or, maybe I was just getting used to it.</p>
<p>On Monday, we mingled with people at the Greenpop camp, going to different stations and learning about the different activities we would be doing during the week that would educate us about various environmental issues. We learned about perma-culture, the importance of using rocket stoves to decrease the production of coal, upcycling, and eco-education. We also got to know each other and learn things about countries and cultures that were new to most of us. For example, in Zambia, you can’t look an elder in the eye because it’s a form of disrespect. And the women have to do everything inside (cook, clean, take care of the children), while the men of the household work outside the home all day. Women also sit on the ground while men sit in chairs as that is a form of respect towards the men who definitely have more authority in this culture. Apparently, girls are raised to respect men while boys are taught how to treat women. We also learned more about deforestation in Zambia, how that’s negatively impacting the environment, and why the alternatives (rocket stoves) could be way better than what is happening now.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, the camp broke up into different groups to do different activities in the community. The group I was in got the chance to actually plant some trees. We arrived at a field where trees they have planted over the past few years are growing and thriving and being used by the members of the community. We tried to plant 100 trees and although we weren’t able to plant all of them, we came close by getting about 70 into the ground. That day was the hardest I have worked in my life in the heat and even though the heat was burning my face off, I found that I really enjoyed it.</p>
<p>We ate local food prepared by the community, which looks similar to something I would eat back at home. We had n’shima, rice, cabbage, and two different spinach dishes. At Greenpop, they serve mostly vegan things, but there are two days where they do serve meat so as to not single anyone out who really enjoys it. Things like this are what help make the camp a safe, loving, open, and friendly place to be.</p>
<p>The next morning, at <span data-term="goog_391048994">7:45am</span>, we started the day off with a big group dance in the middle of the field to get warm and energetic and psyched up for the day which was actually really fun. We then headed off to a couple of different schools to do workshops and teach local students about planting and recycling. The kids there were similar to the ones at Daughter’s Vision. I didn’t want to leave them and I just think it’s crazy how I build relationships with them in such a short period of time. We then played a game of soccer at the end of the day against a group of Zambian boys (except for Mariam who played on the Zambian team because she decided she wanted to be on the winning team) and when I mean they are very good, they are very good. They beat us 3-0 but it was still super fun and we held our own for a good portion of the game.</p>
<p>Randen T., Friendship Tech Prep High</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9839" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-arriving-at-greenpop-74/z-greenpop-welcome-circle/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle.jpg" data-orig-size="640,480" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle-400x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9839" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" srcset="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle.jpg 640w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle-400x300.jpg 400w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle-230x173.jpg 230w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle-350x263.jpg 350w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Greenpop-Welcome-Circle-480x360.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-arriving-at-greenpop-74/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Arriving at Greenpop (7/4)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6747</post-id> </item>
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<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: From Lusaka to Livingstone (7/1 – 7/3)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-from-lusaka-to-livingstone-71-73-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-from-lusaka-to-livingstone-71-73-2</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-from-lusaka-to-livingstone-71-73-2/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:03:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[E.L. Haynes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6722</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Saturday, July 1 Yesterday was one of the more chill days in the sense that we could sleep a little longer and wake up later […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-from-lusaka-to-livingstone-71-73-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: From Lusaka to Livingstone (7/1 – 7/3)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Saturday, July 1</strong></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9842" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-from-lusaka-to-livingstone-71-73-2/lily-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Lily-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Lily-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Lily-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Lily-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9842" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Lily-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Yesterday was one of the more chill days in the sense that we could sleep a little longer and wake up later because we had finished teaching at Daughters Vision. We left the Guesthouse around <span data-term="goog_391048961">9:30-10am</span> to go and paint a mural on the front wall of Daughter’s Vision where we had been teaching. The mural turned out to be amazing. Everyone who was around, including the local children, had a chance to pitch in. We decided to paint our hands and put our handprints on the wall for decoration and as a way for us to leave our mark. After we completed the majority of the mural, we said our goodbyes to the kids and teens and exchanged contact info, social media, gifts and tears. Gaby stayed to finish the final touches on the mural while we all took one more trip to Chikumbuso to do a little more shopping and support the widows and single moms who make bags and crafts there.</p>
<p>The afternoon part of the day consisted of going to the market, bargaining prices with the vendors and visiting a nearby boarding high school called David Kaunda or ‘DK’. At DK, each LearnServe student was partnered up with a DK student to get a tour of their school, have tea, talk, and learn what it’s like to be a teenager in Zambia. My partner, Christy, and I compared lifestyles in our countries and found similarities in how much freedom we are allowed to have from our parents. After being a guest at the DK boarding school, we invited the DK students to our place for dinner, games and more conversation. On our way to our guesthouse, we had to pick up food and while waiting for the food there was a conversation about singing. One girl, Tintiwe, had a very beautiful voice. She sang ‘Only Girl’ by Rihanna and we were all really impressed. At Juls, we taught the DK students a card game we’d been playing on the trip called, Kemps, and by the end of the night, they were all getting just as competitive as we were. By the end of the night, it was like we had all been friends for much longer than a few hours… everyone was laughing and having a really good time.</p>
<p><strong>Monday, July 3</strong></p>
<p>Geez. Waking up at 6 o’clock is hard especially after falling asleep at 2am. Its not like I was up just letting time pass. I was trying to pack for GreenPop but I was inconvenienced when our side of the guesthouse lost power and our lights went out. We learned that this is pretty common in parts of Lusaka, to lose light or electricity, and it made me grateful that this is not an issue where I live in DC. But it all got done with the help of friends.</p>
<p>We had to be seated on the bus by 7 a.m. for our 6-hour drive to Livingstone. While driving to Livingstone, we made two stops, one for restrooms/stretching and the other for lunch. What I didn’t know was that we had to pay 2 kwacha to use the bathroom. But from Ms. Malikkah’s explanation, it was because it was one of the nicer restrooms along the highway. At least there was toilet paper.</p>
<p>We finally arrived at GreenPop at 4pm< and were welcomed by those who had arrived earlier. They clapped and played the drums to welcome us to camp as we marched into a big circle. Everyone at GreenPop has to get in a circle and welcome the new groups that arrive by allowing each person to bang the drum. They asked for someone from our group to volunteer first so, of course, I did. We later went on a 45 minute hike through fields and along a river to see the Baobab Tree on the top of a hill to learn its history and watch the sunset. As the sun went down, it got much colder than I expected, considering we’re in Africa. We had a warm dinner and played another intense game of Kemps with our new South African friends that helped keep us a little warmer. It was hard to crawl into a tent when it was that cold out. Although we were two to a tent, we fit three into ours to snuggle up and try to keep warm. It was my first time camping and I can’t say that I enjoyed it. But, I can say that it was an interesting experience.</p>
<p>Zikomo (thank you),</p>
<p>Lily A., E. L. Haynes Public Charter School</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9843" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-from-lusaka-to-livingstone-71-73-2/z-playing-cards-1024x768/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768.jpg" data-orig-size="1024,768" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Z-Playing-Cards-1024×768" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-400x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-1024x768.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9843" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-400x300.jpg 400w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-768x576.jpg 768w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-830x623.jpg 830w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-230x173.jpg 230w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-350x263.jpg 350w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Z-Playing-Cards-1024x768-480x360.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/07/learnserve-zambia-2017-from-lusaka-to-livingstone-71-73-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: From Lusaka to Livingstone (7/1 – 7/3)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8326</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Teaching At Daughters’ Vision (6/30)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/02/learnserve-zambia-2017-teaching-at-daughters-vision-630-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-teaching-at-daughters-vision-630-2</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/02/learnserve-zambia-2017-teaching-at-daughters-vision-630-2/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jul 2017 15:39:33 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wheaton High School]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6645</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>I am very appreciative of this experience in Zambia. Everyday there seems to be a new activity to look forward to. After walking to Daughter’s […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/02/learnserve-zambia-2017-teaching-at-daughters-vision-630-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Teaching At Daughters’ Vision (6/30)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9882" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/02/learnserve-zambia-2017-teaching-at-daughters-vision-630-2/anisa-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Anisa-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Anisa-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Anisa-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Anisa-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9882" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Anisa-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />I am very appreciative of this experience in Zambia. Everyday there seems to be a new activity to look forward to. After walking to Daughter’s Vision School, we were greeted by the awaiting children. It was both refreshing and heartbreaking to see the kids. While teaching the reading class, I desperately wanted to teach them all I could before I left. Despite the small timeframe, we did our best to instill within the students the importance of knowledge</p>
<p>Seeing how excited the kids were about learning motivated me to teach them the best that I could. One lesson that will hopefully stick with the students is when they learned how to write their names in English. The pure joy that they expressed made me reciprocate their energy and apply it into the lesson. For instance, the kids today were reviewing phonics while going along with a musical beat they enjoyed.</p>
<p>Shortly afterwards, we organized a dance circle and personal health and relationship discussion with the other students. Each event granted an opportunity for young people to express themselves within a safe environment. One memorable moment from today is when I saw people, who would otherwise stay quiet, express themselves. In the healthy relationship discussion, us volunteers answered questions some Zambian youths had. These topics were focused around relationships, consent, intercourse, and safe habits. I thought it was beneficial for the young people to realize that they can incorporate these safe habits into their own lives since the rates of teen pregnancy, unsafe intercourse and STD’s is so high among Zambian youth.</p>
<p>After the day’s events, some of us stayed behind at the school to paint and to spend time with the kids. It was beautiful to see the kids and the volunteers spending time together. I decided to read to a group of kids from both Daughters Vision and the neighborhood. I can say that all of them had an interest of learning.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9883" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/02/learnserve-zambia-2017-teaching-at-daughters-vision-630-2/resized_20170701_1506580/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Resized_20170701_1506580.jpg" data-orig-size="320,240" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Resized_20170701_1506580" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Resized_20170701_1506580.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Resized_20170701_1506580.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9883" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Resized_20170701_1506580.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="240" srcset="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Resized_20170701_1506580.jpg 320w, https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/07/Resized_20170701_1506580-230x173.jpg 230w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></p>
<p>Walking back from the school during the evening was a different experience from what I am used to. I have never seen Zambia at night. The most memorable part to me is when we saw a choir singing and dancing. Immediately, I stopped being paranoid, and experienced the beautiful scene.</p>
<p>I love teaching kids, especially here in Zambia. I look forward to when I can return here, and give them some of the time and education that they deserve.</p>
<p>Anisa T., Wheaton High School</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/07/02/learnserve-zambia-2017-teaching-at-daughters-vision-630-2/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Teaching At Daughters’ Vision (6/30)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8311</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>LearnServe Zambia 2017: Girls’ empowerment – 3 Examples (6/29/17)</title>
<link>https://learn-serve.org/2017/06/30/learnserve-zambia-2017-girls-empowerment-3-examples-62917/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learnserve-zambia-2017-girls-empowerment-3-examples-62917</link>
<comments>https://learn-serve.org/2017/06/30/learnserve-zambia-2017-girls-empowerment-3-examples-62917/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[learnserve]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:52:39 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[LearnServe Abroad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Northwood High School]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zambia '17]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://learn-serve.org/?p=6603</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Today was our second day of teaching at Daughter’s Vision. My group of 4 students is teaching the arts in a small cramped room with […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/06/30/learnserve-zambia-2017-girls-empowerment-3-examples-62917/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Girls’ empowerment – 3 Examples (6/29/17)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="9897" data-permalink="https://learn-serve.org/2017/06/30/learnserve-zambia-2017-girls-empowerment-3-examples-62917/nephele-zambia-200x300/" data-orig-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/06/Nephele-Zambia-200x300.jpg" data-orig-size="200,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Nephele-Zambia-200×300" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/06/Nephele-Zambia-200x300-200x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/06/Nephele-Zambia-200x300.jpg" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9897" src="http://learn-serve.org/assets/2017/06/Nephele-Zambia-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Today was our second day of teaching at Daughter’s Vision. My group of 4 students is teaching the arts in a small cramped room with limited space and chairs for the children. This made today especially stressful because the classrooms became very overcrowded with as many as 30 children in a single room. However, even through all the stress, the children are still amazing to work with. It is so evident in their faces that they are so excited and motivated to learn and I think that is very inspirational. We introduced the kids to finger painting, puzzles and coloring books which they really seemed to like. I think the attitude here of the kids is very different from many American children who often take their education and opportunities for granted.</p>
<p>Some of the other groups are teaching math and English. Brianna and Anisa, who are teaching the kids how to read, talked about how good it felt when one of the girls named Beauty was able to read and pronounce her name for the first time! The boys have been concentrating on outdoor games and although at one point they expressed the sense that even though they were not necessarily teaching kids a tangible academic skill, they feel good about providing the kids with fun and relief from some of the difficult lives we know they are leading.</p>
<p>After half a day of teaching we went to an organization named Zoona that allows people in rural areas or people without bank accounts to have access to a safe and approachable way to give and receive money. It also boosts the economy by providing jobs for tellers, the people working at the kiosks or Zoona booths. Although Zoona is a for-profit company, it has a social justice arm to it in that it works to provide jobs specifically for women (although they do employ men as well) with a particular focus on women in very underprivileged areas who might not have access to the resources or opportunities necessary to rise above the life into which they were born. Zoona works in partnership with The Girl Effect and provides these women with an 18-month training program in which they are taught life skills with a focus on undoing or “unlearning” all of the messages they have been taught by their culture and society. That is, these women have been told that they are beneath men and don’t necessarily deserve all the opportunities provided to men. For example, many of these women come from areas where educating females is just not a priority so many are illiterate.</p>
<p>Today we had a chance to tour the Zoona office, which was very nice and could easily have been an office in America, and meet one of the agents, Mercy, who owns multiple kiosks in the Mtendere township, very similar to N’gombe. Despite her success, she explained that she is given a lot of pressure from her family who wants to know how much she makes and what she is doing with the money. She explained how many assume that a woman in her position must have slept with someone in order to get her job which is hurtful and often knocks a woman’s confidence. If a woman is not able to get to the bank in time to deposit her money on payday, she must go home with it and sometimes risk their boyfriend of husband stealing it. When asked if they stay with these men who steal their money, Mercy laughed and responded, “Of course they do.”</p>
<p>Although it’s clear to see what a long way women have in struggling to gain equality with men, I thought her story was very inspiring. Mercy and our tour guide, Memory, are examples of women who are running their own businesses and supporting themselves which is usually thought of as the man’s job. They were able to create success for themselves and rise above the expectations placed upon them by society.</p>
<p>Nephele R., Northwood High School</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://learn-serve.org/2017/06/30/learnserve-zambia-2017-girls-empowerment-3-examples-62917/">LearnServe Zambia 2017: Girls’ empowerment – 3 Examples (6/29/17)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://learn-serve.org">LearnServe International</a>.</p>
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