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WHY WE'RE DIFFERENT! |
| 1. One hundred percent of your donation goes to the people of Zambia! Everyone who works on this fund is a volunteer. |
| 2. We help where the need is the greatest No one in America can be classified as Extremely poor! You will be helping the worlds poorest people |
| 3.Education is a cure, not a band aid |
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If you are interested in going on a volunteer trip to Zambia with us, please contact our Volunteer Trip Coordinator, Jenny Rogers, at jennyzambia@yahoo.com.
Volunteers who have gone to Zambia:
Jean Dabell, Glen Koplin, Janet James, Deen Coleman, Brad Mclaws, Jacob Mclaws, Alan & Loraine Riser, Carson Riser, Richard & Carol Chase, Ben Jones, T.G. Larson, Mike Godfrey, Val Stokes, Holly Rogers, Carlyn Nankervis, Brody Warner, Dustin Warner, Susan Winters, Nancy Waterfall, Jeff Miller
Volunteer Commentaries:
Peggy Rogers, President In February of 2004, Peggy Rogers, Jean Dabell, and Glen Koplin visited the schools we had been helping for the past four years. During that trip, two things shocked me to the point of losing sleep. I couldn’t forget the condition of the Teachers College Library nor the condition of the elementary schools. I knew the elementary schools had dirt floors, no desks, no windows, etc. But I never thought about our teachers teaching without books.  The library at the college was about the size of my kitchen and dining room. It must have been over a 100 degrees at the time and at least a 100 percent humidity. Walking in, I felt like I was suffocating. Coupled with heat and the tiny space taken up with so many students, it was actually hard to breath. They had books, but the books were old and falling apart. The students stood in line waiting for those in front to finish their homework because books could not leave the library. There were not enough books for each student so they were forced to share. With no place to sit down, students would hold the book up and write while standing. Last, was the problem of out-dated material. This explained why when I asked to see the written exam students had to pass to graduate, it was so easy. In America, our seventh graders could have passed it.I promised the librarian we would send books. For the next two years, I looked into buying new books from South Africa--too expensive and there are no textbooks printed in Zambia. When trying to gather used textbooks from local school districts, they were all on consignment to various organizations. I began to ask around for donations. Finally, I found a church group that had plenty of used textbooks. They said they would give me the books, but I would have to raise the money to ship them. This started the one-year process of finding a shipping company that could ship the books at an affordable price. We found that by shipping from port to port was cheaper than by land. We arranged for 20 pallets of elementary level textbooks, secondary level textbooks, and even good adult library reading books to be shipped to the northern province of Zambia, by way of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Each pallet weighed one ton. Now the problem of escorting the books... I knew how hard it was to make sure anything made it through the borders of African countries, especially anything bordering the Congo. Borders like these are next to impossible to get through because of corruption. I knew I would need help. I asked the newspaper company in Salt Lake City to print a plea for volunteers. I was overwhelmed with calls from people offering to help.
Needless to say, we made the trip, and it took us eight weeks instead of the planned two weeks. The path has been forged. The books were received with unbelievable joy, and the process of updating these people with the rest of the world has begun. The need is so great; we plan to go each year. This page contains a few pictures of that trip. If you would like to see more, we have a DVD available for just the cost of the DVD plus shipping (see "Ways You Can Help").
Deen Coleman, March 2006
(An excerpt from his Zambia journal)
I had just finished interviewing many students, all of which were in need. How does one determine the greater need among the desperate? While outside getting some fresh-air, I noticed Musoka, one of our interpreters, about a 100 feet away talking to a young man. After 15 minutes of observing, I felt driven to find out what was going on. The young man understood very little English but seemed very intelligent. Musoka explained that his father had died, and he was determined to be educated so he rode his bike for days to the first school he could reach which was Mungwi Technical High School. All he had was the clothes on his back and his bike. What makes this story touching is that Emmamuel Malama has only one foot. The other was amputated after being infected due to a bug bite. I was so impressed at his drive to be educated that I told Musoka to tell him he now had a sponsor. I believe he was in a state of shock after Musoka told him. Then he was elated that someone cared enough—like an answer to prayer. He couldn’t tell me verbally, but I saw it in his eyes and mannerisms. I’ve since not seen such gratitude from anyone I’ve helped. I’ve received two letters from him and in each he considers me like a father, and I consider him a son.
Jeff Miller, March 2007
I consider myself fortunate and humbled to have had the opportunity to travel so far in order to live in and experience Zambia, if only briefly. Over time I wouldn't say I saw an environment of misfortune, but rather a trade-off. What the people of Zambia lacked in physical conditions they made up for with an outlook that enabled them to celebrate life and each moment in a way that, as an American, I could only admire and envy.
I find myself asking if such a trade-off needs to exist on both sides. I'd like to believe that through improved education, the people of Zambia will empower themselves to better provide the physical requirements needed to live longer, healthier lives. Also, as an American I hope that I can take with me the spirit of the Zambian people and better care for the people around me, as well as, live in and enjoy the moment rather than focus on my expectations for the future.
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