The Weekly Blog

The week's entry was written by Ben Chleboun. Ben will be graduating from IWU in April with majors in History and Philosophy/Religion.

As we are all working diligently on our various areas of study, we are doing very well getting settled into life at IWU Zambia. Here in our little corner of Choma we find comfort in some of the small things that being us a little closer to the west. Some of the things that we treasure are when Mrs. Boltah makes banana bread or peanut butter cookies, frosted flakes with skim milk in the morning, warm water in the shower, a half-hour of fast internet (which I have yet to experience). But what has really been exciting to watch are the relationships that we are beginning to form with people in our community. At first our contact was primarily with those involved in WHIZ, which was amazing, but now that we have been here for a significant amount of time we are starting to see a broader picture of daily life.

There have been many stories of friends we have met during our time here that are all worthy of telling. These are stories of friends from the Peace Corps, church, and the side of the road; stories of people that we have met on long walks down dirt roads, children that are enamored by our white skin, and a longwinded pastor who happens to be a friend of Lindsey’s Aunt. All of these should be told, and still may. But the story that I am going to tell is of my friend, Kelly.

I met Kelly on my way into town last week. He is tall, around 6’3”, and has a smile that reveals humility and joy. So when he walked up beside me, wanting nothing but to smile and say hello, I had no choice but to keep the conversation going. He works as a painter at the new site of WHIZ, but currently he is seeking new employment because the job is almost completed. He has openness and sincerity that brings you to a place of security, which allows for reciprocal openness and sincerity. Needless to say, we were fast friends. Over the course of the past ten days I have had the pleasure of spending a good amount of time with Kelly. We usually just walk to town, using our time to chat about anything and everything. He often has various errands that take us all over the community, which gives me the opportunity to meet a variety of different people.

At twenty years old, Kelly is the only person in his family of eight that currently has employment. We have quickly learned that the unemployment problem here is primarily because of a lack of opportunity, not because people are lazy. There simply are no jobs. Kelly was living about 50km away from Choma pursuing a career in agriculture, until his father was fired from his job at which point he selflessly came back to help provide for his family. One day Kelly told me that his primary goal in life is to help people. “First,” he said, “I must help my family, then I can help the others who need.” This is Kelly—humble servant. He puts his own interests on hold in order to provide the basic needs of his family. He worries whether he will have the money to send his brother and his sister back to school next term. But he never shows any signs of anxiety. Throughout it all he maintains hope for a future that does not lack the satisfaction for today. During the time I have spent with Kelly he has taught me so much about making the best out of life, even when times are bad.

We have all had the privilege of getting to know some really amazing people here in Zambia. The paradox is that in some of the worst conditions we have found the most joy. Many here have experienced more pain than I can imagine, and yet they find no trouble sharing laughter and happiness. This strange dichotomy is what keeps these people alive. Without the joy they would be taken over by the pain. Kelly’s love for people gives him no choice but to care for his family, his joy in the midst of that is what gives him my utmost respect and admiration.

News Flash: We were served the most amazing Valentine’s Day meal EVER on Saturday evening. The girls made an ethnic treat that everyone had been craving for at least a month: Mexican food. Homemade tortillas, chips, salsa, guacamole, sweet chili chicken—all from scratch—made this meal the most extravagant culinary experience that any of us have had since arriving in Zambia. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better they brought out carrot and chocolate cake for dessert. What a meal! Needless to say, love was in the air—that is, if love means amazing women cooking an amazing meal.