2024 Zambia Trip
Video created by Ms. Paradiso
Zambia is a beautiful country in Sub-Saharan Africa that gained its independence from colonial rule in 1964. We were fortunate to arrive during the national celebrations commemorating this historic moment. Zambia derives its name from the Zambezi River, which originates in the Congo and flows into the Indian Ocean. Interestingly, much of Zambia's power is generated from hydropower, but we arrived during the dry season amidst a drought. To manage power shortages, the government had implemented daily power cuts, leaving us with six hours of electricity and six hours without—a reality we quickly adjusted to.
A special thank you to Frank, our wonderful driver, who welcomed us at the airport and was with us throughout our journey. Also, a heartfelt thanks to Sister Elizabeth, Anita, and Margarita, our hosts in Zambia, who are involved in the incredible work being done at the local schools. And finally, a huge thank you to Ms. Sayger, without whom this trip wouldn’t have been possible.
Mr. Draycott
Visiting Zambia was both an honour, and a privilege and the experience was rewarding and heartfelt. The Zambian people welcomed me warmly, making me feel like part of their community. They took great pride in sharing their home with us, and their genuine hospitality left a lasting impression.
What stood out most were the moments when we visited schools, markets, and other parts of the community. The smiles on the faces of the children and locals lit up as they engaged with us in any way they could. It filled me with joy and excitement, inspiring me to contribute and spend as much time as possible with them.
The project is making a profound difference in the Zambian communities we visited by addressing critical needs and fostering sustainable growth. By supporting local schools, the project is helping children access quality education, which is essential. The joy and eagerness of the students were clear indicators of the project's impact, as education and educational materials open doors to a brighter future.
This support goes beyond material aid—it uplifts the spirit of the community. The Zambian people, full of pride and resilience, now have more tools and opportunities to build better lives for themselves and their families. The project’s holistic approach ensures that the impact is deep-rooted and lasting, making a meaningful difference for generations to come.
This experience has been truly impactful, spiritually enriching, and eye-opening for me. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to do service in Zambia and being welcomed with open arms.
I encourage everyone to get involved in supporting this wonderful community and making a difference. Our involvement plays a vital role in uplifting the Zambian community.
Ms. Paradiso
My service trip to Zambia last summer was an unforgettable experience that I will treasure forever. We visited multiple schools and connected with people who completely shifted my perspective on life. Over the course of several days, we had the chance to visit multiple schools where we connected with amazing people who completely shifted my perspective on life. One of the highlights was our visit to our sister school, Kalundu Ka Maria. We spent the day playing soccer, learning dances, and participating in silly games with the children. Despite the language barrier, we communicated through laughter, dancing, and simple moments of joy. It was eye-opening to see how happiness can come from the simplest interactions.
What struck me most was how quickly we formed deep connections with the students. It showed me the power of human connection, even without much shared language or time. After our service work, we explored Zambia's natural beauty, visiting landmarks such as Victoria Falls and going on safari. Frank, our driver, became like family to us, making the trip even more memorable. This experience wasn’t just about service; it was a journey of learning and personal growth. The children taught me valuable lessons in gratitude, resilience, and the true meaning of connection, and these memories will stay with me forever.
Ainara C.
On Sunday, after attending Mass at a local church and getting toys for the children, we visited a Hospice Alternative Care Center. There, we met a community of children affected by long-term diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and cancer. We were greeted with songs and music and had the chance to speak with the older children about their daily lives and interests, while playing games with the younger ones, like UNO, soccer, and rugby. Even though it was a small school, the entire community came together.
It was inspiring to see everyone gathered, and we felt incredibly welcomed and fortunate to be there.
Lise B.
This trip to Zambia was fantastic, as always. It was my second time visiting, and seeing the children and sisters, like Sister Anita, was emotional. I was particularly attached to Kalundu Ka Maria, a school I visited last year. I recognized some of the students from my previous visit, which made it even more special. Is that, both the first time. In the second time I went to Zambia when I saw all the children running around, being happy. I always thought that, even if they, they do not live in the best conditions, they do not have the same, access we have, but they still are happy. And as if they are living a perfect life for them, And they do not need anything else.
Martina L.
The Zambia trip was deeply inspirational. We visited Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, and went to three different schools supported by Marymount Rome. The experience was unforgettable and completely changed my perspective. One powerful moment was when I saw a young girl, around 3 to 4 years old, carrying her newborn sister on her back. This image of resilience made me realize how quickly children need to grow up to support their families. St. Christopher’s School, which serves physically disabled children, left a strong impression on me. I even taught some of the students how to play chess, and the connection we formed through that was unforgettable.
Niccolò G.
The Zambia trip this year was fantastic. It was such a special experience to connect with so many people in so many ways. We got to know our driver, Frank. He was so friendly and such great company joining us for card games. We got to meet the kids at Kalundu Ka Maria, our sister school in Zambia, and they are scarily good at a game of tag.
We got to meet the endlessly welcoming congregation at the Mass and Choma, and we got to watch Mr. Draycott get destroyed in a game of pool at the market. Even just connecting with our group as we travel together is something I remember for a while. The connection that stuck with me the most, though, was getting to know the teachers and students of St Malumba.
St Malumba is the largest school for disabled children in Zambia. 210 children play, learn and live there all of them having some sort of special need which the school helps accommodate. With several really interesting tools. When we were there, we saw, for example, how the blind children were taught geography with 3D maps made out of wood. Lots of students at st. Malumba are deaf or dumb, or both.
And so most of the communication is done by sign language. I expected it to be the most difficult place for us to connect people. Everyone else we had met so far, it's spoken English and we obviously didn't know Zambian sign language. But the really surprising thing was that it wasn't much of an obstacle at all. Within minutes of meeting the children, they were already writing what they wanted to say to me in the sand, and they were teaching me some basic signs.
By the time we had finished the tour around the school, I was having proper conversations with the students about where I was from. When lunch was all in sign language. The kids were so much fun to talk to. And some of them were unbelievably good at beating us in chess.
Nils C.
n the last three days. Once we finish our service, we enjoyed the nature of Zambia. We did different activities, including game driving, Apple tour and our visit to Victoria Falls. In the first day we went for a walk with our guide, to the Victoria Falls and saw the beauty of nature and its peace. While on the second day we woke up really early to see several characteristically African animals such as lions, elephant and giraffe.
In our game drive and hippos and crocodiles in our boat tour, this was a unique experience as the views landscape and unwind. Animals were really different from what we are used to see.
Anna T.
Our trip to Zambia wasn’t just about visiting schools. We also had the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Sub-Saharan Africa near Livingstone, home to the largest waterfall in the world—Victoria Falls. Walking through the forest with monkeys in the trees and witnessing the breathtaking waterfall was indescribable. We even crossed the border into Botswana for a safari, where we saw crocodiles, hippos, and elephants, and chased after lions on the hunt. These incredible moments in nature made the trip even more unforgettable.
