Hello from Zambia!

Greetings from Zambia! After sightseeing in London, Johannesburg, and Livingstone we are in Lusaka preparing in meetings with other organizations and within our own group. A more detailed itinerary would have been possible if my wifi didn't log me out of my full report and have to start over so more to come, hopefully. 

Today we visited a community center/school called Chickumbuso in Lusaka. This was our first real introduction and seeing of some of the great struggles that go on in Zambia. Chickumbuso was amazing and was started as a center for widows, but has now expanded to a school, library, shop where goods are sold that have been made by the widows, and much more! I had a humbling experience listening to Gertrude's story of how Chickumbuso has change her life and the struggles that she has gone through. She was one of the ones that helped right from square one with getting this great organization started. It was an amazing experience because it was an assurance that yes we can do it. HealthEd Connect's three community schools in the Copperbelt want to model what Chickumbuso have in place so it was great to see the facilities and meet some of the teachers. 

Tomorrow we get on a bus to Ndola where we will be stAying for the next seven nights.  This is locate in the Copperbelt where HealthEd Connect's three sites/schools are located. Sunday morning at church will be the first time we get to meet the people that my friends have been talking about this whole time so I am excited to meet them! Of course this was written without talking about seeing things like Westminster Abbey, seeing giraffes and lions for the first time, Victoria Falls, having coffee in my morning portage, and of course the mAny laughs and great people we have met along the way. I'm having a great time and am learning more and more each day about Zambian culture and their education system! Well, off of take my Malaria medication and to bed. A great start to 2013! I urge all of you to leArn more about what HealthEd Connect is all about  because it is a great organization in which I believe more and more in each day. Good night! 

Andrew Murphy