For the first time, Shanta offered two Insight Trips in 2024. Interest for next year is also at an all-time high. Maybe you’ve thought about attending one yourself. If so, here is what you can expect…
The trip begins with a few days in Victoria Falls. Just Google Victoria Falls and you will get a hint of the majesty and vastness of this natural wonder. There is truly nothing else like it on planet Earth. In addition to being a United Nations (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, it is the largest sheet of falling water and the world’s largest waterfall by width and height. “Mosi-oa-Tunya” ( the indigenous name for the falls) means “the smoke that thunders.” When you visit the Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, you will understand what that name means. The force of the water hitting the bottom of the gorge generates a mist that feels like rain, rain traveling upwards. It also generates rainbows and double rainbows. Seeing the falls in a forest filled with baboons is truly a bucket list experience.
But the heart of the trip is the time spent in our partner villages outside Mazabuka. Here is a map link to the area I am referencing: map of Mazabuka village region. Specifically, this link is to the location of the primary school that serves all of our partner villages outside Mazabuka. Even as I write this, I struggle to find the words to describe this experience. Being welcomed by a tribal headman to come and live in his village, usually in the shadow of his home, is humbling. Have you ever invited fifteen strangers to live with you? I haven’t. The hospitality is extraordinary. The joy at our arrival is emotionally overwhelming. Men, women, and children sing and dance to a traditional Zambian welcome song, and we all join in. Don’t be afraid to cry…many people do. Imagine. For some of the children you encounter, you will be the first Caucasian they have ever seen. If you are of another race other than African (ex. LatinX), the same is true. They will want to hug you and hold your hand. You will be swept up in their joy and feel immediately at home.
While in the village, you’ll have several opportunities to connect with local villagers and see Shanta’s work in action. These activities are coordinated by our local implementing partner, People’s Action Forum. You can attend a meeting with the VDT (Village Development Team) or a community bank committee (CBC). While we were there, the CBC was meeting, and villagers were coming by to make their loan payments. It was wonderful seeing the team count (and recount) the money and record the payments in their ledger book. The women on the trip had their own special experience sitting down with local women to learn about their lives. They discussed women’s reproductive health and the issue of child marriage. We also saw the water and bridge projects that villagers had recently completed with a Shanta/VAP/Rotary team from Durango.
But perhaps the most memorable experiences were the more informal encounters, playing soccer with the kids and dancing with members of the community—dancing is a huge part of Zambian culture! Beyond the personal connections made, we were all struck by the amount of time, labor, and money the villagers invested in the project. It was very clear that they were designing and implementing their solutions to extreme poverty. With a 24-hour news cycle that amplifies and promotes the most depressing stories to us daily, spending time in our villages is a true respite from bad news. Despite the poverty you will see, smiles are everywhere as people come together to build a better future!
While camping in the village is the very definition of a life-changing experience, and an experience not available to tourists, it is also a bit exhausting. Emotionally and physically. SO… what better way to recover than a few days at a safari lodge? Flatdogs offers incredible food, and daily opportunities to see Zambia’s amazing biodiversity: just the rest you need before getting on a plane back to the U.S. I am struck by the survey feedback we see each year…the number one response we get from Insight Trip participants is, “Don’t change a thing.”
I promise. We won’t.
