Day 6 (Monday): the hardest day. We spent about two hours tying up loose ends in the kiosk and spending some time with our friends in the community before having to say goodbye. I think it was so difficult because there is no saying when, or if, we will be back again. No matter how hard this was on all of us, it’s pretty incredible that such a large community of people halfway around the world will be able to tell stories about us, and we about them. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the KWH volunteers impacted the lives of the people of Munyama; neither is it a stretch to say that the people of Munyama effected a change in each of us. Not a single person who went on this trip walked away from Munyama unchanged, and I know that we are all so glad to have had the opportunity to interact with, learn from, and become friends with so many truly amazing people.
After our goodbyes, we took the three-hour trip across Lake Kariba back to Kariba Inns (with a quick stop to jump in the lake). After dropping our bags, we took a trip out to the Kariba Dam. The Zambezi River, which was dammed to create Lake Kariba (the largest lake in the world), is the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe – so, of course, we took a trip across the border! The view from the dam was absolutely gorgeous-on one side, the sun setting over Lake Kariba, and on the other side, the Zambezi cutting through the mountainscape. The dam produces hydroelectric power for both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
After our trip, we headed back to Kariba Inns for one last family dinner (we missed you, Dave and Jenna!). We took a trip back into Siavonga to visit Harvest Help’s headquarters and meet with Alexander once more to learn a little more about the history of Harvest Help and learn more about Zambia as a whole. When the Zambezi was dammed to create Lake Kariba, many villages were displaced because of the flooding of the valley; these communities still need help, as their relocation was very rushed and didn’t always allow for proper planning of villages, which sometimes resulted in massive erosion due to clear-cutting trees to make room for homes. Communities such as these are where Harvest Help focuses efforts, as they are usually the communities dealing with food insecurity. Through agriculture and other efforts, Harvest Help provides communities with the education and some resources to be able to support themselves.
