Dear Future Mizungu

Dear future “Mizungu,” 

       Before this program began, I didn’t know much about Zambia besides the typical stereotypes of Africa that pervade mainstream media and what I had learned about African politics in school. Even in the pre-departure seminar, hearing about Zambian culture did not prepare me at all for what I experienced over the summer. By the end of the summer, however, I believe I have a much better understanding of Zambian culture and life in the country. I was able to learn a great deal not only through my research but also in my interactions with people through everyday activites. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience this summer and despite not everything going right, I loved getting to know both my fellow Cornellians as well as native Zambians. 

   Some of the things I have taken away from my experience that I think are worth sharing:

1)   Be flexible. Zambians pride themselves on their adaptability and ability to fix things on the fly. Many times, even our most carefully laid plans just wouldn’t work out. There were a multitude of experiences that fall into this category from flat tires of taxis, minibus rides with a goat and chicken, no working internet at work when we needed to do work, and a broken bus on a seven-hour trip. I am a person who loves to plan things so this was hard for me to adjust to but as long as I had a backup plan or left enough time in case, things worked out.

2)   Learn a bit of Nyanja or the local language of the region you are in. A little bit goes a long way here – whether it was just saying thank you or good morning, people’s attitude towards us changed immediately when we made an effort to speak their language. 

3)   Don’t be afraid to get lost. Walk as much as you can and explore the city as soon as you can. Even though taking the minibuses was an experience, I really enjoyed my long walks around the city and stopping at random places that I never would have found otherwise. 

4)   Places where ex-pats usually frequent are sometimes the best places to hang out. While these places, such as the Deli and Mugg and Bean, won’t give you a taste of what real life in Zambia is like, they are a good way to balance being in Zambia with a bit of home. These places usually have decent Wifi, really good food, and a lot of foreigners eager to talk about their life and to hear about your work in Zambia. One of my favorite times in Zambia was getting to play ultimate Frisbee with a group of ex-pats and hearing their stories about Zambia and how they all made their way to the same place.  

5)   Zambians are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Especially coming from NYC, where people on the street will barely acknowledge you let alone say hello, Lusaka was quite a change. Everyone went out of their way to greet us and help us whenever we needed. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you have – most people will be more than willing to help. People love to ask for your Whatsapp line or Facebook name after you meet them and even once I have been back, I have stayed in contact with some people I had only met a few times before. 

6)   Zambians love their television. In our home stay, the television was always on and watching shows seems to be most people’s major pastime in the evenings. I don’t watch that much television back home so this was quite a change for me and it was frustrating at times when I just wanted to talk or doing something else and everyone was just glued to the television set.

7)   Find a balance between work and play. Your research will take a lot of time and is very important but keep in mind you are only in Zambia for a limited time. Try to experience as much as you can outside of your workplace and don’t be afraid to take time for yourself and explore, especially on weekends! There are many cool tourist places to visit, soccer games to jump in on, and restaurants to try. 

8)   Visit the host families of the rest of your cohort. See how everyone else is living to get a better feel for life in Zambia so you are not limited to the perspective of living with one family. This will also allow you to meet a lot of people, hear many cool stories, and get tons of great advice. 

     Hope these help a bit. Things might be rough at first and take some adjusting, but over time, you will feel more comfortable and get used to getting around the region. This past summer was a great experience for me and I am sure you will have a great time as well! 

~Amrit