To Our future Muzungus
Dear future participant or Muzungus,
You are about to embark on a unique journey both academically and personally. My time in Zambia not only helped me not only reveal my own strengths and weaknesses but help discover a different side of myself.
As I reflect on the experience, my time in Zambia was a whirlwind of emotions from happiness, frustration, excitement, to satisfaction. From the generosity, love and affection of our homestay families to challenges during research have strongly impacted my experience in Zambia. When we were in Zambia my abilities to adapt to challenging situations were put to test. For example, navigating through our research was frustrating as even after 3-4 weeks we did not have a clear sense of direction for our paper. The lack of basic amenities at the post- homestay living arrangement tested our patience and flexibility time and time again. However, it was the process of navigating through such issues that were meaningful and worthwhile.
My biggest advice is to remember that it is you who defines the Zambian “experience”. You are the writer; you control the narrative. You get to decide if it will be an experience worth relieving or one to forget. It is inevitable that you will face uncomfortable situations either with your research organization, cohort members, host family, research partners, or the overall environment in which you will be living for two months. Your values or ideas or will be challenged. What you believe or don’t believe in will be questioned. You will be an environment that will not have the same level of comfort and amenities that you enjoy in America. But that’s the whole beauty of the program. It is those uncomfortable situations that help you view things differently. It will help you appreciate the smaller things that we take for granted in the States.
To conclude, if you are going remember anything before going to Zambia is that learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you internalize this, I strongly think you will have experiences and stories that you will carry on for years to come.
Anyways, Cheers!!! Hope you have a great time in Zambia ;).
You are about to embark on a unique journey both academically and personally. My time in Zambia not only helped me not only reveal my own strengths and weaknesses but help discover a different side of myself.
As I reflect on the experience, my time in Zambia was a whirlwind of emotions from happiness, frustration, excitement, to satisfaction. From the generosity, love and affection of our homestay families to challenges during research have strongly impacted my experience in Zambia. When we were in Zambia my abilities to adapt to challenging situations were put to test. For example, navigating through our research was frustrating as even after 3-4 weeks we did not have a clear sense of direction for our paper. The lack of basic amenities at the post- homestay living arrangement tested our patience and flexibility time and time again. However, it was the process of navigating through such issues that were meaningful and worthwhile.
My biggest advice is to remember that it is you who defines the Zambian “experience”. You are the writer; you control the narrative. You get to decide if it will be an experience worth relieving or one to forget. It is inevitable that you will face uncomfortable situations either with your research organization, cohort members, host family, research partners, or the overall environment in which you will be living for two months. Your values or ideas or will be challenged. What you believe or don’t believe in will be questioned. You will be an environment that will not have the same level of comfort and amenities that you enjoy in America. But that’s the whole beauty of the program. It is those uncomfortable situations that help you view things differently. It will help you appreciate the smaller things that we take for granted in the States.
To conclude, if you are going remember anything before going to Zambia is that learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you internalize this, I strongly think you will have experiences and stories that you will carry on for years to come.
Anyways, Cheers!!! Hope you have a great time in Zambia ;).
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