Sam's Zambia Experience: Living On A Dollar A Day

A few weeks after experiencing what is likely to be our “touristy highlight” in South Luangwa, I believe it is safe to say that last week we experienced our “emotional highlight”. A small group of us had the privilege of going on a trip to visit the beneficiaries of PCI and PCI-partner programs. We had several stops, and below is a summary of the three most memorable visits. Unfortunately, words can only describe the situation, they cannot transfer feelings, but I’ll try.

As most of you know, the HIV/AIDS rate is rampant around here. Some estimates put areas of Lusaka at 20% and even above – That means 1 in 5 people is infected. Let’s assume that is extremely exaggerated, and reduce that rate by 50%, even then, 1 in 10 people is infected. Of course that is not the only killer. Healthcare is a serious problem here, and there are more problems all over…

Family #1

I was busy playing with the kids when our guide described the situation, but what I got out of it is that 10 people – 9 kids and 1 adult - live in a room that is about 10 feet x 10 feet (assumption: 1 foot = the size of my shoe) without any windows, without electricity, without running water – just a room made of 4 brick walls, a roof, and a door. In 2002, I shared a 5 bedroom house in San Diego with 4 other people (temporarily 5 other people). I cannot imagine living with double the number of people in less than 1/20th of the space. I can’t speak from experience, but I assume living in a US jail would be considered luxury when compared to living around here.

Family #2

To a parent, I assume the most hurtful tragedy that can happen is the death of a child. Now, assume that you had 6 children, and that out of those 4 died, and 1 is critically ill. Further, assume that before they passed, each of the now dead children had children of their own, and that you and your spouse are now 100% responsible for your grandchildren. That is precisely what happened to a grandmother we visited. The youngest child she cares for is an infant, and it is HIV positive. Of course grandma, grandpa and (I believe 6) grandkids live in a very small home. For some grandmas out there, taking care of children would be fun, and for others it’s a reality. However, I hope that none of you grandparents out there have to “break rocks” for a living. This grandma does that for the family’s sole income. She goes out, finds big pieces of rocks, and then breaks them into small pieces. She mentioned that she sells a wheel barrel full of those rocks for 4 pin (=4,000 Kwacha = approximately $0.80). It has happened before that she only sells one wheel barrel per month, we’re told. Imagine what a “luxury” a dollar a day means to her. Meanwhile, I used to belong to a gym in Southern California, where I paid over $4 a day. This grandmother is one of the true heroes of this world.

Family #3

The word “family” is somewhat misleading here, but given that the people we visited don’t have anyone else, I still find it appropriate. We visited inner city street children. Our “guides” for this trip were a large group of outreach workers, who are helping these kids to get off the streets. Many of these helpers previously lived on the streets themselves, and have come a very long way. On the way to the beneficiaries, we had to pass through areas of town that I would certainly not cross by myself, and therefore, I did not dare to take out my camera – sorry!

Some of the kids (mostly teens) were high (I believe from sniffing glue) and all of them were dirty. We heard that some of the kids are sometimes violent, but my experience was that they are nice, and very excited to talk to us. In conversation with them, I found that a couple of them seemed smart, and a couple even seemed somewhat educated. The stories of how they ended up on the streets and why they are still on the streets are not very pleasant – obviously. One particular kid lost both parents and lived with his uncle, who regularly threatened to poison the boy. At one point the teen couldn’t handle it anymore and ran away.

Going on these trips was a true eye-opener for me, especially, when I compare it with life in Orange County, California. A good friend of mine lives in a nice condo in Irvine, and in the parking lot of his towers are several (!!!) Ferraris, Bentleys, and even a couple of Rolls Royces. I wonder how many people here can be helped with just the money it costs to insure these cars.

I hope that when I return to the States, I will not forget these trips. I hope to be able to keep these experiences with me for the rest of my life.

It's not unusual to see kids taking care of kids