Luapula Province Hotels

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  • Bwana_Brown profile photo Bwana_Brown
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'Volunteer' Housing: A Mixed Crowd

During those early years of the 70s, a number of positions in Zambia involving teaching and community health care were provided by 'Volunteer' organizations. Most were from Europe and I had acquaintences with people from Germany, Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom and Finland. Canada sent a new contingent out every year (there were 110 of us bound for Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda when I headed over) committed to spend at least 2-years there. Given the number of volunteers floating around, I was surprised that I never ran across or heard much talk of any Peace Corps types from the USA.

Unique Quality: The majority of the European guys were there as an option to under-going compulsory military service. In my case, I had finished my degree in engineering and just wanted to travel around for a while seeing the world! All I specified in my job application was, 'send me to Africa'!

The photo shows a typical hodge-podge starting from left to right with a Dutchman, three Germans and Torben the Dane. This farewell shot was taken as Torben, Norbert (the middle German) and I were about to leave Mansa for the ferry ride into Zaire on our way 'home'.

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  • Related to: Road Trip, Budget Travel
  • Written January 17, 2005
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A Hodge-Podge of Nationalities

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  • Bwana_Brown profile photo Bwana_Brown
  • Reviews: 3530

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A Typical Expatriate House: 'Volunteer' Housing

Due to the 'volunteer' network in Zambia (and East/Central Africa in general), it was common to stay with your compatriots when travelling around the area. This was based on the old 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' theory!

Consequently, for all three of my visits to Luapula Province, I ended up stayiing with fellow-Canadian volunteers in both Kawambwa and Nchelenge (on the shore of Lake Mweru) for most of the nights. Since most of the volunteers working here were either secondary school teachers, health nurses or wildlife officers of some sort, quite comfortable housing was provided for them.

Here, I am staying with two of the Canadians in Kawambwa, along with my Danish buddy, Torben, who worked with me in Copperbelt Province. After visiting with me on my home turf, the guy on the extreme left decided it would be a good idea to become an electrical engineer as well. This he did after returning to Canada and he now works in Manitoba. We still keep in touch 30 years later.

  • Opinion of Price: N/A
  • Related to: Road Trip, Budget Travel
  • Written January 17, 2005
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'Volunteers' in Kawambwa

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