Blog Post 1

On our final day for orientation, our trip to SAIPAR did not go as smoothly as it usually did. We had been always instructed to get on a minibus to Chilenje and then get on another bus to Kabulonga. This day, when we hopped on the packed Chilenje bus, it started to make turns instead of the usual straight path there. This had been our third day riding the minibus to SAIPAR so we weren’t worried yet. We thought that it would make its way to the market like it always did. We went out of our way to remind the conductor that we needed to get off at Chilenje market to catch a connecting bus to Kabulonga. He reassured us that they would go there. Then at the next stop, he told us to get off the bus. He said it was a two kilometer walk to the market and pointed us down a road to start. We were annoyed that we had been lied to. Many questions raced through our minds. We had no map of Lusaka and no GPS to go off of. We didn’t know the area, but it looked residential instead of the hectic environment of Chilenje market. We had 30 minutes to find our way to SAIPAR before we were late. As we started walking, we asked a woman passing by where we were. She said south Chilenje. She was very kind and pointed us in the right direction to start looking for a minibus. As we kept walking, the people around us kept to themselves and focused on their walk to work. But when we would try to ask them for directions, they would stop what they were doing and lighten up, both older and younger people. Everyone was very happy to help us. Eventually we found a bus that went to Kabulonga that weaved through the residential area and we made it to SAIPAR.

From this experience, I learned that I am capable of being calm in a vulnerable situation. In the U.S., with street signs and GPS it is very rare that I am ever truly lost. When you are lost in Zambia, your greatest resource is the locals. This experience also reinforced that not everything will always go to plan. This had been drilled into our heads during the pre-departure seminar but this day that concept came to life at a different level. Minibus conductors work hard and have great enthusiasm to make sure their minibus is always full. As I found out that day it can mean they don’t tell the full truth or will lie so they can make 10 extra kwacha. It can make you frustrated when you are taken advantage of because of your lack of knowledge as a foreigner. There was no way to tell that this minibus would not follow the usual and expected route to Chilenje market when we initially got on. We only found out when it was too late. But this is only a small fraction of experiences we have had on the minibus. Most Zambians are kind and will help when you need it, even the conductors.

When this mistake happened again about a week later I wasn’t frustrated like I was before. I was more accepting and understanding. They have families to feed and needed to make a living. It may have added extra walking to my commute but it didn’t have to ruin my day. Something else I learned was that patience is key in Zambia. Things will always take longer than you expect them to and therefore you must give yourself more time. Luckily the kindness you experience around you makes the patience come much more naturally.