Medical-Orphanage in lusaka

I was pleasantly surprised to feel so welcomed in Zambia. Every Zambian that I met was incredibly gracious and kind. I was also surprised to see how happy these people are; they have so little, yet never complain. Zambians take much pride in preserving their culture and traditions; they are eager to share their culture with outsiders.
I had raised some funds to donate supplies to the Clinic/Hospice and one of the orphanages before I left the U.S. When I dropped off the supplies at the orphanage I was not prepared for how the young children would react. (These children were all 16 months and younger). When I walked into the room four children came running at me with their arms wide open. I took turns picking up each child and showing them individual attention; however, when I put each child down they cried and one even through a tantrum. It broke my heart to see these children craving love from a complete stranger.
If you are white, the locals will stare at you and may yell "muzungu" (white person). Do not take offense to this; you are different and they are just curious. The children are especially curious and will want to talk to you and touch you, especially your hair. Most Zambians that I met had never traveled outside of their country, so many have never seen a white person.
Volunteering in Zambia was a life changing experience for me. My heart broke when I had to leave as I was only able to stay a total of 10 days. As a developing nation, Zambia has so much more than developed nations in many ways. I told the cab driver on the way to the airport that Zambians are very kind. His response was: "yes, we have to be...we are one. We speak many different languages but we are one and we must try to communicate with one another". I saw a country with so much pride that values the importance of preserving their culture. I felt so much love there...the people are so connected because they must rely on one another; the poorest of them all simply try to make it through the day. Not once did I hear a Zambian complain; they are so appreciative of what they do have. They are not rushing off from place to place and value their families and friends. I cannot wait to return to this place, though I know it will be a long ways away due to my lack of time off from work.