Research In Zambia Part 1/3 - Introduction
Written March 17, 2022:
Hello, Friends! Hope everyone is doing well and happy Spring!! Writing here with a quick update from my first week in Zambia…
I arrived in the early morning in Lusaka, Zambia on Wednesday the 16th, after 28 total hours of travel including an 8-hour layover in Doha, Qatar (awesome airport there, by the way). I've been settling in nicely with the Mabulukis - family friends from when my dad worked with the Reverend Kangwa Mabuluki (their dad) back in the 80s and 90s. They have been extremely generous and have made the first week of my stay exciting, comfortable, and full of learning. Their house is on a farm on the outside of town - beautiful - with big banana trees, fruits, vegetables, flowers, chickens, rabbits, and much more. I have a favorite reading/writing spot on the side patio of the house, overlooking a flower garden and corn fields.
In the first few days of getting here, I started to ask the family (especially Kampamba, who is the son of Rev Kangwa, and EJ, who is Kampamba's nephew) about environmental conversations happening in Zambia... a few trends began to emerge. The issue of mining, especially for copper and gemstones, is HUGELY important and top of mind for the country right now... so we're starting to dig in a bit deeper there.
It seems like, after meeting with a few activists in Lusaka, like Andrew Banda from the Alliance for Community Action, there are two regions we need to explore, one to the North of Lusaka and one to the South.
We (me, Kampamba and EJ) are leaving today for the North, a region called the Copper Belt. This is where you find Black Mountain, a very controversial site where 3 years ago, hundreds of 'pickers' were captured on film being buried alive after an explosion - all in an attempt to dislodge copper from the mountain and sell to the refiners, who would then eventually sell to the Chinese among other international governments/corporations. In addition to humanitarian concerns, there are huge environmental impacts - impacts on the water and air make the surrounding communities some of the most polluted in the country and, according to Kampamba, the world. There are still people picking copper there today and we have connections to some local social justice groups who are organizing on the ground in the area... our plan is to go and speak with them to learn more.
To the South, there is a very heated debate (that was actually showcased in Lusaka’s local paper earlier this month) focused on the Lower Zambezi National Park and a new copper mine that is in the process of operationalizing. The Zambezi River is a powerful, winding and important water source that stretches over multiple countries in Southern Africa. The river even contributes to Victoria Falls, which I'm hoping to visit as well. Currently, a mine (also majority-owned by international corporations) is planned to be built in the center of the National Park where there are over 350 species living, many of them endangered. Hundreds of local communities, an estimated 20,000 people also live along the banks of the river and rely on the Zambezi water source for food and fresh water. There is an NGO Coalition organizing against the mine and we hope to connect with leaders from the coalition along with some local community leaders as well to learn more.
Hearing about the effects of our global capitalist system (including the iPhone I currently hold in my hand) from my family friends here has been an important experience already... and I haven't even seen these locations yet with my own eyes. Regardless, I'm excited to share some of this experience with you.
My goal will be to post a two-part update, the first coming next week on our experience in the Copper Belt, and the second in April, outlining our experience in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Thanks again for your support along the way and I look forward to keeping y'all in the loop as these adventures evolve!
