Africa – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

The Furn City Experience!

We’re always happy to promote Livingstone business on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring JayHillz – The Experience is our weekly radio show airing at 20.30 hrs every Sunday night on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. So it was a pleasure to welcome Limba Mumbi (above) a sales consultant at Furn City, one of three furniture and household equipment suppliers in Livingstone, as our Guest on the most recent edition of the show. Limba told our listeners that he was ‘a regular guy, fun loving and fun to be with but with a serious side when it came to serious matters’! He had first come to Livingstone with his parents when he was in Grade 4 and had been living in the city for the past 24 years. He had completed his secondary education at Linda Secondary School in Livingstone.

Limba told us that his job had a lot of challenges due to the intense competition between the various furniture suppliers in the city but said they were all surviving, as Livingstone ‘was growing’. Furn City have 12 branches in Zambia altogether including Choma in Southern Province, the Copperbelt cities, Lusaka of course and Solwezi. The company offers different types of deals to their customers, including hire purchase and Limba said Furn City’s deposit amounts required for hire purchase/lay-by were amongst the lowest available. Their Clients include commercial operations like hotels and lodges, as well as domestic customers.

The music on the show was good and included latest smash hits from David Guetta and Vankelmut with Emma Louise. Milli Jam and Jay chose numbers from Kachanana, Chris Brown, Adam Levine and B1 featuring the brilliantly named Jerry Fingers – by all reports a really good Zambian producer. Our oldie of the week was by Cash n’Music ft Slap D but the prize went unwon! My pick of the week was Labrinth’s ‘Let It Be’ and we closed with Taylor ‘I’ll never sing country music again’ Swift’s new pop smash ‘Shake It Off’.

Limba told us that he likes all types of music but particularly ‘old school’ but his favourite artist is John Legend. It was unfortunately revealed that at one time Limba had been an Arsenal supporter but had since changed his allegiances to Manchester City. Jay and Milli Jam declined to throw our guest out of the studio at my request! He said his favourite player was someone called Yaya Toure. We moved on.

Limba is single but hopes to be married soon. “At least you won’t have to worry about getting a big bed for you and your wife” I added sarcastically – still smarting about the revelation of his ex-Gunner status! Limba gave a big shout out to his 9 year old daughter Wiza ‘the light of my life’ he said! Milli Jam reminded listeners that back in the day Limba had been an active rapper and pageant organizer before he turned to more serious matters like selling furniture! He was in fact one of Livingstone’s first rap artists. He further claimed that he had once bungee jumped!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Limba said that above all he would like to be his own boss. We wished him the best of luck.

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Africa, broadcasting, Business, copperbelt, football, hotels, livingstone, Lusaka, marketing, music, radioshow, victoriafalls, Zambia

The Falls Park Experience!

Meet Michelo Mweene (above), a man with perhaps one of the most difficult jobs in Livingstone. Mich, as he is known to friends, manages the Falls Park Shopping Mall in Livingstone, next to Protea Hotel. This was Livingstone’s first shopping mall, and at the time it opened, with Spar as its’ anchor tenant, was a thriving shopping centre with all the shops and restaurants occupied. Following the opening of the ‘new’ Shoprite closer to the city centre, Falls Park has fallen on hard times. Mich, an accountant by profession, works for African Life Insurance who manage the property. He advised us that negotiations were ongoing with a large company for them to become new anchor tenants in the complex, with the hope of restoring its’ fortunes.

Mich was our Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz, our weekly radio show airing from 20.30-21.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm every Sunday night. The show is a nice mixture of latest international and Zambian music interspersed by chat with our guest. Mich told listeners that he had been in Livingstone for about a year and a half but had been employed by African Life for three years, initially in the finance department. He also has a business interest in a small roadside bar in Livingstone. Still single and not yet a father, Mich told us that he intends to marry soon – the lucky lady is in Kabwe at the moment, but beyond that we were not given details!

The music on the show featured tracks from Envy, One Republic and Jessie Ware, as well as Zambian acts Afunika, Macky 2 and Kay Figo. Other songs were by Sigma ft Paloma Faith and Jason Derulo. The prize we give each week to the first person to text us the name of the artist on our oldie of the week was quickly snapped up!

Mich, a Manchester United supporter, told listeners that he was convinced his team would put their troubles behind them and scoop the EPL again this coming season, others of us were not so sure! His all time favourite player – David Beckham. Current star? Wayne Rooney. We tried to wish him the best of luck in the league this year but failed, and talked instead of Arsenal winning the Community Shield that very afternoon 3-0 v Manchester City!

Mich said that he is at level two in the accountants’ ACCA exams and that it was quite stressful. We sympathised. He also told us that he enjoys a good night out and that his favourite Livingstone club is at the Fairmount Hotel. (Many of our show guests say the same). He likes slow tracks as well as hip hop and his favourite Zambian act is Afunika. Internationally he favours Kendrik Lamar. He plays social football and Falls Park have a local team for which he stars!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Mich said he would like to have his own business be providing employment for other Zambians, and to be married with children.

We wished him the best of luck.

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Accounts, Africa, broadcasting, Business, education, entertainment, football, livingstone, Lusaka, marketing, radioshow, Zambia

The Sikalongo Experience

Meet Kathy and Ed Barlow (above) from Elizabethtown, PA, USA, Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. ‘The Experience’ is our weekly radio show airing from 20.30 to 21.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show is a smooth mixture of Zambian and international pop music interspersed with chat with our Guests. On this occasion, as the headline reflects, the chat was about Kathy and Ed’s two months spent as volunteers at Sikalongo Mission in the Southern Province of Zambia.

Sikalongo Mission is run by the Brethren in Christ Church out of the USA and trains Zambian pastors for their church. Kathy and Ed, both teachers by profession, told listeners that Kathy had spent most of her time teaching English to the trainee pastors’ wives, while Ed was busy helping with maintenance at the mission. They had learned some Chitonga during their visit and Milli Jam was quick to start chatting away with Kathy in his own language. Others of us just listened….

This quiet, charming couple, told listeners that their daughter Kelly had visited them during their time in Zambia. They took the opportunity to thank staff at National Airports at Livingstone Airport who, after Kelly had arrived in Livingstone from a very long journey from USA, had safely recovered and returned Kelly’s wallet which she’d left in the ladies rest room at the airport. Everything in the wallet was in tact including cash, credit cards and passport. “Wow!” we said, and meant it. Kelly is trained in physical therapy and had taken the chance to help some of the Sikalongo residents with exercise programmes during her visit.

The music on the show was good. We opened with tracks from Avicii, Melissa Street and Bakermat. Milli Jam and Jay dropped tracks from DJ Cassidy and Robin Thicke, Pompi, and AKA as well as Mampi featuring Judy. Our oldie of the week was ‘Dilemma’ from Nelly and Kelly Rowland. We closed with ‘Faded’ from Zhu.

Ed and Kathy told listeners they had been ‘wowed’ by Victoria Falls and were happy that they had been told before they arrived. that they could not come to Zambia without seeing this particular natural wonder of the world. Their trip to Zambia had been inspired by Dr Dwight and Mrs Carol Thomas, Zambian/Sikalongo veterans and neighbours of the Barlow’s in America. The Barlows had visited Chobe NP in Botswana during their visit and had been delighted and awed to watch a leopard kill a guinea fowl. They had also seen a pride of lion, their first time to see big cats in their natural state. This was their first visit to Zambia and indeed to Africa.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Ed and Kathy said they would like to be retired and free to be the ‘hands and feet of Jesus’. We thanked them for volunteering their time and resources to come and help Zambians in Southern Province.

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Africa, Botswana, broadcasting, charities, Chobe, education, entertainment, livingstone, radioshow, religion, tourism, usa, victoriafalls, volunteers, Zambia

Canadian Guests On ‘The Experience’!

Meet Tom, Lisa and Kate Marr-Laing (above) from Alberta, Canada, part of a family group who stayed last month at Chanters Lodge in Livingstone. Other members of the family, Chris Kate’s brother, as well as Tom’s parents remained at the lodge while Tom, Lisa and Kate appeared as Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. The show airs every Sunday from 20.30-21.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station and is sponsored by the lodge.

Tom told listeners that he and his family were just a day or two away from the end of a month long trip to Africa which had included several members of the family climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. “Wow!” We said, and meant it! They had also visited Kenya and Zanzibar as well as of course Zambia. During their Livingstone visit they had also crossed over to Zimbabwe and had travelled to Botswana, via Namibia, as well. Tom and Lisa are both involved with an NGO in Canada concerned with worldwide social justice, as well as having one or two businesses, one which supplies mini storage facilities and the other dealing with the recycling of empty drinks containers. Kate, sweet sixteen, told listeners she is still in high school. Tom and Lisa have been married for 21 years and had met when they were both involved in protesting the US involvement in Nicaragua. “Was it love at first sight?” Wondered Milli Jam. “Pretty much!” They said.

The music on the show was good – we opened with Canadian outfit Magic!’s hit ‘Rude’. We also featured tracks from Cheryl Cole, Gesh ft Kantu and Franciar. Our oldie of the week was ‘Book of Love’ from Peter Gabriel but no-one won the prize of a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge which we give to the first person to text us the name of the artist. It was a tough one! “Tune in to dine out, next weekend!” We said. Our pick of the week was Bastille’s ‘Oblivion’ and we closed with a new track from Pharrell Williams ft Miley Cyrus.

Tom and Lisa told listeners that they had loved their high tea on Livingstone Island right on the lip of Victoria Falls where they had swum in the ‘Angel’s Armchair’. They wished the guides would not balance right on the edge! They had also thoroughly enjoyed their one day safari to Chobe NP in Botswana, as well as their view of the Falls from Zimbabwe on the day of the show. Tom and Lisa had also very much enjoyed a visit to Livingstone Museum and had been lucky to catch a performance of traditional dancing from the Zambia National Dance Troupe while they were there. They said they would be sad to leave Zambia the following day at the start of their long journey home to Canada.

When asked about his taste in music Tom revealed that he plays the bagpipes and therefore loves music with a Scottish feel to it. Kate told us that Mumford and Sons are one of her favourite acts though she was sorry that they had recently broken up. Talk of UK football was curtailed on this show as our Canadian Guests were more into ‘hockey’ and triathlon!

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Kate said she would love to be back in Zambia working to promote social justice. Lisa wanted to have grandchildren, while Tom would still like to be working although he would have reached retirement age! ‘Good luck!’ We said.

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Africa, Botswana, broadcasting, Canada, Chanters, football, livingstone, music, Namibia, radioshow, Tanzania, tourism, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe

The Dutch Experience!

Meet Michelle de Moor and Bram van Veen from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay-Hillz. The Experience is our weekly radio show airing at 20.30 hrs CAT every Sunday night on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station.

Bram and Michelle told listeners that they’d met in Cape Town some seven years ago when they were both on internships at the end of their respective degree courses. At that time people in South Africa told them they should take time to visit other African countries including Zambia, and they had made up their minds there and then one day to do just that and here they were! They revealed that although they’d been together all those seven years and owned property together in Amsterdam. they were not yet married. “What are you waiting for?” We wondered. “Errr um err” said Bram while Michelle just ‘rolled her eyes’!

This lively, funny very Dutch couple explained that Michelle was a social worker and Bram a sales manager, but both had given up their jobs in Holland before setting off on their ‘trip of a lifetime’. They’d been travelling for the past six months and had already visited Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique before arriving in Zambia. They’d been to the Lower Zambezi for a canoeing trip but laughingly told us that within five minutes of boarding their canoe they’d ended up in the Zambezi, soon faced by angry and indignant hippos! What a start! They went on to tell listeners that of all the places they had been in Africa, the Lower Zambezi was probably the most beautiful, and they were both firmly against the establishment of a new copper mine planned for the area. They told Milli Jam that they’d arrived in Livingstone by coach from Lusaka a few days before our show.

The music on the show was good. We opened with tracks from Rixton and Nicole Scherzinger. Jay dropped tracks from Tank and Zambia’s very own K’Millian. ‘For You’ is his latest hit. Milli Jam chose Nicki Minaj and Roberto for his selections. Our oldie of the week was Sinzia by Nameless. We give a prize of a dinner for two at the lodge each week to the first person to text us the name of the artist on our oldie and this week the prize was won by Innocent. My pick of the week was John Legend’s ‘You and I’.

At the end of the show we played Diamonds by Rihanna, a special dedication to Edward Chanter’s late special friend Tanya Johnson who had passed away in England during the week. She had loved Rihanna and we felt this was an appropriate song. She was indeed a ‘diamond’.

While in Livingstone Bram and Michelle had visited the ‘amazing’ Victoria Falls and had loved the cheetah walk at Mukuni Big 5. They told us that from Zambia they would proceed to Namibia where they would hire a car and tour around that country for a while. They had no satisfactory answer when Milli Jam asked them why Holland had (again) been unable to win the World Cup. Bram, an Ajax and Manchester United supporter at this point wanted to start talking about England’s World Cup efforts, but we weren’t having that kind of red herring! Michelle told us her favourite band is The Killers and that they both like rock music.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years from now, Bram said he wanted to be in a canoe on the Zambezi, as opposed to being in the water, Michelle wanted to be a mother. Would Bram be the father of her children we wondered, “yes” she said. It doesn’t get much clearer than that!!

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activities, Africa, broadcasting, entertainment, football, Holland, livingstone, Malawi, music, Namibia, radioshow, sales, tourism, travel, victoriafalls, zambezi, Zambia

The K9 Experience!

K9? You wonder? Meet Kenan Chisenga (above), Livingstonian, entrepreneur and singer/rapper whose stage name is K9! Kenan was our Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay-Hillz. ‘The Experience’ is our weekly radio show airing from 20.30-21.30 hrs CAT every Sunday on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Kenan told listeners that he was born and brought up in Livingstone, partially by his grandmother, as he had lost both his parents, his mum in 2003. An only child, Kenan had been forced to fend for himself. He explained that his mum was Toka-Leya by tribe from Chief Mukuni’s village.

Milli Jam asked Kenan how and when he had started in the music field and he revealed that it had all kicked off in 2010 when he had met and started working with ‘The Shaker’ aka Rodger Kabwiko, well known artist and music producer. K9’s first single had been ‘Monga Mpepo’ (‘like air’). “It was for my girl friend and told of her being as important in my life as the air I breathe!” K9 explained. “Is she still around?” I wondered. “Errr ummm eish” the reply! Kenan said that it was difficult to make a living from music in Zambia, therefore he was also a businessman, importing and selling hi fi equipment. He had not yet produced an album but felt that his live shows were more important in terms of fund raising, due partly to the high level of music piracy in Zambia.

We featured one of K9’s tracks on the show ‘Niwe Weka’ (‘you are the one’) and very good it is too! We also featured tracks from Will.i.am, Zone Fam (a hot local outfit), Pharrell Williams, and 5SOS, as well as Ariana Grande. Our oldie of the week was by John Legend, and the prize we give of a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge, to the first person to text us the name of the artist on the track, was quickly snapped up by a certain ‘Brian’.

Milli Jam wanted to know who was Kenan’s favourite local artist and he mentioned Hip-Hop Crisis and PJ. Internationally he favoured Dr Dre. His favourite Livingstone club was the New Fairmount and bars at Bee Hive and Dry Manzi. He revealed that he had been white water rafting but had never done the bungee jump. He felt Holland would win the World Cup and loves Manchester City, especially the Ivorian Yaya Toure. Had he played any shows during this holiday weekend we wondered? “Yes with Ruff Kid at Eastpoint on Friday” replied Kenan. On being told that there were K9 T shirts available as part of his branding, I asked for one for my son Henry who was present in the studio getting his first taste of our show! A promise was made!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years from now, Kenan told listeners that he would like to be an investor in Livingstone making money!

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activities, Africa, broadcasting, Chanters, entertainment, entrepreneurship, football, livingstone, Lusaka, music, radioshow, victoriafalls, Zambia

Inspired By The Zambezi – David Lisle Whitehead

A new book “Inspired by the Zambezi” by David Lisle Whitehead has just been self-published.
It can be purchased for ZKW 150 from The River Club or from Zig Zag in Livingstone. The book costs US$20 from Elephant’s Walk in Victoria Falls.

The book – a “must read” has been very favourably reviewed by Tony Weaver –

“David has written the most delightful memoir about his life in Barotseland, and his lifelong fascination with the Lozi people and the Bulozi kingdom. Titled Inspired by the Zambezi, and sub-titled Memories of Barotseland and a Royal River – the mighty Liambai, it is one of those gems that anyone travelling to the region simply has to beg, borrow, buy or steal – preferably buy, as all proceeds from its sale are going towards building a school near Makusi Village on the Zambezi in Sesheke District.

It was a remarkable upbringing, all the more so given that David went on to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, studying under Nobel laureate, Prof Hans Krebs – even I knew who Krebs was, having learnt about the “Krebs cycle” in high school biology.

As he says in his memoir about growing up in Bulozi, “relating my experiences in Bulozi will, I hope, serve to illustrate how lucky I was to grow up in such a magical, friendly world dominated by the fantastic Zambezi River. We lived amongst an amazing tribe, the Malozi, from whom I learned many lessons while imbibing their colourful language as if it it were my own. I even used to dream in Silozi; and sometimes I still do.”

The book is populated with colourful characters, some of whom went on to become household names in Southern Africa – the Meikles brothers, after whom the famous Meikles Hotel in Harare is named, the Susman brothers, founders of the modern day Woolworths, and the various members of the royal families of both Bulozi and Lesotho (Constantine Seeiso, later to be King Moshoeshoe II, was his Oxford tennis partner).”

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Africa, books, Publications, zambezi, Zambia

Ryan Kelly

Ryan Kelly (above), a second year graduate school student in forensic psychology at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, USA, was our Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay-Hillz. That’s our weekly radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, which features chat with a Guest of the week, a great selection of latest international and local music, as well as news from social media sites and pop chart updates. Airs every Sunday at 20.30 hrs CAT. We also give away a prize of a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge to the first person to text us with the name of the artist on our oldie of the week. On this particular occasion the prize was not won – due to network problems the text messages were late to arrive!

Ryan told listeners that he had been in Zambia for a month, in the capital Lusaka, as a volunteer with the Advocacy For Child Justice, a Non-Government Organization that uses an issue-based approach to advocate for the rights and best interests of children who come into conflict with the law. Ryan briefed us about the work of ACJ. He had learned a lot from his time in Lusaka and felt that the experience blended well with the course he was undertaking back in the States. It was his first time to be in Zambia and indeed Africa. “Was Zambia what he had expected?” We wondered. “Yes and no……” The cautious response.

The music on the show was good. We featured tracks from Avicii, Oliver Heldens, Example, Whitney Houston, Taio Cruz, Austin Mohone, Krytic, DJ Clock, JK and Sam Smith.

Ryan told us that he had been busy since he arrived in Livingstone on Friday. He had spent a whole day with Abseil Zambia on Saturday and had abseiled, swung the gorge, and performed the flying fox but not the bungee jump. He had thoroughly enjoyed the day and praised the Abseil Zambia staff. He had also loved the sunset cruise on Lady Livingstone and was very much looking forward to white water rafting the day after the show, before travelling back to Lusaka the following day, then flying back to America that night. “Will you come back to Zambia?” Milli Jam wondered. “I certainly hope so!” Said Ryan.

Jay wanted to know if Ryan though the USA would win the FIFA World Cup. “Not really”, but he was proud that his team had progressed to the last 16 for the second consecutive World Cup finals tournament. He professed a keen interest in American football. The Boston Patriots is his team. Music wise Ryan told us that he loves Sam Smith. “So do we!” We said. He’s also a fan of Imagine Dragons, Disclosure, and more especially Eric Clapton and Cream. He had enjoyed a local concert in Livingstone featuring some Zambian bands and music. He had also had nights out at Fez Bar and Cafe Zambezi while he’d been in Livingstone.

Ryan is single, free, and comes from a big family, he has a twin brother as well as step brothers and sisters and half brothers and sisters. “They’re all just brothers and sisters in Zambia!” I commented. Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time Ryan told us that he’d like to be wherever he would be happy and doing what made him happy too. He did not rule out an academic career or returning to Zambia!

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activities, Africa, broadcasting, Chanters, charities, children, entertainment, livingstone, Lusaka, music, radioshow, travel, usa, victoriafalls, volunteers, Zambia

The Barker Experience!

We were delighted to welcome Mariann and Gary Barker (above) as Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz – our weekly radio show on Livingstone’s local radio station Zambezi 107.7fm. Mariann and Gary told our listeners that they were staying at Chanters Lodge for the weekend to celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary. “How did you meet?” We wanted to know, and Gary explained that they had been together at high school in California, their home state in USA. “So you were high school sweethearts?” I surmised. “No!” They said “We met up again later after high school when we both went to the same college and that’s when we started dating”. “Awwwww!” We said and congratulated them on their anniversary thanking them for choosing Chanters Lodge for their celebration.

Pastor Gary, to give him his correct title, told listeners that he and Mariann live in Choma in the Southern Province of Zambia and are the founders of Grace Baptist Church located in the showgrounds at Choma. Gary also teaches at, and operates, the Baptist Bible College and Institute of Choma where pastors are trained on a four year programme. The current number on training is seven. The couple have lived in Choma for seven years and Gary has been a pastor for some 33 years. The mission was founded in 1930 and has about 1200 missionaries worldwide. The missions are funded largely by individual donations leading to great interaction between the missionaries and the donors, and Gary told us that Mariann does a great job in sending photos and other information about their work in Choma back to donors in USA. “They love to see that lives are being changed in Zambia!” Said Mariann.

The music on the show was far from classical or gospel, this couple’s stated preference. We opened as usual with ‘Hey Brother’ from Avicii before dropping tracks from 5 Seconds Of Summer and Gorgon City. Jay and Milli Jam gave us numbers from Brinky ft Kantu, Casper Nyovest, Ne-Yo, Slap Dee and 2 Pac. No-one won the prize of a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge we offer each week on the show to a listener who can answer a simple question. Gary revealed that wife Mariann had been a brilliant drummer in her youth!

Mariann told us that the couple have three grown up children, four grandchildren and two great grand children back in the USA and that they miss them a lot! They were happy that Bart, their son, a policeman in California operating with a police dog, had been able to visit them in Zambia earlier this year with his family. The family had loved all the tourist activities they had been able to do at that time, including the one day safari to Chobe, the lion encounter and the microlight flight. Mariann had drawn the line at any member of the family being allowed to do the bungee jump! They also revealed that they were friends with Jo Brooks, proprietor of the Livingstone Crocodile Park although Mariann does not like going there! Gary revealed that Jo had told him ‘plenty of stories’! We moved on unsurprised – Jo was a Guest on our show a while ago so we could just imagine!

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Mariann wanted to be back in America with her family, Pastor Gary wanted still to be ministering and to be close to his family at home.

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activities, Africa, Botswana, broadcasting, Chanters, Donation, education, entertainment, livingstone, music, radioshow, religion, usa, Zambia

The Gane Experience!

We were delighted to welcome Annette and Peter Gane (above) as Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay-Hillz. ‘The Experience’ is our weekly radio show airing at 20.30 hrs for an hour every Sunday night on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Annette and Peter were staying at Chanters Lodge on holiday from UK, and told listeners that they lived in Somerset, in the south west of England. “Not far from my village!” I told Milli Jam and the listeners.

“What made you choose Livingstone for your holiday?” Milli Jam wondered. Annette, a nurse by profession though now retired, revealed that in 2008 she had spent one month as a volunteer with African Impact in Livingstone, amongst other duties helping out at Maramba Clinic as well as at an orphanage in Maramba, a sprawling low cost housing complex in the Livingstone suburbs. Annette had loved Zambia so much that she convinced husband of thirty years Peter, that he must come this year and see the place for himself although he had in mind a holiday in Antarctica!

Annette also explained that during her time as a volunteer she had met Trevor Maluta, an eighteen year old orphan, who in 2008, was about to be evicted from the Maramba orphanage on the basis of age. She had helped and befriended him ever since. Annette and Peter had visited Trevor in Kitwe at the start of this trip, further revealing that he was now happily married, about to become a father and busy working in IT support for a firm of mining consultants on the Copperbelt. “Congrats!” We said. Peter told us that they hoped to welcome Trevor to their home in UK for a visit later this year when he would be in their country for further training.

The music on the show was good and featured tracks from Ella Henderson, Rayleigh Ritchie, Beyonce ft Jay-Z, K’Millian, Ruff Kaida ft P-Jay, Miley Cyrus and Brandy – a great selection of international and local tracks formatted by Milli Jam and Jay. We usually give a prize of a dinner for two for the first person to text us the name of the artist on our ‘oldie of the week’. On this show I asked a World Cup related question that took everyone by surprise, nevertheless Jacki won the prize. My pick of the week was the number one in the Norwegian Top 40, ‘Younger’ from Seinabo Sey. We closed with ‘Wasted’ from Tiesto. Peter said he likes classical music whereas Annette is a fan of Paloma Faith amongst others, including Queen.

Peter told listeners that he was retired, before which he had worked in finance in the corporate world – which he does not miss! He revealed that he is now a trustee on the board of various charities and is also involved in the administration of one of the local schools in his area. The couple have three big dogs and seven grand-children. During their time in Livingstone they had enjoyed the lion encounter, an elephant safari, a one day safari to Chobe NP in Botswana, as well as a river safari on the Zambezi the very afternoon of the show. They were still looking forward to high tea on Livingstone Island at the end of their itinerary, before they flew back to England later in the week.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, both Annette and Peter said they would like to be alive, healthy and happy!

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activities, Africa, Botswana, broadcasting, Chanters, children, Chobe, copperbelt, entertainment, health, livingstone, music, pets, radioshow, victoriafalls, volunteers, Zambia

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