Krystle The Brave!

Sometimes tourists come to Livingstone just to experience the fantastic array of activities available in the area, with viewing the Victoria Falls somehow a secondary consideration on their itinerary. It seems this was the case for Krystle Cummings (above), young, pretty Canadian Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela. ‘The Experience’ is the weekly Sunday night radio show we sponsor airing from 20.30 hrs CAT for an hour on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show is a popular mixture of music and chat with our invited guest, sometimes someone staying at Chanters Lodge, sometimes a local personality. Members of staff at the lodge have also appeared as Guests on the show.

Krystle told listeners that while she had been in Livingstone, she had ridden elephants, swum in Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island, flown over Victoria Falls for 15 minutes in/on a microlight, gone white water rafting and swung the gorge swing – this last activity ‘more than once’. The scariest? ‘White water rafting!’ She said. Milli Jam wanted to know if there were any activities she wished she’d done but hadn’t, and she mentioned the rhino walk, and the lion/cheetah encounter! She had also been to Chobe National Park in Botswana for the one day safari and had been thrilled to see so many elephants.

Before arriving in Livingstone, Krystle, a Justice graduate from the University of British Columbia, had spent time in Lusaka, staying with a Zambian family on a short internship with Advocacy for Juvenile Justice. This programme had involved visiting juveniles incarcerated in adult Zambian prisons, with a view to trying to bring about a change in this unsatisfactory situation, which, she said, simply leads to a continued cycle of crime. Juveniles locked up with adults had little chance of reform and much more likelihood of repeat offending, she explained. Zambia was one of the very few countries to offer a chance to non-Zambians to visit the prisons and she described her time in Lusaka as an ‘eye opener’.

The music on the show was good. We opened with tracks from Enrique and Avicii. George dropped numbers from Pilato and General Ozzy. Milli Jam chose music from Beyonce and Daft Punk. Our oldie of the week was Amayenge’s ‘Ten Wala’ and the prize we give to the first person to text us the name of the performing artist was quickly snapped up! My pick of the week was R Kelly’s ‘Genius’. We closed with tracks from Daughtry and John Legend.

Krystle told listeners that although she was still single she had a steady boyfriend back in Canada who was just finishing College, as indeed she herself had just finished. Brian (his name) was studying web design, she said, and revealed that he was an adrenaline junkie just dying to come to Zambia to do the bungee jump! Brian was a Manchester City fan though Krystle herself follow iced hockey more than English football. Milli Jam was very happy that Arsenal were top of the EPL as we went on air and took every opportunity to remind listeners of this fact! Our Canadian guest said she was a fan of Mumford and Sons and had recently been lucky enough to have front row seats at one of their concerts, which she had loved. She was also a fan of Kings of Leon.

Asked where she would like to be and what she would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Krystle hoped to have a great job, a nice house and to have travelled to every single continent. Coming from one who had just visited Zambia’s congested run down prisons and risked life and limb celebrating Livingstone’s great adrenaline activities, we had no doubt she would succeed!

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Young Love On The Experience!

Young love is a wonderful thing! Meet Milandu and Catherine Silwebbe (above), newly weds and very much in love! Milandu and Catherine were Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Soulchild, that’s our weekly Sunday night radio show airing every Sunday night at 20.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s superb local radio station! Milandu and Catherine told listeners they had married on 13th July 2013, exactly five years to the day from the day they’d met, and that thirteen was a lucky number for them. Catherine is an American hailing from near Boulder, Colorado while Milandu is a Zambian of the Tonga tribe! These guys had met in 2008 when Catherine was in Zambia as a volunteer with an NGO – ‘Student Partnership Worldwide’. They had been introduce by a mutual friend, Shyman Shaizo, upcoming Zambian musician and recent Guest on our show.

Our Guests told us that they had recently opened a new business in Livingstone known as Boza Ulye Food and Unwe Cold Beers! The joint was situated in a lovely garden area opposite the Falls Park Shopping Centre and had opened just a week before we went on air. They told listeners that the first week’s business had been tough. The restaurant/bar was specializing in affordable Zambian dishes and the couple were aiming at attracting the local market. Boze Ulye means ‘work to eat’. Milandu has previously run a local restaurant in another part of Livingstone. This engaging couple went on to tell us that they had also established ‘Rise N’ Rise Entertainment’ which they hoped would help to promote creative industry in Livingstone. Catherine also hoped to use her art degree to start giving painting lessons while Milandu is very interested in promoting local musicians.

The music on the show was good. We opened with hits from Ben Pearce and Jason Derulo. George ‘Kaufela’, who had already stunned our audience with the breaking news that that very afternoon he had done the bungee jump and had the pictures to prove it, played his latest track ‘Enter’ for the first time on air on the show. He also played a track by Slap Dee ft Tommy Dee. Milli Jam (who had not been bungee jumping that afternoon) played tracks from Sara Bareilles and Nyanda. Our oldie of the week was Jay Z’s ‘Forever Young’ and the prize we give to the first person to text us the name of the artist was quickly snapped up. Milandu also gave a prize of a meal for two at Boza Ulye to the runner up, and that rocked too!

Catherine and Milandu said they differed over English football as Milandu supports Manchester United while Catherine supports Chelsea. Milandu felt that Catherine should change teams now that they were married and he was the head of the house….Catherine did not feel that way! They said they both loved music especially Kalindula and Hip-Hop. At weekends at their place they would be holding bries and providing musical entertainment for their Guests. Amongst their favourite local artists were Macky 2 and Chefy.
Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Catherine wanted to own a house with a swimming pool, Milandu wanted to have children and hoped to have changed things in the art and music industries in Zambia.

We wished them all the best.

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American Girls Rock The Experience!

Meet Kristen Sawyer and Amber Lind (above left to right) – American girls and our Guests on the most recent edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George ‘Kaufela’. The Experience is our weekly radio show going out live every Sunday night for an hour at 20.30 hrs CAT, on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Both girls are from Pennsylvania though Kristen now lives in Boston, Mass. – they met at school ‘way back’ they told listeners, and although they now live in different places they meet up most years for vacations. Kristen is a physiotherapist and Amber an IT specialist.

The girls had been staying at Chanters Lodge at the end of a two week safari that started in Johannesburg and ended in Livingstone, camping all they way. They were mighty relieved to find big comfortable beds and an en suite bathroom waiting for them at Chanters at the end of their trip! They told of roaring lions outside their tents at night in Botswana, together with honey badgers and other animals running around the camp. ‘Scary?’ We wondered. “Only slightly!” Replied Kirsten! Altogether we gathered they had had a wonderful trip, being their first to Africa. It had included a one hour flight over the Okavango Delta, cheaper we noted than a fifteen minute flight over Victoria Falls. After arriving in Livingstone they had swum in Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island just a meter away from the edge of the Falls and had even dangled over the edge. They loved it! They had also enjoyed a visit to Zimbabwe to see the Falls from that side and had dined on salad with crocodile meat while they were there!

The music on the show was great. We opened with tracks from Example and Coldplay – both latest, while George dropped new releases from Zone-Fam and T-Boy in his Zambian spot. Milli Jam chose tracks from French Montana featuring Nicki Minaj, as well as Bruno Mars’ beautiful ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’. Our oldie of the week was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ‘Running Down A Dream’ but the prize we give on each show to the first person to text us the name of the performing artist went unwon! My pick of the week was Ellie Goulding’s gorgeous ‘How Long Will I Love You’.

To George’s excitement the girls told listeners that they were both single, although Kristen had a boyfriend waiting for her back in Boston. They both loved snow skiing and in their anxiety to leave for Africa had recently been on a skiing weekend to try to curb their excitement. The girls are American Football fans and Kristen a keen supporter of the Red Socks. Amber said she loved country music and ‘like Richard’ was a fan of Darius Rucker. They had chosen to stay at Chanters as they had wanted a downtown location, the price suited them and the lodge had great reviews on TripAdvisor. They had not been disappointed.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Amber wanted to be still living in Pennsylvania near her family, hoped to have children and still to be travelling. Kristen wanted to be living in north east USA, working as a physiotherapist and married with children.

Great girls! Great show!

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DJ Baks On Air At ‘The Experience’

Meet Malenga Suzyo Ngwenya (above) better known to listeners of Zambezi 107.7fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, and to his fans, as ‘DJ Baks’! When Baks guested on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Soulchild, the first thing Milli Jam wanted to know was where his radio name came from. Baks explained that the letters were made up from his own and his dad’s initials, as his dad had been a great inspiration to him. When Malenga also explained to listeners that in fact he is an accountant by profession and a DJ/radio presenter on the side, I wondered on air whether he should actually be called DJBux – the man with the money, but Malenga rejected my suggestion!

Malenga told us that he works full time as an accountant for Cornerstone Insurance in Livingstone and is a part time presenter for Zambezi 107.7 fm, hosting two shows per week, both from 00.00 hrs to 05.00 hrs. He explained that he’s able to delegate his work at the insurance company to be able to arrive later in the morning after he’s been on air all night on the ‘graveyard shift’. Malenga trained as an accountant at Evelyn Hone College for two years qualifying in 2011 although he is still studying for further accountancy qualifications. It was while at college in Lusaka that he had his first taste of radio work, being a DJ on Hone FM, the first ‘college radio’ station in the country.

The music on our show was good. George dropped two tracks by the late Crystal Shaun – ‘Elina’ and ‘Kasuba’ in memory of his friend. We featured hits from Sean Paul and Matt Cardle with Melanie C at the top of the show. Milimo chose tracks from Selena Gomez and Naughty Boy. Our oldie of the week was the Spice Girls ‘Viva Forever’ and the prize we give to the first person to text us the name of the performing artist was quickly snapped up. My pick was a new track from DJFresh ft Ellie Goulding and we closed with Armin Van Buuren’s ‘Beautiful Life’ featuring Cindy Alma.

Malenga said his own favourite music is slow tracks, R&B, and hip hop, with Ty2 his favourite artist locally, internationally Eminem. His favourite club in Livingstone, and being single he loves clubbing, is Ayoba and we noted with interest the new balcony the club had opened ‘Ayoba Sky’. Malenga supports Chelsea and noted his favourite players as Didier Drogba and goal keeper Peter Czec. As Malenga had only been in Livingstone for a few months he had not yet had time to enjoy any of the many tourist activities on offer.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, DJ Baks said simply that he would like to be his own boss – ‘like Richard’!! One of the reasons was that he would then not be required to wear a jacket and tie to work. We laughed. You don’t meet many DJ/Accountants and DJBaks is a great example. We wished him the best of luck.

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The German Experience!

 
We (especially George) were delighted to welcome four German girls as Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient ft Kaufela (George). The girls are pictured above – Filiz Mestanli and Rike Schulltheiss (left to right sitting), Susanne Thielen and Maria Pelzer (left to right standing), or Filiz, Rike, Sanni and Mary, to use the names they use! It was a big welcome back too to George who had missed three weeks’ shows on local leave – the programme always goes better with two presenters though of course Milli Jam had done a great job while George was away!

The girls told listeners that three of them had been in Zambia for about a week but Rike had already been in the country for some two and half months volunteering at the Christian Outdoor Centre of Chengelo School in Mukushi. Rike’s an old girl of the school having lived in Zambia until the age of 13 or so when her parents had been based in the country. She was brought up mostly in Mongu, Western Province, and was very happy to have come back to spend time in the country. Her friends, Sanni, Filiz and Mary were visiting Zambia for the first time and all the girls would be travelling on to Mongu when they left Livingstone the day after the show.

The girls told listeners that they were all students at Freiberg University in the South of Germany. All the girls were student teachers apart from Filiz who is a student social worker. For the most part they seemed to be at the end of, or approaching the end of their degree courses. They had been busy while they were in Livingstone, having spent a half day white water rafting the Zambezi, as well as doing the rhino walk, getting close to these beautiful beasts. They had also enjoyed a sunset cruise on the Zambezi on Lady Livingstone. Had they been clubbing while they’d been in Livingstone? They had not.

The music on the show was hot and latest, as usual. We opened with Ellie Goulding’s number one hit ‘Burn’ back to back with Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause’. George featured new tracks from Zambian star Danny, while Milli Jam chose a new track from Shaggy featuring Ne-Yo, as well as Justin and Jay Z’s smash ‘Suit and Tie’. Our oldie of the week was ‘Money For Nothing’ by Dire Straits but no-one won the prize we give each week to the first person to text us the name of the performing artist. We closed with Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’.

The girls told listeners that they were single and had no boyfriends waiting for them in Germany. Take another look at the picture – do you believe them? I didn’t! Music wise they said they liked Mumford and Sons and in terms of sport they liked rock climbing, canoeing and sports of that nature. Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years from now, all the girls said they would like to be married with a family. Mary hoped to be teaching in a good school and that Filiz would be working in the same place. Rike wanted to have a doctorate and a good job teaching in a university, Sanni to be healthy and to own a dog – they all hoped to have families and to be well settled.

It was great to have such apparently happy and bright but serious minded, ambitious young people on the show!

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Livingstone Water Supply

 Just when we are considering adding an additional 5000 litre water reserve at Chanters Lodge – to make a total of 33,000 litres, this piece from NANCY MWAPE in Livingstone for the Zambia Daily Mail catches my eye! Note the paragraph that I’ve underlined. Now, do we believe them or do we go ahead with the additional tank? Considering their unfulfilled promises of the past we’ll probably go ahead!

“Government has given K65 million (US$12m) to Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWASCO) to help it stabilise water supply in Livingstone before, during and after the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly this month. And Government, through the UNWTO health and green local sub-committee, has procured a mobile diagnostic laboratory worth K46,000 for testing water in residential areas of Livingstone during and after the conference.

SWASCO acting director of operations Gift Monde confirmed the development in a recent interview. Mr Monde said with the funds received from Government, SWASCO has installed equipment at Zambezi water intake to stabilise supply of the commodity in the tourist capital. “When the project is completed, we are assuring our customers in Livingstone that they will have a 24-hour supply of water. The project also covers highlands of Livingstone which are the worst hit by water shortage,” he said.

And Mr Monde said the mobile diagnostic laboratory will enhance water quality assurance.”

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Octavia Jordan Rocks ‘The Experience!’

Meet Octavia Jordan (pictured above) a pharmacy student from Howard University, Washington DC and our Guest on the most recent edition of the ‘Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Soulchild’. ‘The Experience’ is our weekly radio show airing on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Octavia had been staying at Chanters Lodge for two weeks while on attachment to Livingstone General Hospital as part of her doctorate. Octavia explained to listeners that she was in her eighth and final year of study to become a pharmacist and that she was the first student from Howard to come to Zambia on attachment. “A pioneer then?” We said. “Yes!” She said. “Are you from Washington?” Milli Jam wondered at the top of the show and Octavia told us that in fact she hails from Ann Arbor in Michigan and that the first years of her study were at the University of Michigan.

Octavia told listeners that this was her first visit to Africa and that for a week before arriving in Zambia she had spent time in Pretoria, South Africa. When she left Livingstone at the end of the following week she would spend another week in the Howard University office there. “Is Zambia what you expected?” wondered Milli Jam, but Octavia seemed not to be sure, so we thought perhaps it wasn’t. She did say that staying in Pretoria was more or less like staying in her home town back in the States with the same restaurants and shops! She loved Zambian people whom she described as warm, friendly and helpful and also liked Zambian food, especially nsima and Zambezi bream!

The music on the show was good, opening with latest tracks from One Direction and Olly Murs. Milimo chose Zambian tracks by Chefy – Foolish Me (“I know this track” said Octavia as one of the Chanters Girls back at the lodge sent me a text to say ‘thanks for playing this one!’) and Salma ft O.C’ ‘Folo Folo’. We also featured tracks from the late great Puff Johnson as well as Justin Bieber with Nicki Minaj, Akon and Icona Pop.

Octavia said she had enjoyed Victoria Falls and had plucked up the courage to do the bungee jump and the bridge swing. “Have you told your mum?” I wondered. She had. “And what did she say?” I asked. “She said I was mad!” The predictable reply. “What did she say when you first told her you were coming to Africa?” I asked. “She told me not to come back married!” From this we deduced that Octavia was single which she confirmed. She said she’d had a good time at one or two of the clubs in Livingstone when she’d been free at weekends and loved Zambian music.

She had watched the Zambian national soccer team on TV too, though she confessed to being more a fan of American football and the Washington Redskins. Octavia was also lucky enough to see the lunar rainbow at the Falls during her visit, which she loved, and had also visited the crocodile park.

Asked where she would like to be and what she would like to be doing ten years from now, Octavia told us that she would like to be a practicing pharmacist, specializing, location – geographically open, married with lots of children. We didn’t doubt she would achieve all of that!

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Up Close And Personal With Shyman Shaizo

George da Soulchild Kaufela, co-host of our weekly Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7fm, ‘The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela’, chats to one of Livingstone’s own music stars Shyman Shaizo (above) after his recent trip to Namibia. 
Shyman has also appeared on our show in the past.

George: Is it true that Shyman is big in Namibia, bigger in fact than he is here in Zambia? I ask this because recently you were in Namibia for close on three weeks, what was the trip all about?

Shyman: Yes, strange but true!  My biggest song over there is still ‘Fendela Fenduza’ which I recorded almost seven years ago. Basically I was going to Namibia to check and push promos for my new tracks which are ‘Are You Single’ ft.Exile and Longa Katundu. To my surprise ‘Are You Single’ is even bigger than I’d expected. I’d lined up three shows as well as a video shoot for my upcoming single ‘Sugar’.

George: In which places did you have shows?

Shyman: Otchiwarongo, Windhoek and Walvis Bay on the coast.

George: How was the attendance and how did the people of Namibia receive Shyman and his music?

Shyman: Good! Very good! In some ways better than Zambians receive my music, although Zambians always give me a great reception too! You see I didn’t know that ‘Are You Single’ was now everyone’s favourite and the response was truly overwhelming. People in Namibia Love Shyman and most importantly love Zambian music!

George: How different is a Namibian crowd compared to a Zambian crowd?

Shyman: The Namibians don’t understand the language but they enjoy the music. As long as the rhythm is right for them they’ll dance and sing along to your music till you get off the stage, and if you get back on they will do it all over again. Zambians are a tough crowd to please even when your rhythm is right and on point you’ll have to go an extra mile to please them.

George: Let’s talk about the upcoming video and the collaboration you did while you were in Namibia

Shyman : Yes I’ve finished the video and it’s great – we had a great time shooting it as well! I’d never been to the beach before and it was my first time to see the ocean and taste the salty waters! We shot on location in Walvis Bay, a clean town on the Atlantic Ocean coast, with an Angolan guy called Maya Neto.The song is titled ‘Sugar’ and it will come out soon.

George: What else did you do while you were in Namibia?

Shyman: I worked with a lot of big names there. I’m talking about the hottest Namibian talent like Exit, Pdks,Tste Buti and Freedah one of the girls from the group Gal Level. I can’t lie I had a great time! I had radio and TV interviews, perfomances, recordings and meetings with record label representatives. Things couldn’t have gone better and I continue to thank God for everything.

George: They say we learn something new every day, what are some of the lessons you learned from your recent trip?

Shyman: Working with all those artistes was awesome because I experienced different genres of music – their music is so different. I had to add my Zambian feel to their music which was amazing. The guys I met were so professional and the tours and shows where overwhelming.

George: Any advice for up and coming artists?

Shyman: Don’t be afraid to be different! Art is art, music is music no matter the language. Don’t limit yourself to Zambia when the whole world can actually fall in love with your music.

George: Finally what’s next for Shyman? Are you going back to Namibia? When is the album coming out?

Shyman: I am currently working on a DVD and the album should be out in October, the title will be ‘Too Much’ –  but don’t ask why!

George: I won’t! Thanks for sparing some time to chat with me and I wish you all the best. I hope to tag along next time you’re in Namibia as I hear the girls are pretty and the food is great.

Shyman: I can’t comment on the girls but the food is great yes, why not and thank you as well, it was a great chat!

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The Buhlers Experience!

Left to right (above) meet Heidi Buhler, Chris Buhler and Maja Mores-Buhler, Swiss Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela – that’s our weekly Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. You will of course assume that all these Buhlers are related…. Wrong! Heidi and Maja are friends, while Chris and Maja are married and the fact that Heidi has the same surname was, we were assured on the show, pure coincidence! I originally had things so wrong I had to re-write the script for the show a couple of days before we went on air to reflect these relationships!

It was a good show, we air live between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs every Sunday and play latest music interspersed by chat with our Guests. Heidi and Maja explained that they were in Livingstone as volunteers with the Book Bus, based just around the corner from Chanters Lodge at The Grotto. They explained to listeners that they were both librarians by profession back in Bern, Switzerland so when they decided they would like to visit Africa and Zambia for the first time, The Book Bus seemed a natural choice of project. The Book Bus aims to improve child literacy rates in Africa, Asia and South America by providing children with books and the inspiration to read them. In Livingstone the organization has a converted truck packed full of books and volunteers that goes daily from school to school helping the children.

“Are you also a volunteer with The Book Bus?” Milli Jam asked Chris who said “no” and then explained that he had some free time from his job as an English teacher at Fachmittelschule Neufeld in Bern during the summer holidays, so he had come ‘along for the ride’. While Maja and Heidi were camping at The Grotto with the other volunteers Chris was staying at Chanters Lodge. He told us that he and Maja had been married ten years although they had been childhood sweethearts at school, only to meet up again later in life and marry! They have one son and one grand-daughter Emma, half a year old and the apple of their eyes! Heidi said she was married but now had a partner back in Switzerland.

The music on the show was hot! We featured tracks from Avicii, Robin Thicke, Mampi, Dandy Krazy, Mariah Carey and Kelly Rowland. Our oldie of the week was by Nicki Minaj and 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 performing artist was quickly snapped up. My pick was by Lucy Spraggan and we closed with Ellie Goulding’s beautiful ‘You’re My Everything’.

Chris told us that his favourite music is oldies in general and The Beatles in particular. Maja likes Mumford and Sons while Heidi does not like music. This shocked Milli Jam and George! Chris and Maja love swimming while Heidi likes downhill skiing and tennis. Whilst in Livingstone they had seen Victoria Falls, taken a sunset cruise and had been for high tea at the Royal Livingstone. They were very much looking forward to a four day safari in Zimbabwe at the end of the week when the volunteer stint was over, after that they would return to Switzerland with great memories of Zambia in general, and Livingstone in particular.

If you missed the show and would like a listen, here’s a link to the podcast.

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Natalie Foxworthy Live On ‘The Experience’

Meet Natalie Foxworthy (above), Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Soulchild, our weekly radio music and talk show airing every Sunday night on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Natalie was on holiday in Livingstone following a visit to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, concerning her work as a Projects Officer for Education and Youth Development with Children International.

“What does Children International do?” Milli Jam asked Natalie at the top of the show and she explained that for over 75 years, Children International has been providing critical assistance to children and families struggling in poverty. Through their one-to-one child sponsorship program, they reduce the burden of poverty on impoverished children, invest in their potential and provide them with opportunities to grow up healthy, educated and prepared to succeed and contribute to society. Sponsorship of a child is US$25 per month and Natalie estimated that there are some 18,000 children being helped in Zambia. Natalie oversees Children International’s projects in 13 different countries around the world. A former Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador she did her Masters in International Development at the University of California, San Diego. She hails from Los Angeles. During this visit to Zambia, Natalie had visited some of the poorest ‘compounds’ in Lusaka including Chibolya, Kanyama and George.

Natalie told listeners that she had thoroughly enjoyed her few days in Livingstone. She had flown down from Lusaka with Proflight and on her first afternoon she had loved the sunset cruise on Lady Livingstone, being lucky to have seen a great sunset as well as game in, and on the shores of, the mighty Zambezi. She had been out to Livingstone Island and swum in Angel’s Pool, telling listeners that the water was very cold but she had loved the experience of swimming right on the edge of the stunning Victoria Falls! She had also enjoyed a lion/cheetah encounter that very afternoon. Natalie hoped to visit the Livingstone Museum and to buy some souvenirs before heading back to Lusaka, and then on to Kansas where she now lives.

The music on the show was good and we featured tracks from Sneakbo, Iggy Azalea, Zonefam, Miguel, Bruno Mars, Lawson and Sebastian Ingrosso amongst others. Our oldie of the week was The Kinks – You Really Got Me but the prize went unwon – just too old for our young Zambian listeners I guess! Kaufela and his granny asked to be considered for the prize of a dinner for two at the lodge!

Natalie told listeners that she’d been married for three and a half years and that she met her husband in El Salvador when she was stationed there with the Peace Corps. As yet they had no children. They both loved soccer, Natalie’s an avid Barcelona supporter while her husband prefers Real Madrid. She loves Latin music and speaks fluent Spanish. She had found Chanters Lodge through the Trip Advisor site and had enjoyed her stay at the lodge. She felt she could not visit Zambia without coming to see Victoria Falls and had loved the sight both from Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Asked where she would like to be and what she would like to be doing ten years from now the gracious and interesting Natalie said she would love to be living in Africa, and working for an NGO involved with youth development. We wished her the best of luck.

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