Meet Martijn Bazen, guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient ft Jay Hillz, our weekly radio show airing every Sunday at 20.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. This was the second weekend running that we had featured a Dutchman on our programme – hence the title of the blog. Martin lives in Scheveningen, one of the eight districts of The Hague, ‘Dutch Capital of Peace and Justice’ we were told!

Martijn was on a flying visit to Livingstone, (though he actually arrived in the city by coach from Lusaka), to see the Falls and to spend a day in Chobe NP in Botswana. He told listeners he had enjoyed both of these activities, but that he would come back to Zambia with his family one of these days, to see Victoria Falls when they were full!

Martijn explained that he was in Zambia for five weeks on a voluntary basis helping Makeni Ecumenical Centre in Lusaka with their finances and accounts – he is a Finance Manager by profession. Makeni is a suburb in Lusaka where The Makeni Ecumenical Centre is situated, providing primary, secondary and adult education courses in a variety of vocational subjects, as well as clinics, family planning services, and an AIDS orphan village.

Until recently Martijn was a lecturer in economics and financial management at the University of The Hague, (he holds a Masters in Economics from the University of Amsterdam) but will soon take up an appointment as Finance Manager for the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra in Amsterdam. Was he excited about his new job Milli Jam wondered? You bet he was! Who wouldn’t be!

The music on our show was far from classical, featuring tracks from Olly Murs, One Direction, Robin Schultz, Ben Haenow and Kelly Clarkson, Mr Jeezy ft Izrael and Roberto, as well as Demi Levato and Ciara. Our guest told us that he has a very wide taste in music, he loves everything from classical to Bob Marley.

Married for 19 years to Justine, a lawyer, the couple have a 16 year old daughter and a 12 year old son, a violinist and footballer respectively! The family support Manchester City and Ajax but our guest declined to discuss the Netherlands’ recent failure to qualify for Euro 2016. Shame!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, he said he hoped to be a doting grand father and to be happily enjoying his every day! We thanked him for the help he was giving the Makeni Ecumenical Centre and for appearing on our show!