Swiss Volunteers on The Experience!

Milena Kettsch & Flurina Borer

Meet Milena Kettsch (above left) and Flurina Borer (right), young, pretty and 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 every Tuesday evening from 20.30 hrs CAT for an hour live on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The girls hail from Switzerland, though Milena has a German passport despite never having lived in that country! Daughter of pastors in the Reformed Church some of her early years were spent in Cameroon. Flurina told us she had spent time in Namibia in the past. The girls had met briefly before coming to Zambia some 3 months ago, since when they had become firm friends!

You might be surprised to learn that the girls, both on gap years between high school and university, told listeners that they’d spent the past two months in Kabwe, Central Zambia (Milli Jam’s home town), as volunteers with Comundo, helping out in a hospice for terminally ill patients run by that NGO. I’m not sure at that age I could have done something like that, and the girls agreed that sometimes it had been quite a traumatic experience. The NGO has a childrens’ centre on the same site which they said helped them with perspective in regard to the hospice.

The girls told listeners that after a few more days in Zambia they would set off to travel to Malawi and Tanzania (including Zanzibar). At the end of their travels Milena would be heading for Basel for a degree course in History and Social Anthropology while Flurina would be going to university in Freiburg to study speech therapy.

The girls explained that they had spent the past week at Chanters Lodge for some R&R – they had been recommended to the lodge by a colleague and were happy with their choice. While in Livingstone they had seen Victoria Falls very early in the morning, which they had loved, getting soaking wet in the process! The day of the show they had spent the day in Chobe NP in Botswana which they had also enjoyed, though they were sad not to have seen ‘big cats’.

The music on the show featured tracks from late Prince, Drake, Callum Scott, Skepta, as well as Wezi, OS Detroi, Kantu and Benny Benassi ft Chris Brown. The girls said they had a very wide taste in music including electro and reggae, but particularly liked Coldplay. No interest in football! One of the girls loves to play volleyball the other enjoys hiking in the Swiss mountains. Both girls are still single, Melina’s boy friend will join her in Tanzania, Flurina had ‘no such complications’!

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Melina wanted to have graduated, have a good job and be travelling, Flurina wanted to be a qualified speech therapist with a good hospital job practicing her speech therapy.

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Peter and Frances Shaw on The Experience!

Peter & Frances Shaw

 

Meet Peter and Frances Shaw, guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. ‘The Experience’ airs live every Tuesday evening at 20.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, and is a great mix of latest international pop music together with Zambian tracks, as well as chat with our weekly guest, sometimes overseas visitors staying at Chanters Lodge like Peter and Frances, sometimes Livingstone personalities, occasionally members of the lodge staff!

Peter and Frances hail from Guildford in Surrey, UK, though Peter is a Yorkshireman by birth. Frances was brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. They told listeners they had been married for 40 years and that they had met in Toronto, Canada. They had both been educated at Durham University and both hold doctorates. The couple told listeners that Peter, a management consultant, had been in Zambia for about ten days on business, Frances had joined him a little later. They were now on holiday. It was their first time to visit Zambia and felt they could not do so without seeing the mighty Victoria Falls. They had done so that very afternoon and were impressed, comparing the area favourably with Niagara Falls which they had also visited. They were looking forward to a camping trip to Chobe NP in Botswana during the following weekend.

The music on the show was good with tracks from Fifth Harmony, Flo Rida ft Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber and Riton (Rinse & Repeat lol!). Other were from Shenky Shuga, Rihanna ft Drake and DJ Zoz. Frances said her pop music favourites were 60’s tracks, Buddy Holly and the Beatles. Peter is a big fan of Brass Bands, often linked to the former colliery towns in his native Yorkshire.

Peter, a Hull City supporter, and an author of some 22 books on leadership is a former Director General in the UK Civil Service, and Frances a leading mover in the Feed the Minds NGO. They have three grown up children. a daughter and two sons. One son is a minister in the Church of England and indulges in Iron Man Triathlons, the other, a management consultant plays Ultimate at international level.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Frances said she would be happy to still be around spending time with her grandchildren, Peter would like to be in an interesting place still teaching leadership!

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Another Norwegian Experience!

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We are always happy to welcome Norwegians as our guests on the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz, our weekly radio show airing for an hour live every Sunday night on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Over the eight years the show has been broadcast there have been many Norwegian guests. Lene Sivertsen (right), Anita Hind Andresen (centre) and Marianne Olssen (above left) were the latest Norwegian visitors to appear on our programme. For Marianne it was her second time to be with us, but a first for Lene and Anita, and in fact a first time in Zambia for those two ladies.

Lene and Anita told listeners they were from a Norwegian NGO – SMISO – established to fight against incest and sexual abuse in Norway and now largely funded by the Norwegian government. They were in Zambia to liaise with Response Network, a Zambian NGO, based in Livingstone, Southern Province of Zambia, which believes in development that mobilizes people’s own human and environmental resources, as they have seen that self-esteem, knowledge and creativity grow with responsibility. Lene told us that statistics for sexual abuse of young people are remarkably similar across the world – some 9% of girls and 1% of boys aged between 14 and 18. SMISO offers counselling and support to affected youngsters. Marianne told us that she was the facilitator between SMISO and Response Network.

The music on the show was good featuring ‘Hello’ Adele’s new worldwide smash hit, as well as tracks from KDA ft Tinie Tempah and Katy B, Justin Bieber, Ne-Yo, Mic Burner, Melissa Steel, Drake and Drimz.

The ladies said they had enjoyed their view of the Victoria Falls but were disappointed there was so little water – they vowed to come back again at an earlier time of year when the Falls were full. They had a two day one night safari planned to Chobe NP in Botswana during their stay which would see them spend a total of about two weeks altogether in Livingstone. They had no intention to bungee jump. They had spent a night in one of the rural villages near Livingstone to observe the rural way of life, had eaten Zambian food and were thoroughly impressed with the warm and welcoming attitude of Zambians wherever they had gone.

On a more personal note, Lene told us that she was in a relationship and had a 19 year old son, currently serving in the Norwegian military, Marianne that she was newly a very proud grand mother, and Anita happily married with 2 children aged 16 and 18. Both Lene and Anita work full time for SMISO. All three ladies live in Tromsoe in the far north of Norway up by the Arctic Circle.

The ladies told listeners that they had been happy and comfortable at Chanters Lodge. With regard to the future they all expressed the opinion that they were pretty happy with their lives as they were and they would be delighted for that situation to continue!

 

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The Connecting Classrooms Experience

Ross Duke, Cynthia Chisangano & Doug Staff10479231_846008622113048_1964228741086643608_n

 

Although there were only three guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz, there were a lot of different organizations represented. Lights For Learning, British Council, Connecting Classrooms and the Butterfly Tree amongst others! ‘The Experience’ is our weekly radio show airing on Zambezi fm every Sunday at 20.30 hrs for an hour live.

Our guests were (right to left above) Ross Duke, Cynthia Chisangano and Doug Staff. Cynthia and Doug were previous guests on our show back in 2012 while Ross was on the programme for the first time. He told our listeners that it was also his first time to be in Zambia and indeed Africa. Ross and Doug are both teachers in Swindon, UK, Ross at Isambard School and Doug at Crowdys Hill School. Cynthia is a teacher of special needs children at David Livingstone
Secondary School in Livingstone.

Doug and Ross had brought with them from UK a solar lighting system which they had successfully installed in Kamwi Basic School in Mukuni Village (children above). The British Council, Butterfly Tree and Lights for Learning were all involved in the project together with the Rotary Club of Cirencester back in England. Connecting Classrooms were involved in Ross coming out to Zambia to familiarize himself with David Livingstone Secondary School, teaching and reviewing the operation. He was very much enjoying the project. Both Doug and Ross were supported by Connecting Classrooms, a British Council initiative.

The music on the show featured tracks from Ella Eyre, Taylor Swift ft Kendrik Lamar, Tinie Tempah ft Jess Glynne, Jack U ft Justin Bieber, Keri Hilson, Braso, Trey Songz and Macky 2. We were rocking!

Milli Jam wanted to know what had changed in Doug’s life since he was last on our show and he told listeners that he now spent less time teaching in the classroom and more time out on the River Thames teaching canoeing and kayaking. He also told us that his two sons were highly involved in kayak racing – much lighter boats than those we are used to seeing on the Zambezi. They had just completed the annual Devizes to Westminster international canoe race – 125 miles supported by mum and dad,

Ross told listeners that he’s been married for five years and has a two year old daughter. He would love to make a return visit to Zambia with his young family. He is a firm supporter of Swindon Town – devastated to hear that they had lost their play off final at Wembley that very afternoon. Cynthia supports Man U and is single. “Jay’s single” said Milli Jam. “Too young, too young!” Replied the lady!

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years from now, Doug said he would like to be doing more work at schools in Livingstone as well as completing a longed for trip to Canada. Ross wasn’t sure but still wanted to be teaching. Cynthia, thanking the British Council for their care for her, still had ambitions to complete her Masters and PhD.

Great guests, great show!

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The Braithwaite Experience

Anthony and Kate Braithwaite

 

Meet Anthony and Kate Braithwaite, guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient ft Jay Hillz. ‘The Experience’ is our weekly radio show airing on Zambezi fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, every Sunday night since November 2007! Just imagine! The station transmits our show on 94.1 fm at 20.30 hrs CAT for an hour live. The programme is a lively mixture of latest international and Zambian popular music as well as chat with our Guests, often clients staying at Chanters Lodge, as indeed were Anthony and Kate (above).

Anthony told listeners that he and Kate, who had been married for five years, had been living in Lusaka for the past three years. Anthony who is British, with Barbadian roots, met Kate, who is Zambian, in England “on a blind date a long long time before we actually got married” we were told. Kate professed to being ‘rather shy’ and Anthony answered most of our questions. Milli Jam wanted to know Kate’s tribe and upon being told she was Bemba cast huge doubts on the shyness issue! We carried on…..Anthony has two children ‘of his own’ and six grand children as well as loads of step children! He also has two business degrees from UK universities.

Anthony told listeners that he is a venture capitalist working for Global Trading Offshore in Lusaka looking to help the development of Zambia by providing access to capital, particularly for entrepreneurs, and was involved with various projects in Lusaka. He and Kate were visiting Livingstone, he for the first time, partly for pleasure but partly for business looking at a real estate project in the city.

Anthony told us that he is very much involved with fund raising for the Kucetekela Foundation, a Zambian NGO concerned with the provision of secondary education to bright children with financial challenges. In this regard he was particularly grateful to Best Of Zambia and Stanbic Bank for their support.

The music on the show was great, we featured tracks from Jess Glynne as well as Sigma ft Labrinth. Others were from Rihanna, Willz and Wezi with their Zambian smash ‘Toliwe’. Milli Jam chose work from Omarion and Izrael ft Nalu. Our pick of the week was from the sensational James Bay and we closed with a new track from Usher ft Chris Brown.

Whilst in Livingstone Anthony and Kate would visit Victoria Falls and were looking forward to a one day safari in Chobe NP, Botswana. Anthony told listeners his preferred listen to music is reggae and that he is a long term supporter of Liverpool FC. Jay enjoyed that revelation, others did not!! Anthony is also a black belt in Tae Kwan Do and gives free lessons to vulnerable children in Lusaka as and when he has the time.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years from now, Anthony said he would be retired in his beach front property in Barbados with regular visits to London and Lusaka. Sounded pretty good to the rest of us!

 

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