Power of Love Foundation on ‘The Experience’

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Why the Power of Love Foundation Experience? Well, the Power of Love Foundation is a secular United States charity focused on developing innovative, cost-effective solutions to address the AIDS epidemic. They work directly with women and children impacted by the AIDS epidemic and create long-term solutions that go beyond handouts. The Foundation is very active in Matero, Lusaka where there are some 5000 children infected with HIV/Aids. Matero is one of Lusaka’s huge sprawling low cost housing ‘compounds’. The Foundation is caring for some 275 of these children providing medication, care and support. Amongst other things the Foundation has provided some 20,000 mosquito nets into Matero in the past few years. They have also provided over 550 loans to small business.

On the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient ft Jay Hillz, we were lucky enough to have Alka and Suresh Subramanian with their son Jay, as guests on our programme. In the photo Suresh is on the right, Jay next to him and Alka 4th from the right, (they were on their way to Chobe). Alka and Suresh are the prime movers of the Power of Love Foundation. Alka told us that she had given up her job as a professor at the University of South Dakota in order to concentrate full time on her work for the Foundation. Suresh is a Vice President with Hewlitt Packard, and when the couple are not visiting Zambia they are home in San Diego, California. Funds are raised in the States for their Zambian project.

What had first inspired the couple to help Zambia specifically? Wondered Milli Jam. “We fell in love with Zambia at first sight” they replied. “We just love the Zambian smile!” They told us this was roughly their seventh trip to Zambia.

The music on the show was up to our usual high standard and a good mix with tracks from Deorro ft Chris Brown, Axwell / Ingrosso, Miley Cyrus, Bruce Springsteen, Chef 187 ft F-Jay, Sockodie ft Ace Hood, DJ Cosmo ft Kayo and Major Lazer. Alka’s musical taste is locked into oldies with the Beatles and Abba her favourite bands. Suresh loves jazz.

This engaging couple told us that they had met while they were at school together in India, they had been married for 34 years and had two other offspring apart from Jay. They had moved to USA to do their doctorates and now US citizens they had lived there for more than 30 years. They love it. No, theirs was not an ‘arranged marriage’ they responded to my question on the matter. Nor had they ever met Sachin Tendulkar and they could not explain how India had failed to win the recent cricket World Cup!

When not working Alka likes to hike in the mountains near their home, while Suresh has his own small plane which he loves to fly, telling us that one day he would love to fly across Africa! They do enjoy football but this turned out to involve Real Madrid and Man U. Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years from now Suresh said he would like to be retired and together with Alka spending more time in Zambia helping more communities. We thanked them for coming on the show and for the great work their foundation was doing in our country!

 

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The Zambia Air Force Experience!

Cephas Mudaala

Meet Captain Cephas Mudaala (above) of the Zambia Air Force and guest of the week 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 for an hour live every Sunday night on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show is a great mix of local and international pop music and conversation with our guest. We also give social media and pop chart updates, each and every week.

Cephas told listeners that although he is based in Lusaka, he was currently in Livingstone for a month on training. After completing secondary school at St Raphael’s School in Livingstone Cephas had joined Fairmount Hotel as an accounts clerk, then Sun International in the same capacity. He had joined Zambia Air Force some twelve years ago. Working his way up he had obtained the rank of Captain, was a trained pilot and now an instructor of pilots! He flies the MA60 – a Chinese aircraft. “So you sing the R Kelly song “I Believe I Can Fly”? I enquired. “R Kelly – one of my favourite artists” the dead pan reply!

The music on our show was good. We played tracks from Fuse ODG, Walk The Moon, Zedd ft Selena Gomez, Olly Murs, Rixton, Afunika, Kevin McCall, Iggy Azalea ft Jennifer Hudson and Jaguar ft 2 Kind – the latter one of Zambia’s latest hot acts!

Cephas told us that he is married and that his wife is also in the Zambia Air Force – a lieutenant by rank, though apparently in command in the home! “Was it love at first sight?” Milli Jam wondered. “Funny that!” Remarked Cephas “when we met, the first thing I said to her was ‘we will marry’ and she had laughed, but I had the last laugh!” He and his wife have a two year old little boy Luyando. ‘Love’ it means! “Naughty?” I wondered. “Very!” The reply.

Having been brought up in Livingstone Cephas said he was very familiar with the many tourist activities in Livingstone and although he had never bungee jumped he had almost’ done it and ‘would love to do it’. He had also never jumped out of a plane – we guessed that he flies planes so that others can! He and his wife had recently though had a great time at Mukuni Big 5 riding elephants and walking with lions.

It transpired that our Guest supports Manchester United, claiming that he was ‘forced into it’ by his elder brother. Just imagine! We then spent some time discussing Arsenal players and Jack Wilshere’s two goals for England in an international that afternoon. When not flying planes, teaching others to fly or looking after Luyando, Cephas enjoys sleeping and listening to music.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Cephas said he would like to be a General in charge of Zambia Air Force.
“Yes Sir!” We said……

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The Chosen One Rocks ‘The Experience’

James Silavwe

 

James Silavwe (above) also known as ‘The Chosen One’ is, according to Milli Jam who knows about these things, the best club DJ in Livingstone and amongst the best in Zambia. “What makes you say so?” I wondered. “He has great mixing skills, a good choice in tracks and he really knows how to keep the dance floor heaving and buzzing”! Was the reply. “If he’s based in Livingstone, how come you say he’s amongst the best in the whole country?” James explained that he has become known across the country as he works for Eastpoint, and the company has clubs in Lusaka, Chipata and on the Copperbelt. The DJ’s are from time to time sent on temporary transfers to sister clubs, hence James has become known and popular throughout the land!

This whole conversation took place on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz when James was our Guest and ‘the chosen one’ on the night! Our show airs every Sunday night on Zambezi fm for an hour live and is popular throughout the local community. “How did you get the name ‘The Chosen One’?” Jay asked our guest who explained that when he first started as a DJ some six years’ ago, his colleagues felt that he needed a handle to his name and his friend Obi had suggested ‘The Chosen One’. The name had stuck. James told listeners that before being employed at Eastpoint he had been trained at Club Fairmount in Livingstone by Milli Jam amongst others. He described Milli as his inspiration.

The music on our show was great with tracks from Natalie la Rose featuring Jeremih, DJ SKT ft Rae, Lawson, John Newman, Gogo ft DJ Cleo, Simwala ft F Jay, Numani Ona and Disclosure.

James told us that he had been brought up in Livingstone but had for a while been educated at Kitwe Boys School before transferring to Hill Crest Technical Secondary School in Livingstone. He is still single although ‘spoken for’, he has no children as yet. He attributes his success in his field to the care he takes in pre-selecting and preparing his tracks for each and every show.

The Chosen One told us that he supports Manchester United – that was enough for Milli Jam to almost avoid asking him anything about football – it would have been different if he had said Arsenal. Changing the subject, had he ever bungee jumped we wondered? He had not – though said he would like to. That’s what they all say….

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now our guest told us that he would like to own and be managing his own club and to be married with children.

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The Nchimunya Experience

Nchimunya Chikosola

 

Meet Nchimunya Chikosola (above), a worker in production at the studios of Zambezi fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station and hosts of our weekly radio show, the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. The show airs every Sunday night from 20.30-21.30 hrs CAT and is a great mixture of the latest Zambian and international pop hits, and chat with our guest of the week. Nchimunya was the guest on the most recent edition of our show.

Nchimunya told listeners that he had been employed at Zambezi fm (starting as an intern) some eighteen months ago. During that time he had garnered experience not only in production but in marketing and as a presenter as well. Currently he was a driver too! He had been educated locally at St Raphael’s Secondary School. He had spent some time working for Safari Par Excellence in video production and had realised that this was work he loved.

In 2010 his mother had retired from employment with Zamtel and upon receiving her benefits had sponsored our guest to undertake a degree course at the University of Namibia in Windhoek from 2010-2013. He had read Media Studies and Sociology and had loved his time at University, making a lot of friends. Radio featured as part of his course. He told us that studying at university in Namibia was preferable to Zambia as there were ‘no closures that side’. We told him he was very lucky to have such a loving mum, willing to blow her benefits on his further education!

The music on this show was good with latest tracks from Jason Derulo, Martin Garrix ft Usher, DJ Target, Bobby East (controversial Zambian artist), Nicky Minaj and DJ Mish’s ‘Yappata’. Meaning? Unclear.

Nchimunya said that his own personal taste in music was hip hop but that working on radio he had very much widened his listening range and this had increased his interest in Gospel, House, Rap and other genres. He told us he did not really follow one UK football club but tended to ‘go with the flow’. We seriously advised him that on this day this made him a Gunner as Arsenal were celebrating their second FA Cup victory in succession and twelfth in all time! They were in fact ‘the flow’!

Still single and without children, Nchimunya can be found on both Facebook and Twitter. Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, our guest told us that he would like to be married with little ones, own a production company and have investment in a radio station.

We wished him the best of luck.

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The Connecting Classrooms Experience

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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 Chris Tours Experience

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We were delighted to welcome an old friend of Chanters Lodge, Chris Mweetwa (above with wife Prudence), as 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 every Sunday at 20.30 hrs for an hour live on Zambezi fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. It was Chris’s second appearance on the programme, his first having been in 2011 when he was the proprietor/driver of just one Toyota Corolla taxi. My how things have changed! Chris’s company handles all of Chanters Lodge safari requirements to Chobe as well as staff transport.

Chris told listeners that he had established his company – Chris Taxis and Tours – in 2011. The company now had one twenty eight seater bus and five eight seater mini buses as well as a taxi. Chris Taxis has five full time employees including 4 drivers and a consultant. In 2012 they were able to establish the company’s website and two years’ ago started to receive their first reviews on TripAdvisor. These things had enormously helped the company to take off and increase sales. The company is able to offer transfers and safaris throughout this part of Southern Africa but their main focus is still on excursions to and safaris in Botswana. To emphasise the point Chris told listeners that he had recently returned from carrying out a guest transfer from Johannesburg.

The music on the show was good with latest hits from Lunchmoney Lewis, Galantis, D’Banj, MC Wabwino, Kantu and Tough Love. Others were from Years and Years, as well as David Guetta ft Nicki Minaj.

Chris told listeners that he had remarried in 2011 following the untimely demise of his first wife and that altogether had five children. He is a staunch member of the SDA church in Maramba and heads their development committee. His favourite music genre is gospel. Milli Jam wanted to know which UK football team Chris supported and was delighted to receive the answer ‘Arsenal’. Some time was spent discussing the about to finish, UK season.

Chris put some of his success down to making and achieving goals and told us that the biggest challenge he faced with his business was the seasonal nature of the tourism industry in Livingstone. Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now, he said that he would like to construct and be operating from his own business premises, succeed in making his business more international and subsequently be able to employ and help more people

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The Neopolitan Experience

Giovanni Ceperano

 

Meet Giovanni Ceperano from Naples, Italy, (hence the title), on holiday in Zambia, and guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. ‘The Experience’ is the weekly radio show we sponsor every Sunday night on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone longest established commercial local radio station. The show goes out live from 20.30 hrs for an hour and features local and international pop music, as well as chat with our guest, and social media as well as pop chart updates.

Giovanni said that this was not his first trip to Africa as he had been on safari to East Africa some time back, visiting Kenya and Tanzania. On this journey he had stayed for a week in Kruger NP in South Africa and had been lucky to see all of the ‘Big 5’. Since arriving in Livingstone a few days ago he had been on the sunset cruise on African Queen, and the day of the show he had spent the day in Chobe NP in Botswana where he had seen hundreds of elephant as well as a pride of lion. In between times our guest had been to see Victoria Falls from both Zimbabwe as well as the Zambian side and thought the view from both sides ‘very beautiful’. Had he bungee jumped? No he was ‘scared for that!’

Our guest told listeners that he works for the internal security police in Naples and that he has been a detective in that section for some twenty years. Was his job dangerous, we wondered, going after high powered criminals? “It can be” said our guest. ‘Just a minute’ I said – ‘you’re scared to bungee jump but you chase criminals for a living, how does that work?’ Giovanni laughed.

The music on the show featured hot tracks from Blonde ft Alex Newell, Rudimental, Kantu and DJ Gesh, Britney Spears ft Iggy Azalea, P Square ft Don Janzzy as well as DJ Muzengaman.

Giovanni told he us he was not married and that he had an eight year old son Stefano. His favourite band is U2 and he likes both rock and pop. He loves to go out dancing to discos in Naples when he has time. He’s a big fan of Napoli FC, currently fourth in La Liga and goes to watch – again when his job allows the time. Napoli FC is famous partly because of Diego Maradonna one time player for that team.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years from now Giovanni said he would like still to be doing the same work and travelling. He said he was off to Cape Town the next day and we wished him all the best

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Ben Tshin

Meet Ben Tshin (above) from Toronto, Canada and Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz, our weekly radio show airing at 20.30 hrs for an hour every Sunday night on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station.

Ben told listeners that he hailed from Toronto, Canada though his roots are in Indonesia. He works for World Vision Canada, he told listeners that World Vision Canada is the nation’s leading agency dedicated to improving the lives and futures of the world’s most vulnerable children. They have over 50 years of experience and are dedicated to providing real and lasting change to over 100 million people in World Vision supported communities. Ben was in Zambia to check on some of their projects in Southern Province and had decided to take a weekend off to visit Livingstone. In the course of his job he had visited many African countries including South Sudan and Uganda. World vision are also involved with health and food security issues.

The music on the show was great. We opened with Carly Rae Jepsen’s latest hit back to back with a new single from Alesso. Milli Jam and Jay dropped numbers from K’Milliann and Ozzy representing Zambia, as well as international stars Clean Bandit and Natalie la Rose. Our pick of the week was a new track from Ciara and we closed with Cheyenne from Jason Derulo. Ben said his musical tastes were largely Canadian but his favourite all time band is U2 – he was excited to have tickets for one of their Canadian concerts later in the year.

Ben told us that he had studied System Design at University in Waterloo, Canada. He has been married for two years, his wife Julia is a doctor. He is a fan of ice hockey and supports Manchester United. We reminded him of their last three results – all losses! While in Livingstone Ben was staying at Chanters Lodge and had been impressed with the mighty Victoria Falls. The afternoon of the show Ben had done a half day’s white water rafting which he described as ‘extraordinarily exciting’! He said had enjoyed the food at Chanters Lodge which made us happy!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Ben said ideally he would like to be retired but that might be a tall order. Alternatively he would still like to be involved with World Vision and travelling widely through Africa and the rest of the world.

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The Simon Mwewa Experience

Meet Simon Mwewa, (above) Livingstone entrepreneur and guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz, the weekly radio show we sponsor on Zambezi fm, one of Livingstone’s three local radio stations. The show has been airing every Sunday night at 20.30 hrs CAT since the end of 2007! The show is a lively mixture of chat with our guest and the latest international and Zambian music, guests are often visitors staying at the lodge but local entrepreneurs and celebrities also feature.

Simon told listeners that he was not related to late Dr Simon Mwewa, former Mayor of Lusaka, and that it was just a coincidence of names. He hails from Luapula Province in the north of Zambia but was mostly brought up on the Copperbelt. He moved around a lot as a youngster as his father was a civil servant working in local government and was frequently transferred from city to city. Following his secondary education at Kitwe Boys, Simon graduated from Copperbelt University in Forestry and spent years in the forestry sector, mostly in wood processing and product management. He had eventually moved to Namibia involved in marketing forestry products before moving back to Zambia in late 2013.

As of now Simon is co-owner of the popular Fez Bar in down town Livingstone which also sells food – steaks, pizzas and burgers – and provides entertainment three or four nights per week. Simon said business was picking up following the traditional slow start to business in Livingstone in the early months of the year. Simon also has a business selling tyres, and a start up marketing Chinese medicine.

The music on the show was good featuring tracks from Clean Bandit, Michael Calfan, David Hasselhoff, Ty Dollar Sign, Phyno, Teliq, Flo Rida and Camster ft Afunika – a lively mixture as I said!

Milli Jam wanted to know Simon’s taste in music and our guest told listeners that he liked both gospel and hip hop. He revealed he had been married to Monica for twelve years and the happy couple had three young children – two girls and a boy. He loves playing chess as well as table tennis but business means he has less time for these activities than in the past. Football wise he is a supporter of Power Dynamos and Arsenal. Milli Jam was happy with this revelation. Simon’s all time favourite Arsenal player? Thierry Henry.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Simon said he would like to be the owner of a very successful, much expanded Fez Bar and a wealthy entrepreneur.

We wished him the best of luck.

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The Maninga Experience

Alberto Maninga

Meet Alberto Maninga (above), manager of Baobab Communications in Livingstone, and guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. The Experience is the weekly radio show sponsored by Chanters Lodge, airing at 20.30 hrs CAT for an hour every Sunday night on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show is a lively mixture of latest international and Zambian music, combined with chat with our guest of the week.

Milli Jam wanted to know how business levels were at Baobab’s internet cafe and Alberto told listeners that times were tough. The fact of more and more Zambians owning smart phones and therefore having less need of desk top internet facilities had taken its toll. However, the cafe was also the Livingstone agent for Coppernet, one of Zambia’s biggest internet service providers, so income was generated from that source. They also provide printing and photocopying services but the company was looking to diversify. Alberto had been in charge for the past few years.

Alberto told listeners that he had started in business as a cross border trader and in the days of Zambia Airways, Zambia’s national airline, wound up in 1992, had travelled world wide buying and selling. This had led him to England where he had spent some twenty years in various jobs and enjoying further education particularly in IT. Asked why he had decided to return to Zambia he said that the lure of ‘home’ had been too strong to resist. Although he hailed from Livingstone, his father had been a police officer so he had ended up being educated at various different schools across the country.

The music on the show was great. We opened with latest tracks from Wiz Khalifa and Omi. Milli Jam dropped tracks from Afunika, Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida and Macky 2. Our pick of the week was Sia’s ‘Big Girls Cry’ and we closed with ‘Can’t Stop Playing (Makes Me High) (Oliver Heldens Remix) (feat. Ane Brun)’ by Dr. Kucho! & Gregor Salto. There’s a mouthful! Alberto said his favourite music genres were country as well as rock and roll. Hhis favourite band? U2.

Even before he had gone to England to live, Alberto had been an Arsenal fan and had really enjoyed Saturday afternoons standing on the North Bank, Highbury supporting his team! Brought back memories for yours truly! His favourite all time players Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright – take your pick. His favourite current star? Alexis.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now he said he wanted to be a farmer with milking cattle and rabbits. We wished him the best of luck and thanked him for coming on our show.

 

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