Meet Shupiwe Mulenga, one of the famous ‘Chanters Girls’. Shupiwe joined Chanters Lodge, Livingstone on 13th April 2009 as a trainee. She’s 23 and has one brother and one sister, both younger than her.

Shupiwe’s dad passed away in 2006 which must have been traumatic for a then 19 year old. Her mum is still alive and runs a pre-school/primary school in Kabwe, north of Lusaka. She has about 100 children in school Shupiwe tells me.

Shupiwe completed her Grade 12 at Hillcrest Technical Secondary School in Livingstone, just up the road from Chanters Lodge and stays with her Aunt Cecilia – secretary to the general manager of Zambezi Sun Hotel. “Won’t they poach you away to Sun” I asked Shupiwe. She shook her head.

Shupiwe is single, loves music (like all the Chanters girls) and clothes! (The latter I’ve observed for myself.) “What’s your favourite kind of music” I asked her. “Slows”.

In November Shupiwe will become acting head cook at Chanters Lodge. She’s a talented, careful cook and a good organizer – just the skills we’re looking for. She also happens to be very pretty and highly intelligent.

We wish her the best of luck in her new appointment.