A girl named Marie............

I hesitated momentarily to write this post but decided to go ahead anyway.  This amazing trip to view places I never expected to see in my lifetime was full of joy and happiness.  Many special happenings remain in my memory.  I still climb into bed each night and relive each exciting moment.....the awesome game drives to view the wildlife, sleeping under thatch and canvas in plush 'tents', delicious food, and the very special people who work hard to share the wonders of the African bush with those of us who are fortunate to go 'on safari'.  I also treasure the time with dear friends on the journey to these amazing countries.

Me with Marie

Photo by Paula

The visit to the village was very different and the memory of it is still playing with my emotions big time!  The experience of viewing this culture up front and personal, getting to meet not only adults but many of the 300 children, being shown their homes, learning just a smidgen about their daily lives involving school, farming, health care (often lack of), loss of lives to AIDS and malaria, was an eye opener!  Protecting their village from unwelcome visitors such as elephants by growing chili peppers (later sold to Tabasco as a cash crop) around their vegetable patches, recent addition of water being available from taps in the village (but still no electricity), and the opening of a small clinic, whereas before it was a long walk into Livingstone for health care, has helped the village. BUT................

....................just a couple of hours later that same day, sitting on the deck of the very elegant Royal Livingstone Hotel, mindful of the Zambezi slowly sliding by like crinkled silver tinfoil, we joined other tourists as they watched the sun set over the mighty Victoria Falls, all of us raising glasses to living the good life.........

..................and I thought about the village just a short distance off.  It struck me that most of those people had perhaps never done this..........never had the chance to experience one of the seven natural wonders of the world right on their doorstep!  As the water hurtled over the falls, and the spray blushed pink and mauve in the quickly receding sunlight, I felt a huge sadness.

It is sad and it hurts knowing those children, like their parents, still may not visit here to watch the sunset.  Education is limited, jobs are scarce, the average life expectancy is 37 years.  The future is not very promising with the AIDS situation still a huge issue in many African countries.

The village receives some support from two local safari lodges on the banks of the Zambezi, one being Toka Leya where we stayed.  They help with funding projects to improve the facilities along with donations from guests, focusing assistance on health, sanitation, education and income generation........and particularly on the needs of the women and children.

Marie, and several of the children, walked around their village with us, holding our hands and asking questions about where we lived.  Some asked to touch our hair saying how soft it was, and they wanted to see themselves in the photos we took.  Marie told me she had five siblings and that her daddy died last year.  Marie is twelve, close in age to my granddaughter Jasmin.  Marie, like Jasmin, has just finished grade 7 but she will no longer be able to attend school as her mother cannot pay the fees which commence with grade 8. One cannot compare their lives..........the difference is wider than Victoria Falls.  I think about Marie every day, her smiling face is imprinted on my brain and I pray for her future. 

Note: We four gals are packing boxes to send to this village by way of Toka Leya camp...........just a little expression of caring and help, but we hope the contents will be useful to the children.