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The Avani Victoria Falls, Zambia – Best of Two Worlds
The minute our shuttle pulls up to the The Avani Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia I know we are in for a treat. After an early morning, a flight from Lukasa and a drive to the destination, the journalists on my shuttle are sleepily staring out windows until someone hollers – GIRAFFE. We roll up to the lobby where we are greeted by a group of four local dancers who take turns placing hand fashioned crowns on our heads while someone snaps photos. Located in Subsaharan Africa, the Avani Victoria Falls is a welcoming, unique resort located within walking distance to the wonderous Victoria Falls. The nature reserve the property…
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Hope and Progress in Zambia – Emerging Cooking Solutions
We are sitting inside a small business with potential to change the landscape dramatically for Zambia. Emerging Cooking Solutions started in 2012 with a goal to make cooking safer. With a loan from the UN Foundation, Marion Peterson and Mattias Ohlson are changing lives for the better in Zambia. This is our first site visit in a five day tour of Zambia. We are here to see the impact of vaccines on the lives of children. I am traveling with a group of journalists who have each received a Shot @ Life fellowship to write about what’s happening in Zambia. The journey was long and the heat in Lusaka is unlike any…
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2016 Personal Travel Reflections
Every day is a gift and an opportunity to live, love cherish, explore and grow. Sad celebrity deaths and strange politics aside, I choose to celebrate 2016. As a consultant, tech, health and Canadian travel blogger, as a business person and a Mom, this past year exceeded my expectations. These are my personal travel reflections as the year ends. Travel was my 2016 word of the year. And I challenged myself to travel once a month every month for 2016. So how did that go? It went amazingly. I earned a prestigious Shot @ Life fellowship and travel journalism flourished. Here are my 2016 personal travel reflections. With the exception of…
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Livingstone – The History of the Gem of Zambia #TTOT #travel
Livingstone, Zambia is known as the Gem of Africa, with good reason. This October I visited Zambia and saw this gorgeous city up close. We stayed 3 nights in Livingstone, a stunning city with strong history. This historic city in Zambia has its own rich story worth discovering. And, it is also friendly, welcoming, and one of the most beautiful cities you could wish to see. The History of The Gem of Zambia In the 1890’s, the British took control of the northern area of the region via Cecil Rhodes’ British South Africa Company. The focus of their activity was mineral prospecting, and securing other natural resources such as timber, ivory, and…
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Tracking the White Rhinoceros – A Safari Adventure in Zambia #TTOT #travel
Even now, our safari adventure in Zambia seems surreal. Moments ago, we met a truck full of Zambian security employees armed with guns inside a reserve and sanctuary. Now the group of us walk single file on foot behind an armed escort tracking a white rhinoceros. This field, this sanctuary, is silent but for the sound of us walking and the occasional comment from our leader. Stick together, never run, follow instructions and you will be okay. The sun begins a slow surrender into the horizon, casting an incredible glow on this safari adventure. It is our last night in Zambia. We are on safari in SubSaharan Africa and that alone is magical and…
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Jubilee Ministries, Lusaka #TTOT #vaccineswork
I have learned many tricks to keep from crying. But none of them work in this community in Western Lusaka, Africa. On an October day when still jet lagged we meet three Zambians changing Lusaka one heart at a time. Making an impact by ministering to the needs of Zambians in a community that sits on the outskirts of Lusaka. This is a neighbourhood devastated by AIDS and HIV. And this is the story that breaks my heart the most during our stay in Zambia. It’s our first day here and we have travelled all over Lusaka, Zambia. We started the day early and went from appointment to appointment, to…
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Zambia Travel – Tips for the First Time Visitor #travel
Zambia travel is a once in a lifetime, worthwhile, experience. With gorgeous vistas, the famous Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River, wildlife and the friendliest people you can imagine, Zambia might be one of the most remarkable places on earth. If you’ve never been to this exotic location, then the idea of Zambia travel can seem overwhelming. Here are some suggestions to make your trip to Zambia an epic one. Zambia Travel – Must See Locations When traveling to Zambia, there are some can’t miss places to see. These are the iconic stops that are exciting and known the world over. All of these places showcase the beauty of Sub-Saharan Africa and the…
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Under Five Day at Simonga Clinic in Zambia
About an hour outside Livingstone, sits Simonga Clinic, the first of several clinics we will visit while in Zambia. Simonga clinic is busy already with under five day. Babies breastfeed while toddlers play with each other tugging on clothing, and scoping visitors out warily. A tiny girl in pink tries to drag Mom’s purse across the concrete floor to show a friend. She bursts into tears when Mom lifts the bag out of reach. Another toddler wanders over to the immunologist in our group and he waves repeatedly engaging, until she holds out her hand for a high five. Then he is suddenly shy, racing back to his Mom. Under Five Day Simonga…
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Every Child Deserves a Shot at Life #VaccinesWork
Every child should have a Shot at Life. All children have a right to health. But, in developing countries around the world many families face overwhelming obstacles to accessing life-saving vaccines. Shot@Life is an organization that helps and advocates for funding to deliver lifesaving vaccines to those in need. I visited Zambia as part of a fellowship with Shot at Life through the UN Foundation recently. It was an amazing experience. Over the next few weeks I will share posts about that trip and the many clinics and aid organizations we visited. Yesterday I shared my first post about Preparing for the Zambia Fellowship. But today I want to share a…
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Zambia Fellowship – Preparing For The Journey #VaccinesWork #travel
I’m sitting in a travel clinic getting a typhoid shot and a prescription for anti-malarial pills. Today this is what work looks like as I prepare to visit Zambia in October. It’s a Tuesday morning and I am talking typhoid, Twinrix, safety precautions, Canadian embassies and Malaria. Not my average day in the office. A few weeks ago I learned that I was one of the lucky journalists who received a Fellowship with the UN Foundation and an advocacy group called Shot@Life. Together with 2 other bloggers and a doctor with a regular column in a US newspaper, I will travel to Zambia. The itinerary is evolving, but it mostly looks like…
