Abercrombie and Kent Philanthropy Opens Maternity Ward in Zambia

On our last day of our trip to Botswana and Zambia with Abercrombie & Kent in September 2016, we visited the community of Nakatindi, not far from where we stayed at Sanctuary Sussi and Chuma in Livingstone. When the government promised this village a medical clinic, fresh water, and a primary school and never came through on that promise, A&K’s philanthropy arm came to the forefront. They built a clinic that serves 10,000 people annually. They were also instrumental in educating the community about Malaria and AIDS, the two killers that have left many children in this village as orphans. When the villagers had to walk through a national park to get their water from the Zambezi River, they were frequently attacked by wildlife. So A&K created a water pump to get fresh water piped to their village directly. They also opened a bike shop, shipped old bicycles directly from America to Zambia and Botswana, trained locals to become bike mechanics, and then bought those refurbished bikes back. They are now used by schoolchildren who need to bike 7 kilometers each day to get to school and by farmers who need to get their goods to market. 

 
New this week is the debut of a maternity ward, thanks to the generosity of A&K’s guests and travel advisors. More than 400 local villagers as well as the Mayor of Livingstone, Eugene Mapuwo, attended the celebration. The festivities included opening a 40-foot shipping container filled with health care supplies and equipment valued at more than $400,000 that was donated by Project C.U.R.E, the world’s largest supplier of donated medical supplies. The maternity ward includes specialized rooms for delivery, prenatal and postnatal care, ultrasounds, as well as private space for overnight staff and an office. Zambia’s Ministry of Health will staff and operate the facility. 
 
Zambia is a world away from the destination we’re visiting next, Stowe, Vermont, with our son, Jake, who’s on college break. I’ll be back next Thursday. Happy Easter and Happy Passover!