My Dad's Taking Me to Zambia!

My Dad in 1964. He never wore shoes unless he had to be smart.

My father was born under southern skies during the rainy season in what was then Northern Rhodesia and is now Zambia. His father was a colonial officer and his mother took a chance on leaving England and marrying someone she hardly knew. It's lucky for me that she did.

My Gran and Grandpa on their wedding day, 12th December 1956.

My father lived in 14 different houses all over Zambia by the time he was 6 years old. My grandparents decided to return to England when independence came in 1964/5. My father arrived on January 1st 1965 into Southampton docks with his parents and younger brother to start life in an alien environment. England provided stability and opportunity for a young family and my father went on to qualify as a dentist. He has always told stories about Zambia and his affection for the country and its people underpins his life. My mother and father went to Zambia as tourists in 1992 which reaffirmed his ambition to one day give something back. Many healthcare workers, teachers, builders, and other professionals make significant contributions in the developing world, and my father was given the opportunity to make a difference 50 years after he left. The National Police Aid Convoys (NPAC) have been supporting people in war zones and underprivileged areas for 21 years and published an article in our local free paper about their work. My dad read this and went to help load a container to be sent to Zambia in 2013.

The start of it all. Dad helping to load a container from NPAC with bunk beds, books, uniforms, crutches, a fridge, incontinence pads,a papier mache relief map of the Mfuwe area, electronic organs, chairs, tables and a three piece suite.

The charity's supporters travel to the countries they support to establish what needs there are and to ensure the aid arrives and is appropriate. Their first shipment included wooden school chairs, which was a mistake because termites eat them in Zambia. Lessons are learned, communities develop, and the charity workers can't help but launch new projects where needs are identified. The next group to visit Zambia leave on the 20th June, and I am privileged to be joining my father in what will be a great adventure. My father and I will spend the first two days setting up a new dental clinic in Lusaka, then we'll spend two weeks at rural projects in the area south of Mfuwe before coming back to Victoria Falls, then home. It sounds like a short trip, but I'm sure it will change my life. This blog is our way of documenting the preparation, the trip itself and the aftermath thereof, spreading the word about NPAC and the vital work they do, and thanking people for their generosity in helping my father achieve a major ambition.