In July 2024, I had the incredible opportunity and privilege to travel to Zambia, Africa, with Spark Ventures while representing LPP. While prepping for this trip, I could hardly contain my excitement for all that was to come. As my tripmates and I were crafting a week’s worth of lessons and packing as many classroom materials as the weight limit would allow, I could only imagine all the impact we would have at that time. Little did I know that Hope and their students were going to impact me in ways I can hardly explain.
When we stepped off the airplane, we were greeted by Hope Community School teachers and staff members, who were so grateful for our visit. I was immediately hugged by people I didn’t know and who didn’t know me, but were thrilled to have us. It was reinforced then that this was going to be one amazing experience.
From the minute we arrived at Hope Community School grounds, teachers and students ran to hug me, some even emotional at our arrival. This touched me in ways I can’t even begin to describe. I felt an instant surge of emotional connection to the people around me. Once we started spending time in the classrooms, it became clear that the teachers and students loved being a part of this school community. Spending time in the Preschool and Reception (Kindergarten) was the highlight of my whole trip. We all became instant friends with Teacher Dorcas, Esther, Mavis, and others who helped in the classrooms. Their classrooms were full of colorful artwork, helpful academic posters for the students, and, most importantly, love and acceptance. Every student who walked in had a gigantic smile on their face, and it was beautiful to watch their teachers and classmates greet them each morning. One of my favorite classroom memories was a chant that Teacher Dorcas had created to encourage any students who had shared their work. All she had to do was say the first word, and the whole class erupted in the motivational chant! Hannah, a student in the class, even looked to me to help me learn the words while she held my hand. By our second day there, I had students of all ages coming up to me saying, “Muli Shani, Abby” followed by a great, big hug. After being back for some time, the number one thing I miss is the sense of family and comfort that I felt while surrounded by the Hope community members.
While I hope that I get to return to Hope someday, I am grateful for the time spent and the connections I made while we were there. Since being back, we have Facetimed, emailed, and shared lessons with the teachers of Hope, and it has been amazing to get my own students involved with the Hope students. I have also made lifelong friendships with those who traveled with me, especially my LPP tripmates. My ten days in Zambia were truly an unforgettable experience, and I can’t wait for more of our LPP community to get involved with the amazing group of people at Hope!
