Reality Sinking In

Thank you all for the heartfelt messages I have just received. I will never really leave Zambia; you will always be on my mind. In 20 years, I have seen it all: the poor, the downtrodden, the rich, and the want to be rich.  I have no idea how many villages I have visited in every corner of the country. Seen funerals and births. I’ve listened to your politics and your politicians. Visited many District Forestry Offices and met many forestry officers. Felt their frustrations of wages never being paid on time, saw their bicycles with flat and worn-out tires, and inspected their unroadworthy motorbikes with no fuel. Sat and watched charcoal makers toil at their profession. A very hard life indeed. Listening to their woes and hardships, their dealings with corrupt forestry officials and police. Selling a commodity that is crucial to the everyday life of almost every Zambian family. So why not make this vital industry that is just as important as fuel and is job creative a priority?