Beginning of a new adventure – First and second week 🇿🇲🔆
- Martina Cervetti
- Jul 4, 2025
- 11 min read
It took me a while to start this diary... partly because I wanted to settle in first, and partly because... well, internet here isn’t the best and it’s a bit pricey. In the end, I’ve decided I’ll publish the diary every Monday, sharing the day-by-day story of the previous week. Maybe I’ll change that over time… but for now, as I’m still exploring life here, it feels nice to share every moment.
Since I completely skipped the first week between unpacking and the first adventures, I’ll go ahead and publish the first two weeks together.(Well, almost two weeks, since we arrived on a Thursday… so let’s say 11 days.)
Let’s start from the beginning…
DAY 1: Welcome to Zambia
●April 3rd●
The first day has finally arrived. We landed in Zambia and… wow, what an emotion!The only one who didn’t quite enjoy the flight was my poor trolley: it showed up missing two wheels, which I guess are still rolling somewhere around the world. At the security check, they also decided to take a closer look at my luggage – suspense – but luckily, everything was fine.
We were welcomed by our local coordinators, and from there began a ride through twisty roads and roller coasters (figuratively… but also, not really!). After a good dose of bumps, we reached what will be our home for the next few months: a cozy place where we share a room and a bathroom.
Then we headed to the NHQ of our organization. There, we were introduced to the whole team and… drumroll… we had our very first Zambian meal!Nshima (a kind of local polenta), veggies, and fish – all eaten strictly with our hands. Epic experience.The cherry on top? I found a little worm in my plate. But hey, extra protein, right?
Back home, we unpacked (well, kind of… poor suitcase), then we stopped by Hungry Lion, which is basically the local version of McDonald's. Quick dinner, back home, some chatting, and off to bed… tired, full, and with our hearts already feeling a little more African.
DAY 2: Breakfast, taxis & blackout
●April 4th●
This morning we had a very Zambian-style breakfast: maize mixed with peanut butter, sweetened with a bit of sugar to make it even more… interesting! While we were sitting there, peacefully eating, we noticed something roasted sitting in the sink. We still don’t know what it was, but I have a feeling it might have ended up in someone’s lunch plate. Just to be safe, I went for the fish again. Better not to take chances!
After breakfast, we went into town to get our SIM cards. Here’s how it works: you just stand by the roadside and wait for someone to honk at you. You can pay in cash or via a mobile app, simply using the driver’s phone number. A very local and super practical way to get around!
Back home in the afternoon, right on cue at 6:00 PM, the power went out. It happens every day, as if the whole city decides to take a little evening break until the next morning – around 8 or 9… or even later. Life here really runs at a different pace!
DAY 3: Mission: deep cleaning & record-breaking shopping
●April 5th●
Today was a calm one, chill mode on. We spent the morning deep-cleaning the kitchen... and trust me, it really needed it. It was a disaster. Between laughter and a few “eww, gross!” moments, we did it – now it almost looks like a different kitchen!
In the afternoon, we went into town by ourselves for some grocery shopping. With our list in hand, we got a ton of stuff: bread, tomato sauce, sugar, wine vinegar, salt, tomatoes, 3 bell peppers, 3 eggplants, 8 carrots, 2 bananas, 2 avocados, 6 sweet potatoes, 10 regular potatoes, 6 eggs, 18.9 liters of water, 1 kg of cereal, 4 packs of pasta, and 1 pack of beans.We really stocked up!
Total cost? €22 – so about €7 each. Unbelievable.
DAY 4: Markets, blazing sun & ketchup-style pasta (almost)
●April 6th●
After breakfast, we went out for a little walk around town. It was nice to chat with some locals and meet new faces. But the sweetest moment came on the way back: three little girls shyly came up to us just to give us a hug, and before leaving they said: “Love you.” Instant heart melt!
Back home, we "spoiled" ourselves with some tomato pasta – although the sauce tasted more like ketchup than actual tomato… Thankfully, Karola’s parmesan (thank you, Mama Karola!) saved the day. Next time we’ll make the sauce ourselves – the tomatoes here are amazing!
Too bad we all came back sunburned! Even with sunscreen, the sun here is intense. We now have Birkenstock tan lines and construction worker-style tans!Anyway, out of respect for the local culture, we wear pants that go below the knees and shirts that aren’t too low-cut or sleeveless when we go out.
We also went to the market, although on Sundays many sellers aren’t around because they go to church. We’ll go ourselves next week! Still, we crossed half the city hopping between markets and finally managed to get the oil we were missing from yesterday’s shopping list.
While walking through the market stalls, we definitely got some attention – here, we’re still seen as “different.” One guy even followed us around and started chatting… he wanted to marry us. We get a lot of proposals here! Haha.
We also met some special animals… you’ll see them in the photo below!
In the meantime, Chichi had her hair braided by a girl who runs a little stand nearby – she sells food and mobile top-ups. For 400 kwacha (a little over €10), you get braids with the material included.But first... let’s not forget last night’s braid removal night! We spent hours taking out the old ones – yikes! New style coming soon!
A special moment of the day? Seeing a boy ride past on a bike with a wooden handlebar. With so little, people here create so much. Beautiful.
In the afternoon, I chilled out: read some books for the project and for myself, watched a series with Karola, and had some good chats. Then came dinner time: surprise – we had electricity! But… the gas was out! So, we had to improvise: veggies cooked on the microwave hotplate.Success? Hmm… let’s call it work in progress.
We ended the day with two episodes of the series about Senna, the former Formula 1 driver… and that’s how we went to bed.
DAY 5: First dive into the project and into the heart of the community
●April 7th●
Today was a full immersion day!In the morning, we were finally introduced to the project in every detail… and it was a mix of excitement, inspiration, and the strong urge to get started right away. I’m super happy about what I’ll be doing!
Then, in the early afternoon, we had our first real field visit: we went to meet one of the first communities we’ll be working with and one of the first groups we’ll collaborate with. Pure emotion!
The group is called “Never Broke” and is made up of about twenty young people. They organize themselves independently by choosing a leader, vice-leader, secretary, and treasurer. It was beautiful to see how structured, united, and determined they already are.
It was an incredibly moving meeting that left our hearts full. Now, things are truly beginning!
DAY 6: Between official meetings, new Bemba words, and fun discoveries
●April 8th●
Today was packed with important steps!
We started by visiting the Zambia Community Center, the hub that manages many of the community activities we’ll be involved in. They organize courses, events, and support many different projects… just like ours!
Then we stopped by the shopping mall to pick up some essentials. Outside, we chatted with a few people selling bananas, avocados, and peanuts. It was the perfect opportunity to learn some new words in the local language!Small moments, big smiles.
●Inconde = banana
●Cotapela = avocado
●Imbalala = peanuts
→ So now you’re learning too!
Right after that, we headed to the Ministry of Health here in Ndola, which will be a key partner in our project. Tomorrow we have a meeting with them to discuss the strategy we’ll implement, and we can’t wait!
In the afternoon, we also visited the warehouse where the clothes donated from Europe arrive. Photos weren’t allowed, but it was really interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of this solidarity system.
Last stops of the day: the Immigration Office and Social Services.Unfortunately, the person we were supposed to meet wasn’t there, and there was a loooong line – probably people waiting to apply for passports.
Final fun fact of the day: not everyone here turns off their car engine while getting fuel! Every place has its own habits...
DAY 7: Meeting… on perfect African time
●April 9th●
One whole week has passed!!!
Today was a full meeting day with the Ministry of Health! The meeting was scheduled for 8:00 AM, but we left a bit late… thinking we were the ones running late. In reality, once we arrived, we waited over an hour because – as they told us here – it’s normal for things to start at least two hours after the official time. So, paradoxically… we were actually early!
We spent the whole day there, with presentations, discussions, and lots of notes.Main topic: Update on adolescent health services in Ndola.
Once back home, we kept working on some projects and, meanwhile, I continued studying Bemba – slowly but surely, some words are starting to stick!
DAY 8: Birthday, projects, and... ice cream!
●April 10th●
Today is Chichi’s birthday, and we celebrated with a day full of activities (and sugar!).
In the morning, we visited a school where we will carry out two projects: one will be a nutritional garden, and the other will focus on planting fruit trees. But I’ll tell you more when we get started!
Then we visited another neighborhood where we’ll work with some youth clubs and met the volunteer who manages the clubs in a particular district called Chipulukusu. He told us about the local soccer team, which urgently needs new equipment. We decided to help by organizing a fundraising campaign. We’ll share every step of the project here on the blog and Instagram, so anyone who wants can contribute… even just 5 euros can make a big difference! Here, that’s about 150 Kwacha — which is a lot!
On the walk back, we met a boy from the soccer team who had to quit playing because he doesn’t have the right shoes. He’s working as a motorcycle taxi driver to raise 300 Kwacha (around 10 euros) to buy a pair.
In the evening, we went to town to celebrate Chichi’s birthday with friends: a dinner of chicken salad and potatoes (super tasty!), then ice cream from the supermarket… umm, sugar and food coloring overload! Help!
I really miss Italian gelato, just saying.
We shared the ice cream with two girls who live in the house next door. They work for the landlord but aren’t happy at all: they’re exploited and treated badly, but it’s the only job they’ve found.
Last interesting thing of the day: at the market, we saw caterpillars being sold — people eat them here normally. Not sure I’m ready for that yet!
DAY 9: Bikes, church, and… MAPSA Club
●April 11th●
This morning I woke up early to work out! I’ve restarted my training! Super happy! Later, we stopped by the NHQ to pick up our bicycles, which should be our official means of transport. The roads… let’s just say: potholes everywhere, cars speeding by, definitely not giving way. Honestly, I think we might prefer walking!Right after getting the bikes, we tried them out and one chain popped off… thanks to Babba’s (Davide, the mechanic) good lessons, I managed to fix it quickly (yeah, I know it’s not rocket science).
We’ll be working in three neighborhoods: two are about 30/40 minutes on foot, the third one is 10 km away (about 1 hour and 40 minutes walking… sigh!).We’ll see how to organize, but for now we’re focusing on the two closer ones.
We also had a local lunch for 12 Kwacha (less than 1 euro!) — rice and beans, ready-made from the supermarket.
In the afternoon, we visited the MAPSA soccer club. This is the club I mentioned yesterday. We met lots of kids and teenagers who train on different days. They welcomed us with enthusiasm and smiles! On Sunday, they have a game and we’ll go cheer for them!
They’re doing miracles with very little equipment. As I mentioned yesterday, Karo and I decided to start a fundraiser: even just 5 euros can make a big difference, for example to buy a pair of shoes!I’ll share more here on the blog and on Instagram… so stay tuned!!!
Later, we visited a youth club focused on farming, especially fishing, in the Chipulukusu area. While we were there, a crazy thunderstorm started, and the leader kindly hosted us at his house. As the last step, we walked to the church, dodging giant spiderwebs in the trees, spiders (help!), and kids running up to greet us. Yes, we really walk a lot. Here the sun bakes you: at least 2 liters of water and a hat are mandatory!
In the evening, we went to an African mass: a unique experience! Incredible energy, lots of dancing and singing… my ears are still ringing haha.
We went there to meet the priest, who is a reference point for many young people – with him, we’ll create new clubs.
Finally, a bumpy car ride back home (the car scraped the ground on the potholes, haha!), and then home sweet home.
Another day flew by!
DAY 10: Relax and shopping
●April 12th●
This morning, I did the laundry early, then later we went to another supermarket — a bit pricier, but better stocked. We found canned tuna!A day of relaxation, grocery shopping in town, planning for next week and the Easter holidays, plus some cleaning around the house.
We had a dish prepared by Chichi — super tasty, kind of a stew with rice and mixed raw veggies with a little sauce.
In the evening, we watched a movie about Avicii’s life. It gets dark here by 6 PM, so we’re prepared with power banks, movies, and flashlights! Even though it’s only 7:50 PM, it already feels like midnight! Before going to bed, we’ll take our malaria pill, which is super important… not to forget!!!
We have to take it every day for all six months. We even set an alarm after dinner to kindly remind us.
DAY 11: A full and beautiful Sunday
●April 13th●
This morning I woke up super early but well-rested… since I went to bed at 9 PM haha! It always feels late here in the evening because it gets dark by 6. At least the mornings are bright very early.
I started the day with some house chores and then relaxed a bit by reading and coloring. Sometimes I like to spend time with mandalas while listening to music: it’s a moment just for me. I bought the book in Copenhagen on the recommendation of the amazing Maggie.
I’d love to leave it here, along with the colored pencils, so the kids can use them and have fun too.
Shortly after, we got a call from our project leader: even though it was Sunday, we had to go to a meeting with the Ministry of Health at 9 AM!
We went to a college where they study Engineering. The day was dedicated to raising awareness about pregnancy and abortion. We talked with some of the young people during the break and… we felt like celebrities! Here, people always ask to take photos, and of course, we took tons.
In the afternoon, we went to watch a soccer match of the volunteer who manages the clubs in Chipulukusu, who also runs the MAPSA soccer club. We also met the women’s team. During the match, we were surrounded by kids and suddenly it started pouring rain! Everyone got soaked, but we had a lot of fun anyway.
A fantastic day. Spending Sunday like this brought back memories of my time in the mountains, when I used to go watch tsan matches. Beautiful memories, wonderful emotions!
My first week and a half has passed!
Happy and full of energy... through challenges, ups and downs... everything is going wonderfully! Until next time!
Marti
