Zambia is one of the world’s poorest countries. It is also peaceful, politically stable and optimistic. This is where we work.
A day’s journey in a jet will bring any of us to a world where deprivation, poverty, illness, hunger, disease and death are daily events. Within that same day, we can start to make a difference.
Together with our Zambian friends and partners, we have worked out a few strategies to help to lift people in Zambia out of poverty. We have a micro-finance small loan programme to help widows to start a small business, education programmes to help local schools with books and materials, public libraries to spread literacy and every year we bring a small team of volunteers from Ireland to Zambia for a few weeks to help in these projects . We are making a difference.
Let’s work together to make life better for some of the world’s poorest people. Join us or help in any way that you can.
“Joining the Inspire Zambia trip last year has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life so far! My wife Steph and I got married last year, and since I’d been to Zambia before, she was very keen on making another trip for our honeymoon. Having previously volunteered on a building project, I was a little nervous about teaching adults rather than working with bricks and mortar – after all, if you mess up a block you can alway just pull another from the pile! However, Michael, Anna, & Ciara took us through extensive training well before the trip – we had workshops that covered everything from the local culture, education system, living situations, to the specifics of our teaching roles. All the nerves melted away with each session, and we were able to board the plane feeling well prepared, and with a new group of friends to boot. Michael, who has been traveling to Zambia for 15 years, has built great relationships with the local community in Chipulukusu and the charity’s employees on the ground. The kindness, friendliness, and resilience of the Zambians was amazing, and we were warmly embraced from the first step off the plane, to our last back on. The people we met were some of the most incredible I’ve ever encountered—earnest, hospitable, curious, and above all, exceptionally good fun. The local sense of humour is very similar to ours, and you won’t get home without a few good natured jokes at your expense. The seminars themselves were demanding, but hugely rewarding. It was a joy to exchange ideas with people from such diverse backgrounds, and to see them so eager to learn new concepts that they could use to improve the community into the future. Witnessing the participants’ delight and pride during their graduation ceremony brought a tear to my eye. It’s humbling to realise the great change you can make, no matter how meagre you think your skills are at home. Overall, the trip had an emotional intensity not like any I’ve been on before. The friendships and memories made will last a lifetime, and the experience has left me fundamentally changed for the better. If you’re considering volunteering with Inspire Zambia, I can assure you that it will be one of the most meaningful and life-changing experiences you’ll ever have – there’s nothing else like it!”- Phil
