Celebrity Trip!

"The camera is rolling! Get out of the shot! Stop talking! Your shadow is in the way!" - Some of the many comments thrown my way during the shoot.

After the Net Launch, I traveled to Livingstone (home of Victoria Falls) where I met up with a film crew making a documentary of a South African singer named Yvonne Chaka Chaka. They had traveled in three-four countries in Africa filming her singing and also highlighting some of her charitable interests - and for Zambia, it was malaria (which is how I got involved).

Yvonne is a lovely lady and very professional. It was amazing to see the reaction of folks - in the city and in the villages - who knew her (I had no idea who she was). Even at the hotel, people were asking to have their picture taken with her. She's probably a bigger star than most American celebrities.

Visit to the Chiefteness

Yvonne (left) being greeted by the Chiefteness.

The first formal stop in any village is to the Chief to let him/her know the purpose of your trip and why you're in their village. Chiefs or chieftenesses are traditional leaders who have received the title from their parents. The chiefs are the ones who manage the land and determine who will get land and at what price. They are generally looked upon as the primary leader (over the government heads).

At the village we visited in Livingstone, there is an unusual chief arrangement. The chief was historically a woman, but in the mid 1900's it was decided that men should rule alongside the woman chief, so they now have joint "management." Here we are being received by the chiefteness in her royal office.

Since she was sitting in "her" chair, I'm assuming this is for the male chief. He must like lions! And I was wondering where they got those elephant tusks!

My celebrity photo with the Chiefteness. To the left are her two advisors, who acted more like bodyguards, they went everywhere with her. The cool thing about this chiefteness is that she decided that education is key to being a better ruler for her people, so she decided to go back to school (she's currently enrolled in grade 10) and even though she's 40 something with three children, she wants to set an example for her people.



Meeting Hupa - the REAL Star!

Hupa and her last child, Given.

Hupa is a RAPIDS caregiver and was the one I selected to be filmed with Yvonne. She is 54 and the mother of seven children. Her last two children were twins - but one (named Gift) died in 1994. Gift died of malaria. Hupa had refused to take him to the clinic because she thought that there had been a magic spell placed on the child. Even with her mother pleading, she refused... But now, she uses that experience to tell others about the ravages of malaria. Her other twin, Given is with her above and is thriving in grade 8.

Hupa is an amazing, strong woman. She looks after her five clients, works in the field to grow enough food for her family. She struggles to walk because she had polio when she was a child and when visiting her clients, her son carries her on the back of a bike. When I asked about her husband, the staff told me that this husband is her second husband - her first one passed away a while ago - and that he's an alcoholic and doesn't help at all around the house. As a single mother, I think she sought out support from a man who could help provide for her... and he did give her shelter, but I'm not sure what other ways he supports her...

Hupa holding her new net sitting in front of her house.

The Village That Received Nets



The film crew wanted to distribute nets to a village that really needed them. This one we identified was about 30 minutes from Livingstone - and according to the clinic records had had a very high number of malaria cases. When we went there to scout it out, we immediately saw why there were so many cases.




During the planting season, the people move closer to the river to take advantage of the water to plant their crops. Since there are so many elephants in the area who eat and destroy their crops, they sleep outside by their crops in little thatched roof pole structures - without mosquito nets. They need to protect their crops because without the harvest later in the year, they would have to wait another year before they have food - creating hunger and often, illness.

Here, after getting their nets, they show their excitement.


Of course, the major beneficiaries are healthy, beautiful children like this little girl!