You will read about how our group got on in Africa. But our job is to educate you about Zambia, inform you of our work there but most importantly of all to promote this opportunity for future 6th years, either 2 or 4 years and more from now.

Two years ago I was sitting where you are now, knowing very little about Zambia. To me, 2 years ago, this presentation was just a couple of periods out of class. But by the end of that presentation I knew a lot more about Zambia and also was left with the feeling that this was something that I really wanted to do.

So to start you off, because I know how you are all feeling now, I am going to give you some facts and figures about Zambia to help put our presentation into context.

Zambia is a central African country surrounded by 6 other countries which are Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, Tanzania and Mozambique. Click for Next Slide It is approximately 10 hours flying time from the UK, and around 11 times the size of Ireland. Zambia has a population of 11 million.

There are 73 different tribes each having their own language, in the area we stayed there were the Bemba, Tonga and Selosi tribes.

The Zambezi River which runs through the country is 2700kms long, about 135 times longer than our Clanrye River here in Newry. The population of Zambia are mostly subsistence farmers, which means that they grow just enough crops for their family’s needs, hence why there is such poverty.

Dr. David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary, was the first European to truly explore the country, and is the man whom Livingstone town, where we were based in Zambia, was named after. He was the first European to see the Victoria Falls in 1855. So impressed was Livingstone by the falls, he named them after Queen Victoria who was on the British throne at that time.

Because of the Victoria Falls, Livingstone has become the tourist capital of Zambia. In fact up until 1935 it was the official capital of Zambia. Lusaka became the capital as it was closer to the economic heartland of the Copper belt – a huge area in North West Zambia where copper is mined.

Before Zambia gained independence, it was previously called Northern Rhodesia, named after Cecil Rhodes, the man who opened this part of Africa to European exploitation. In 1964 Zambia gained independence from Britain. Although the British Government was no longer in control, they left the English language behind. English has been adopted by Zambians as a common language thus allowing the various tribal groups to communicate.

Zambia and Ireland has a lot in common. Ireland gained independence in 1921 and for years after this, Ireland was quite a poor country.It wasn’t until around the 1990’s that Ireland became fully developed. Maybe the same will happen to Zambia, and around 70 years after it gained independance, it will become well developed.

Today Zambia is a developing country and is among the world’s poorest countries. It has two main industries, the copper mining in the Copper belt and Tourism.

You have probably seen a few of us wearing these copper bracelets. This is just one of the uses of the copper from the mines and they are hand made by locals in the country. (Put in here about how the copper bracelet mixing with ur blood etc) The copper produced would also be used for electrical wires, coins and exporting.

You’re asking ‘Why is it so poor if it has to big industries?’ Well, there are many other factors which affect the country such as, AIDs, drought, famine, the country’s debt and the collapse of copper prices, which leave the country with such poverty.

This has been Mr Grogan’s 3rd time in Zambia, and he informed us that each time he goes back, he has seen an improvement in the country. This development is due, in part, to these 2 industries.