SWSC on Film

Once again, my brother is back at it with his “gun” as it was dubbed in Zambia, but what we all know clearly as a video camera. It is truly an honour to be his occasional (very useless) behind the scenes assistant from time to time. I am just as hopeless as I was when he came 5 years ago and filmed a 20 odd minute documentary about the beginnings of SWSC. I’m horrible at holding the microphone. I hate carrying the camera gear. I make the interviewees laugh when they’re trying to be serious. Overall, I am not helpful at all.

However, it is a joy to listen to the people of SWSC talk about their passion for it, as I hide behind the camera. 

I had never heard the history of SWSC revealed by Mr.Katamfya and had the opportunity when we was on camera. He spoke with pride when he added the parts where he was physically involved in construction or teaching. It broke my heart a little to hear his plea for an increased salary for himself and the other staff members. He deserves a salary in the millions. He is extremely hard working, caring and dedicated to any task he is given. 

Tears came to my eyes, when volunteers Kristen and Mandy sat side by side for the camera and spoke about their roles in the organization as volunteers. Mandy spoke with so much love for SWSC, convincing me to up and get there as soon as I could and work for SWSC. I was comforted realizing that this place is my home. I’m already here. I’m already privileged to be working with some of the most amazing people I have ever met in Zambia and in Canada. It is a true joy to teach sports to our students, make them laugh and help them learn. I’m telling you, they are some of the most beautiful people I have met.

Solwezi is dusty to the max. I was late to interview a teacher on the weekend because our cab driver (now friend) was 40 minutes late to get us. I complained all weekend about a sore throat. Black ash falls from my roof into my house all day long. The bank machine didn’t work. The nights are way too cold. 

This place is way too incredible for any of that to matter...my friends remind me of that all of the time.

Lewy and his Love

I’ve had the opportunity over the last few weeks to be reminded of SWSC’s values. I’ve been reminded of what inspired us to put them into place, and then carry on doing our work. What inspires me to continue to do the work I do with SWSC and keep up with this life changing business I am into is this picture. 

Sure it may be cheesy and corny and gushy and overly simple, (but let’s get serious) is there anything truer than what Lewy once wrote on the outside walls of his house? Is there anything more relevant? Is there anything else living for, striving for? Is there anything we so desperately need to understand besides this? Isn’t this it? 

I should point out that this photo wasn’t staged. I remember more than 5 years ago, when Kim and I were venturing through the village of Kibombomene, when we came across Lewy’s home. He had written with mud the words “love is so good”, and he was sitting outside of his house reading a book we had lent him. Some might say that Lewy would be the last person in the world to write that, to understand it, to try and achieve it. He was 17 years old at the time, dreaming to become a Doctor but out of school due to lack of funding from his family and not really on the path to pursuing his dreams at all. With most things going against him, and not a lot of reason to believe it, he knew that love just isn’t good, but that it is so good.  

I think it’s true that sometimes we like to complicate things. It’s easy to forget purpose and lose meaning in a world that guides our lives as opposed to letting our hearts do it. When love guides us, we open our lives to endless opportunities of it working. I’ve been very fortunate to see love work in my life. The news may lead on that ‘good’ no longer exists, but I have seen the very opposite. No matter where I go in the world, there is love being all it knows how to be, soooo good. There is nothing complicated about that; purely and simply the truth.