Jars of peanut butter and jelly and lots of wet naps are not the usual items that get thrown into a suitcase when packing for a vacation.
But then again, travelling to Zambia, Africa is not your usual trip and for Natasha Clutton and Natasha Telford, this is definitely not a vacation.
The two Natashas, both 15 years old, have much more in common than just their first name and their age.
They both share the Christian faith, have an adventurous spirit, very big hearts and are preparing for the trip of a lifetime.
On July 10 the girls are leaving Peterborough and everything familiar behind and flying to Texas for three days of intensive training before arriving in the Republic of Zambia, Africa, where they will spend three weeks volunteering with Teen Mania Ministries’ Global Expeditions. Since 1987, Global Expeditions has sent 62,321 missionaries to share their faith in 80 countries around the world. The girls will be part of a team of just five Canadians and 65 Americans, mostly teenagers, who will act almost as camp counsellors to children who have been orphaned by AIDS and will help build homes and dig trenches for water.
“They said if you really like working with children it is a good place to be,” says Natasha T., who has volunteered at Hope Valley Day Camp in Peterborough for two years.
Zambia, which is about the size of Texas, has one of the world’s most devastating HIV and AIDS epidemics with one in seven adults living with HIV.
“I still can’t believe that we’re actually going,” says Natasha T.
“It’s just now hitting me. It’s like, wow, Africa!” adds Natasha C.
This trip is not only taking the girls halfway across the world, but way out of their comfort zone.
The farthest Natasha C. has travelled is Alberta, while Natasha T. admits she has never been out of Ontario and never been on a plane.
But the girls have lots of experience camping and are prepared for three weeks of roughing it to the max. We’re talking not being able to shower for three weeks, which is where the wet naps fit in. Although Natasha C, mentions they will get to wash their hair once a week by using a bucket filled with water.
And while the girls will be cooking over a fire, they can bring some food, which explains the peanut butter and jelly. Natasha C. chims in that the ministry provides the bread.
While the girls never blinked an eyelash at the thought of cooking over a fire for three weeks, living with no electricity and being surrounded by armed guards 24 hours a day, their biggest challenge has been trying to raise $6,000 each for the trip.
“That was one of the main things I was worried about the most, was raising the money,” says Natasha T.
But through various fundraisers, such as chili dinners and yard sales, along with individual contributions the girls have nearly reached their goal.
And now with all of their vaccinations in order and their passports ready to go, all they have left to do is pack their bags, with means bringing lots of supplies, such as toothbrushes, for the children they are visiting.
“I’m really excited for them. It’s an incredible opportunity,” says Brenda Telford, Natasha’s mother.
“Who at 15 gets to spend three weeks in Africa? I just think it’s a fantastic way of showing who they are to the world.”
And when asked whether the moms are worried about their girls heading to Africa, Marilyn Clutton, Natasha C.’s mom, replies, “I would sooner them do this than hang out at the mall.” When the two girls leave Zambia, they’ve already decided all they are bringing home is the clothes on their backs, their camera, their passports and some awesome memories. Everything else they will leave behind for the children.
[mykawartha.com]
My country has fought so hard and gained independence in 1964 from our brothers the long nosed Britons. From 1964 to 2010 it is sad to see my country described none other than a country infested with HIV/AIDS ratios of 1 in every 7 individuals suffering from the epidermic. What happened to our copper, rich mines, favorable HR availability and the famous Victoria Falls? Its time to reverse this trend…. I am reaching out to my fellow citizens to come up with a way of controlling poverty in order to stop the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Please if you are interested in reversing this trend send me an email at [email protected]. Things have to change and lets put Zambia back on the world map for a positive course. Waiting to hear from loving and caring citizens from all over the globe.
For Once I think I agree with you Senior guy. I think this article is a bit insulting to Zambians and I am quite upset about reading it here. So you mean to say us Zambians are so poor we cook over fires, don’t bath and need an American to bring peanut butter and jelly to our country to know it exists. For us to brush our teeth you need someone to bring a toothbrush from USA? Is this how backward we are? This survey of 1 in every seven is HIV+ where is the evidence and how did they arrive at this figure? You tested every one in Zambia? This is a very stupid article.
Don’t get me wrong, it is great to have faith based volunteers but do not make the article about insulting us africns and paint a picture living like animals. These same people have never even been on a plane,
Who gave these girls these statistics? which part of Zambia are they going to visit which has no water and people can go for 3 weeks without a shower,come on,this is just ridiculous,quiet annoying actually,,,if you go camping in the bush you have to use a fire for cooking,what did they expect to use.Im very much interested to know which part of zambia they intend to visit which has no water,they are putting it as if they are going to a desert which has no water where you have to walk miles to find an oasis.How insulting
on a plane yet feel the audacity to write about and describe a place they can’t even point on a map. Zambians are one of the most educated and travelled people you will meet today. I know of missionaries who came to our church once brought with them beddings, pillows sleeping bags the works because they thought Zambians sleep rough. They were very embarrassed to find themselves accommodated in a house even more beautiful and comfortable than were they came from! To find all the things they thought the needed to supply or bring food they needed to carry so they don’t end up eating sticks like us Zambians readily available at their disposal.
You can all take your charity and shove it up your ignorant and BACKWARD a s s!!
Sharp email me and lets turn this insanity and inhuman ways that the west and cetral europe look at our continent. Can we organize an open workshop in our country and sensitize our citizens to refuse to be looked at as a statistic of HIV/AIDS? We can organize some resources and hold a 30 day workshop around Zambia with the help of our foreign supporters and local govt to reverse these long-nosed neo- colonists from using Africa to make a buck. These Natasha kids’ parents are making money just to have these uneducated dual to our country. Lets work together to stop this nonsense and possibly stop these two kids from coming to Zambia. I am consulting my lawyers to see what options we have as a country to protect our sovereignty. These two evil girls should not be allowed in our country.
I’ve looked at their website,its actually a community newspaper; I’ve written an email to the director ([email protected]) and the Editor is Marcus Tully ([email protected])
884 Ford St.
Peterborough, ON, K9J 5V3
Ph: (705) 749-3383
Fax:(705) 749-0074
Bombard them with emails and complain,you can also catch these two girls (tourists) on facebook and twitter
Red Card-Smoothcriminal
Im happy for your effort to squash these neo-colonists and when they come to Zambia we need to organize our citizens to meet them and show them the true Zambia and refuse their HIV/AIDS infected peanut jelly. These guys started the HIV/AIDS thing just to make money out of it. It is a well known fact of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment and now trying to promote their kids names like we stupid. I love the United States as a country but some US individuals are bent out to destroy other human beings without disregard to our rights as citizens of this earth. African started the civilization and its this fact that the long-nosed will do anything to discredit our effort by infecting us and killing us through the fake IRVs and the Natasha’s visit. Im really shocked!
The same article on their website has even more glaring statistics about Zambia,life expectancy at 37 and 39 for men and women, i could be wrong in venting my anger at these ignorant kids but if there’s someone out there with proper data,please educate us
mykawartha.com/news/article/835790–peterbio-natasha-and-natasha-take-on-africa
The Zambian government has to do more to protect our sovereignty. If you a mere Zambian trying to get to the United States or UK and you inform their respective embassies that the reason you wanna come to their country is to deliver jelly n peanut butter I bet you wont be awarded the visa period. But our country through RB and his minions have gone on vacations while stupid staff like the Natasha visit is granted visa authorization. What a shame on a govt that I have supported for life!!!! Where is our national security?
Look at our embassy in Washington DC. My boss cant even enjoy his salary coz he has to pay taxes on every little thing in the states while we have accorded the USAID in lusaka to go tax free on their expenses incurred in our country. What a shame to the African continent!
Why did LT delete my first comment? So much for emotional comments, what is the infection rate in Zambia? Read http://www.unicef.org/people/zambia_49604.html before you start commenting.
Let the girls have fun, the fact that you never traveled when you were young by raising your won money is no reason to attack the girls. After all they are coming to spend money and help, please appreciate. Don’t scare the girls, at least they are not asking for allowances as most of you would do to spend weeks with the orphans. In case you did not realize some of the so called NGO and other charities get money from hard working gilrs like these yet you are emptying your venom on the innocent. It is a shame It is because we did not attain economic independence that is why we live on handout from donors. I don’t see why LT even published this story
#8 Red Card-Smoothcriminal ; please read the stats on UNICEF site unicef.org/infobycountry/zambia_statistics.html if you disagree please publish your stats or our govt stats.
Guys let us direct our anger to the right sources of this information. The greatest source of negative information is the western media, they always portray Africa in the negative rarely in the positive and they always portray in the West in the positive rarely in the negative.Whenever there is news on Africa they always bring pictures of the suffering and always good pictures of the west, ever wondered why. I guess it is a form of psychological colonialism. The next source of negative information are Charity groups and Development organizations how else would they get money from the western tax payers if they don’t play on their emotions by depicting the suffering of some sections in the rural areas,you think the tax payers would give them money if they were showing the beautiful parts
#10 Senior Citizen says, If you start scaring these people who come to help, how are you helping the orphans back home?
#13, absolutely 101% correct. Even our govt does the same thing to scout for donor funds, so we are all to blame and not just the media.
of Africa. The best Africans can do is to petition the western media, charity and development organizaations to report with balance.Most of the western people’s image of Africa is misery and most of the people in Africa’s image of the west is good. Let’s target the right sources.
# 5 untill we realize that Africa’s problem problems will be solved 100% by Africans , Africa will never advance. African countries need to adopt the tax models of the west e.g in USA when you give to charity you get a tax deduction from your taxes and can claim a refund during tax preparation from the taxes you paid on your salary or business. Africa needs progressive tax models, proper systems and accountability. We can do it, even HIV/Aids will take Africans to rise up and step up in finding solutions. Africa has educated scientist who should be spearheading research and finding a scientific cure since Africa is the hardest hit.
#11 Kabansa
Yiou are missing the point,issue here is about these girls going to zambia and only affording to shower once in 3 weeks,which part of Zambia is that disadvantaged that one can go without washing their hair for more than a week,thats quiet pathetic
When you talk about not having a chance to travel when i was young,well,thats quiet trivial,for starters you have no idea how old iam,so you cant insunuate,coz you have no idea where and what i could have archieved or done
The link you pasted from Unicef says Zambia has over 1million HIV patients,the article here says every 1 in 7,do the math,as for asking for allowances,that is totally a different issue,if an NGO employs someone not on volutary basis,well they have to pay him/her,so i dont see your point here
FACT: Life expectency in Zambia as of 2008 48 yrs for both sexes ://apps.who.int/globalatlas/predefinedReports/EFS2008/index.asp?strSelectedCountry=ZM
FACT: Zambia is not a desert or that poor that people can go without bathing for 3 weeks,this is total crap
FACT: When you decide to go out camping,you dont expect to find gas cooker or electrical and any essentials that you would normally enjoy at home,you use firewood and even leave if you run out of options when nature calls
FACT:Every 1 out of 7 Zambians dont have AIDS,this is too general,unless they specified an age group,mind you this would include children and old people
://apps.who.int/globalatlas/predefinedReports/EFS2008/full/EFS2008_ZM.pdf
I suport you RED CARD-Smooth Criminal,im also wondering which part of Zambia has no water!!!! coz if you talk of villages,there are rivers,hence alot of swiming.Secondly those who want to help dont need to exaggerate.You dont need to remind some one of her/his disabilities if you really want to help,Infact those who have the spirit of helping do it quietly without creating wind or raising dust.I wish the Natashas all the best. **==**==**==
mykawartha.com/news/article/835790–peterbio-natasha-and-natasha-take-on-africa
Please go through my two cents’ worth. What gives these people these impressions anyway. I bet they did not even google non of that. We need to form a platform on which to share more light on our country. I would have forgiven Americans, because to them, America is the world. But Russians, as cold as it is, they can at least imagine a place with some heat. and because of the heat, we do not play around too much, without them durex on. Yarra mean?
Crooked I, Circle GANG.
much as we appreciate the help that the girls will bring with them by assisting the orphans, coming with peanut butter when most shops are teeming with the product is a bit of an exaggeration, as for the wet wipes, we know that these people are just not used to a bath everyday, so they should not blame it on the lack of water in Zambia.
# 6 Red Card- Smooth Criminal,the phone & fax numbers you’ve provided are not in the UK.They are American.Can you privide their full numbers.I have already emailed these ignorant bastrads.
I don’t see anything wrong with these two girls taking a bath only after three weeks. I mean, that is how most whites live their lives. They don’t frequent bathing rooms. They are used to it. They shouldn’t be blaming it on lack of water in Zambia. I have a living example – My roomie is of such kind! The guy stinks!! ( Sorry for mentioning it here, but one should call a spade by its name). Who told them that, one would never get good quality peanut butter and some other essentials in africa? Allow these two girls to visit Zambia and see for them selves how my people live!!
Firstly, why are we in a position where we need these two 15 year old’s to come and help us build houses and dig drainage ditches?!
We ourselves are to blame for how the West view us, we are constantly begging them for money, we allow our citizens to die from highly preventable diseases, we allow corruption and vice to flourish… We are angry at two kids because they want to try and help (even if some of the impressions they have been given are wrong).
Mr Senior Citizen, why are you angry that you and your colleagues at the Embassy have to pay US taxes when the American’s in Zambia don’t? It is your Govt that has made those agreements, so why are you upset.
Smoothcriminal, the report says 1 in 7 Zambian ADULTS are HIV positive.
cont. Secondly the report you cited says that life expectancy in Zambia is 43 years, not 48 as you say. Also the US Dept of State says that it is 38.63, maybe Senior Citizen (Embassy worker) can contact them on our behalf and dispute them if we disagree?
Let us change the impression of our country not by insulting and shouting, but by making it better ourselves. As Compassion says, let’s start sorting out our own problems and then ram it down the throats of Western media!
Finally, Mulenga #23, these girls are coming from Peterborough, Canada not Peterborough UK!
these girls should be allowed to to zamba but they should not be allowed to carry those items as its an insult to zambia. let them also carry water for batrhing……..*****s.
I have a feeling the Senior Citizen who is posting on this thread is not the usual one, the language is so unlike the one I know. As for these kids, good for them at least they will add Zambia to their lists of places they have been to, I wonder how far $6,000 will go after purchasing tickets and other things. I once worked with a lady from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (which is quite rural as far as I am concerned if compared with cities like Toronto and Ottawa) who together with another lady boasted about how they only had showers on Sundays ever since they were young and did not floss their teeth because food never got stuck in their teeth, very interesting indeed. So nothing about not bathing for 3 weeks surprises me.
It all comes down to taxing the mines for a billion a year or more. Because they aren’t, the government instead receives ‘donor aid’, which sounds like charity but comes with a lot of strings attached, which gives foreign governments control over Zambia’s internal and external policies.
Part of the ‘donor’ industry is what Keith Harmon Snow has aptly titled “The Misery Industry”. and the Misery Industry actively distorts the image of Africa to the world. It is all about people waiting for handouts and needing charity and all that kind of garbage. That is where these girls statistics come from. But that is the image we allow the rest of the world to have. And frankly it is aided and abetted by our politicians, who are often beneficiaries of ‘donor aid’.
On HIV/AIDS, this is also a huge multi-billion dollar industry. The HIV prevalence levels in Africa, including Zambia, have been exaggerated for decades now, because it brings in more money. This is done in the following ways:
1) The use of unrepresentative population samples.
They used samples of pregnant women at antenatal clinics. When they stopped doing that and used general population samples, the HIV prevalence rates throughout Africa were dramatically revised downwards. Using these new survey types, HIV in Sierra Leone was revised downwards from 7% of the population to 0.9%.
(Source: “How AIDS in Africa Was Overstated – Reliance on Data From Urban Prenatal Clinics Skewed Early Projections”, by Craig Timberg, Washington Post [available online].)
2) The use of highly sensitive screening tests (ELISA/EIA) and the absence of highly specific confirmation tests (Western Blot). This is still going on. I say that when population surveys are used and Western Blot is used as a confirmation test for positive ELISAs, HIV/AIDS is going to ‘disappear’ from the African continent.
Remember that there is no ‘HIV cause of death’. If you get bubonic plague, you get very specific symptoms. TB – the same thing. However, AIDS can be anything (pneumonia, wasting, fever, cancer, stroke, etc.), which at a minimum makes the chance for misdiagnosis much more likely. At worst, there is no HIV/AIDS, and it is simply a re-labeling of different causes of death.
But the priority should be to get the surveys right, which is not being done.
An example is South Africa. Because of HIV/AIDS, South Africa’s population was projected to remain stuck at 43.9 million in 2004, according to the US Census Bureau. Today, it is over 50 million. Even though UNAIDS falsely claimed that 450,000 people a year were supposed to die from HIV/AIDS (nowadays 320,000), HIV/AIDS is only listed as cause of death for 10,000 to 15,000 people a year on the Death Notification Forms.
This is the kind of high level corruption of data that has painted Africa as the place where ‘everyone’ is HIV positive. This is how they calculate life expectancy. Of course there is a lot of povery, but the data is all based on projection, based on faulty data and faulty assumptions.
So let’s at least get the science right first.
how stupid.dig trenches of water.we dont need those two girls and if they come the media will expose them to the bloggers .the careless description of zambia by illiterate white writers may give your girls abad reception .the whites only use selfish means to amass wealth,everywhich way.shame on the devil as malcom x -called them
So these little girls are coming to Zambia?
i would like to see these girls act porn!!!!!!
Really disappointed in most of the replies on this blog. Rather than dispell misconceptions about Zambia we have merely reinforced them. Ridiculous!
If the Western media saw this blog what do you think they would write? You have given them all the ammunition that they need to write an even worse story next time.
Mandela, Gandhi etc are revered because they confounded their critics by demonstrating that what people believed was false. You guys are just reinforcing it.
I don’t see anything wrong with these girls,What we need to understand is that this information was given to them by the organisation thats taking them to Zambia.According to my little experience have had with white people from(America and Europe) they all think the same about Africa,they think Africa is still a wild continet.I’m tired of this! One day i just had to show my classmates photos of my home my town thats when they said they want to visit me in the future.
For those who who seem to lack reading comprehension skills, the girls are not showering for three weeks because they are camping. As for the peanut butter and jelly, they are bringing it to eat. Not for anyone else. And, they’re volunteering at an orphanage. As for HIV/AIDS, if you don’t believe the disease is real and an epidemic across the world, than there is no real hope for you.
Read the story more carefully and you’ll see they are going to a remote area where they cannot shower. They are being practical, not judging anyone. These girls are coming to Zambia to learn and will leave as ambassadors, if they are treated better than these comments are reflecting.