Into the field with Her Journey to School... December 02 2024

    Ellie managed to complete secondary school and then received a scholarship to university via an amazing organization called She's the First. She has since started a Tanzanian NGO called Her Journey to School and she is changing lives everyday. I’m proud to call her a friend. 

    Her Journey to School Part 2

    Meet the dream team, Ellie, Neema and Kois, with Her Journey to School. They are hard at work fighting for gender equality through education.

On Thursday, Will and I traveled 3 hours out into to the Maasai tribal region with the team from Her Journey to School (HJTS).  Our own Peace by Piece, Inc. has partnered with HJTS, as we believe whole heartedly in the mission. It was fascinating to go out into the field and heart warming to be able to take part in changing lives for the better.

    Our first stop was visiting 3 separate Maasai Bomas to meet with parents to discuss the importance of girls’ education. Often times, educating females is not a priority in this region and young daughters are married off to older men as a second or third wife in exchange for a dowry, which is typically cattle.

The HJTS team wanted to ensure that, if their daughter provided with a boarding secondary school sponsorship, the family would allow their child to continue their education and not pull the student out prior to graduating.

    We were welcomed into homes and all the parents we met with were not only grateful for the support and agreed to allow their children to continue to attend school, but also had high hopes of getting help sponsoring other children as well.

These families live in huts made from a mixture of mud and cow manure. They have no running water of electricity. They herd their cattle and goats throughout the day. There were lots of children running around- they have nothing but the clothes on their backs. No toys, no books. Will handed out bracelets he made from pipe cleaners and beads and you’ve have thought he was giving out gold.

    We met with the parents of Joyce. Joyce is a secondary school student and the youngest of 9 children. Her older sisters were not formally educated beyond primary school and were married off in exchange for cattle. The parents then sold the cattle to get the funds to send Joyce to the first year of secondary school. They do not have the resources to continue to send her for the additional 3 years. Joyce will join the program and will be sponsored through HJTS. Peace by Piece is proud to be assisting with these sponsorships.

    Her Journey to School Part 3

    After meeting with the families, we traveled to Oltinga, a boarding secondary school where we met with 30 female students who had been identified by the school as having significant needs. We had met with several of these students’ families earlier in the day (see part 2) Ellie, Neema and Kois made introductions and explained the program to the girls. Once a month, the team will travel out to the school to run a mentorship program and provide education on sexual and reproductive health. Individual needs will be assessed and provided-be it additional uniforms, school supplies, toiletries, and/or full school scholarships. Sanitary napkins will be supplied to each girl monthly. The goal is keep girls in school, avoid pregnancy or early marriages causing them to drop out, allow them to reach their full potential and eventually go back into their own community empowered, aware of their rights and willing to be leaders for the next generation of girls.

    The girls were shy at first, but eventually opened up, introduced themselves and shared some of the challenges they have faced. 1:1 mentorship started today for several of the girls who face more significant challenges. One 12 year old student shared with Neema that she only has one uniform, one pair of socks and one pair of shoes at the school. She doesn’t own underwear, soap, a toothbrush or toothpaste, notebooks or pens. She does the best she can but is obviously struggling. For 25,000 Tanzanian shillings (just under $10) we bought her these necessities. This is life changing for a young girl.

    I can’t thank Ellie, Neema, Kois, our Maasai translator and the rest of the Her Journey to School volunteers for including us out in the field today. Thank you for fighting to make a difference in the world! I am truly lucky to know you.

    “Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you - it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you… Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” - Anthony Bourdain

Lessons in Gratitude... December 02 2024

     There is a teacher shortage so grade levels come at different times of day. There is also a shortage in teacher compensation and one of the teachers is a full time volunteer. The school provides lunch (mashed corn with beans) though the students must bring a bowl from home. There is one cook to prepare the meals for over 400 students. There is no cafeteria- the kids eat at their desks- often 4 students per small desk. There is no gym, no playground, no sports equipment. But they make do. They improvise. These teachers are smart, resourceful and passionate. They problem solve to be sure these children can learn. And learning, they are! These smart 5th graders were learning simple present tense and progressive present tense- in English- their 2nd language!

School part 2

     Before we left MB, Will and I visited Jack’s current classroom and Will’s 2nd grade teacher’s class at MBP to write letters to our new “penpals” in Tanzania. These students in the US did such a great job! Those letters were such a hit in TZ! The kids here were mesmerized. The smiles, the shy giggles, and then the hoots of excitement when we told them they could keep the letters- it will stay with me for a long time.

     The process of writing back was interesting as the students are still learning English. The letter includes favorite color, favorite animal, favorite book, etc… Will walked around with signs of animals and colors so that the children would know how to spell the words. It turned out that only one child in the class had ever read a book… Instead, they filled in the titles of stories that had been passed down by word of mouth from their parents. It is truly another world.

     We brought crayons for drawing pictures, which were also a huge hit! These kids worked SO hard and did an AMAZING job! Will and I are excited to bring them back to MBP!

School, Part 3

     The staff at the primary school did share that something that would make their lives so much easier would be having a photocopier at the school. Can you imagine a school without a photocopier?!? When our group donated one, you’d have thought we’d given them a million dollars.

     It seems to be a prized possession. They say that only 2 staff members will be allowed to use it for fear of someone breaking it. They will have plastic cover made to protect it from the ceiling water leaks during the rainy season and the dust during the dry season.

     I wish I had gotten a video of the teachers dancing and singing when we pulled up and they realized the gift. They did collect all of the students to sing us some songs as a thank you… I’m thankful that Will was able to witness how doing something so small can have such a huge impact.

School, Part 4

     Will got a little taste of fame. All of the children knew his name and would call out every time he walked by. He has never given so many high fives and fist bumps. During recess, fun was had by all. Will quickly learned that “football” is taken very seriously over here! Will even introduced them to American football!

     These kids are fun and funny and joyous. They are smart and sweet and resilient. Their excitement is contagious. Their love and kindness is palpable. Several students offered me parting gifts on the last day- treasured drawings on pieces of paper that had been folded and refolded until they were worn thin-items that are precious to them.

     Big life lessons here in gratitude, acknowledging privilege and determining ways of using it for good in the world, being respectful of resources, and taking care of one another/giving back- especially when in excess- but also in time, energy and love. This is an experience of a lifetime that I hope will shape everyday life for my sweet boy…

     Goodbyes are hard, so until next time Mnini Primary…

Her Journey to School December 02 2024

I’m beyond excited for Peace by Piece to join this fight! If you’d like to help us build brighter futures and ensure access to education for deserving children in TZ, please consider donating. This cause is near and dear to my heart! PbP is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible!

Peace and love, 

Susan

Form 4 Graduates and Twelve New NKK Form 1 Scholarship Students December 31 2023

12/31/2023

2023 brought graduations for the last of our Edmund Rice Secondary School Boarding Students.  Six bright students finished their 4th year of boarding secondary school.  Over the last 7 years, Peace by Piece was able to send 26 students to this school.

NKK scholarship recipients have also been hard at work and 5 students graduated after their 4th year of schooling.  Twelve new students joined the program and picked up their school supplies. 38 4-year scholarship recipients are currently enrolled at NKK Secondary School. It will be a great school, year!

Nine new four-year day-student scholarships awarded! November 28 2022

Nine additional students started their first year of secondary school  at Nkoarisambu!  They join the 24 Form 2-Form 4 scholarship recipients this year.  We also had ten students graduate at the end of last year!  

In addition to school fee contributions, the nine new students received new uniforms, backpacks, school books and school supplies.  Thank you to all our donors for helping these students chase their dreams!  

We are thankful... November 28 2021

11/28/2021 

During this season of thanksgiving, we, at Peace by Peace, have much to be thankful for.  Thanks to our amazing donors, our little non-profit survived a global pandemic without having to cut any current student's scholarship.  All of our scholarship recipients have remained healthy and their schools in TZ were able to recover from shutdowns and return to "normal" after several months.  Life is good and we are counting our blessings.  

While we were not able to provide scholarships for any first year boarding students in 2021, the 15 current boarding students are doing well and excelling in school!  

34 day-students have received four year scholarships and are thriving.  This includes 8 first year students who received school supplies and new uniforms.  

We are so thankful for all who have invested in providing brighter futures for our students!  

Oh, what a year... September 30 2020

2020.  What a year.  We, at Peace by Piece, mourn the lives lost and the hardships fought as a result of COVID-19.  We feel for those all around the world, especially in countries poorly equipped to handle the medical complexity this virus brings.  The economic fallout has been significant as well, and our heart goes out to those trying to keep a roof over their head and food on the table.

Like so many students around the world, school was interrupted for Peace by Piece's scholarship recipients.  Students were sent home on March 17th, though "home" may be an orphanage or a mud hut without running water or electricity.  And while lessons were eventually broadcast by national radio and television, this is still unattainable to the poor and vulnerable children living in dire circumstances. 

The students did return to school in July and they have been working tirelessly to catch up.  School breaks were eliminated and all 53 of our scholarship recipients  are expected to finish their school year on time by the end of December.  We are certainly proud of their efforts. 

FIVE Form 1 (8th grade) Day-School Scholarships Awarded for 2020 January 20 2020

Congratulations to Baraka, James, Nicemery, Nelson and Praygod!  They will be staring middle school at NKK, joining 27 other Peace by Piece scholarship recipients returning to school this year.

SEVEN Form 1 (8th grade) Boarding Scholarships Awarded in 2020! January 15 2020

Congratulations to Jesca, Brenda, Miriam, Upendo, Dickson, Siriel and Erick!  They were awarded Form 1 boarding scholarships to Edmund Rice for the 2020 school year!.  They join 13 returning boarding students at Edmund Rice this year.  Good luck to all of our students!  Have a great year!

Middle School Graduates! December 15 2019

Alex and Faraja graduated from Edmund Rice!  We are beyond proud of you two!  These guys will have 6 month break from school while they study for national exams.  A two year high school program will start in July.  Congratulations Alex and Faraja!

Off To High School!! July 08 2019

Our first class of scholarship recipients joined the program in January 2015.  After four years of rigorous studies, they graduated from middle school in December.  High school begins in July in Tanzania to allow for time for entrance exams and school matching.  We are so incredibly proud of Mery, Jesca, Jennifer, Magreth and Dorice.  They are each attending government boarding schools to complete their secondary schooling over the next 2 years.  Peace by piece is sponsoring their school and living supplies, uniforms, transportation and all associated fees during these next two years.  Congratulations ladies!

Four new Form 1 students accepted to Edmund Rice Secondary School January 19 2019

Four new scholarship recipients will begin Form 1 at Edmund Rice Secondary School, a boarding school in Arusha.  They will join the eleven Form 2-4 Peace by Piece scholarship students already attending Edmund Rice.  Congratulations Regina, Naomi, Glory and Livingstone!

11 new students begin Form 1 at Nkoarisambu Secondary School January 15 2019

Peace by Piece is sponsoring eleven new students at Nkoarisambu this year.  They will join the nineteen Form 2-4 students in the program.  Each student receives school supplies including all textbooks and new uniforms.  We wish them the best of luck this year!

High School Here We Come! November 24 2018

In January 2015, eleven students became the first Peace by Peace scholarship recipients.  Four of those students passed the rigorous entrance exams to be able to attend Edmund Rice Secondary School, a private, boarding school in Arusha.  Last month, they graduated from Form 4, equivalent of the 11th grade in the USA.  In June of 2019, they will begin high school!  We are so proud of our students!!

Class of 2017! September 14 2017

Peace Matunda Primary School's 2017 standard 7 class recently took their national exams and we are anxiously awaiting the results!  Of these students, 19 will require financial assistance to continue their education next year in secondary school. 

The Peace by Piece scholarship program commenced in January of 2015.  Since that time, 26 children have joined our program.  9 of our students are attending boarding schools in Arusha and the remaining students attend the local government school as day-students.  Our scholars are excelling and we couldn't been prouder!

On average, 9 students join our program each year and usually a third those students require boarding school.  This year that number more than doubles!  With 19 applicants and 7 students requiring boarding, we need your help!!  Please consider making a donation to help send a child to school!

New Form 1 students! February 03 2017

We are excited that nine new students will be continuing on to secondary school with scholarships from Peace  by Piece.  Three are boarding students (Calvin, Godson and Lovin) and six will attend the local government day school (Alice, Sixtus, Robinson, Yusuf, Happiness and Invocavity).  Congratulations!  They will be joining our other six boarding and eleven day-school Form 2 & 3 students!  We are proud of all of our scholars!!

National Exam Results! November 07 2016

Congratulations Peace Matunda Primary School!!

We are so proud of the national exam results!!

2016 NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL OF TANZANIA
PEACE MATUNDA PRIMARY SCHOOL 
School ranking District level 14 out of 132
School ranking Regional level 88 out of 622
School ranking National level 1307 out of 16,350.

And they're off!! February 02 2016

2015 ended with a bang...

As 2015 came to a close, our eleven sponsored secondary students not just completed Form 1 (the first year of secondary school), but EXCELLED, with seven of the students ranking within the top 13 of their class!  Mery, Doris, Jesca, and Calvin finished out the year at Edmund Rice (boarding) Secondary School in Arusha and Godfriend, Isaac, Jennifer, Jostina, Daniel, Nice and Nickson concluded the school year at Nkoarisambu Secondary School.  All are candidates to continue their education next year in Form 2!  We are so grateful to their sponsors for continuing to invest in a brighter future for these amazing children!

At Peace Matunda Primary School, eight students completed Standard 7 (the final year of primary school).  All of these students passed their national exams and were looking forward to starting secondary school in 2016.  Two of those students, Alex and Faraja are orphaned and have lived at Peace Matunda Orphanage for over 5 years.  They both performed well on the rigorous entrance exams and interviews at Edmund Rice (boarding) Secondary School and we are proud to announce that they were accepted for Form1.  Of the remaining six students, all live with family in the local village and four are in need of school scholarships in order to continue their studies at the next level.  

2016 brings brighter futures...

In January, Mery, Doris, Jesca, and Calvin were joined by Alex and Faraja at Edmund Rice Secondary School.  Steven, Loveness, Meshack and Silas began a new chapter in their lives as they joined Godfriend, Isaac, Jennifer, Jostina, Daniel, Nice, and Nickson at Nkoarisambu Secondary School.  

In the United States, starting middle school may signal new independence, greater responsibility, more intense studies. Every child is expected to attend- required to attend.  In Tanzania, starting middle school (or secondary school) is a privilege afforded to few.  It can signify the difference between living life above or below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day.  It opens doors, especially to women, reducing fertility rates and allowing women to enter marriage, older and more mature.  It can be a way out- out of poverty, out of hardship, out of despair, bringing hope and opportunity. In Tanzania, starting secondary school is a momentous step towards a brighter future.  

We are so proud of the seventeen students enrolled in the 2016 secondary school year and we are beyond grateful for all the sponsors, our supporters and the amazing staff at Peace Matunda for making this possible!

Jesca, Mery, Doris, Faraja, Alex and Calvin (along with friends Maggie and Corfield) at the start of school this year.

2015 Peace Matunda Primary School graduates.  All are attending secondary school in 2016.

And they're off!!  Alex and Faraja, all packed for their first year of secondary school!

The ladies!  Maggie, Doris, Jesca, Mery.

Visitors day at Edmund Rice March 18 2015

Kaaya visited the kids at Edmund Rice last week and reports that they are happy and doing great!

Secondary school!! January 15 2015

The time has come!  The 2014 primary school graduates are off to secondary school! Mery, Calvin, Doris have started school at Edmund Rice in Arusha.  We are so grateful to their sponsors!  (Magreth, Shila, and Jesca are also off to secondary school and continue to be supported by their primary school sponsors- thank you!!)

Seven day students have also been granted PbP scholarships to Nkoarisambu Secondary school!  Daniel, Isaac, Jennifer, Jostina, Moses, Nice and Godfriend are living with family and attending school 2km from Peace Matunda.

School supplies, text books and uniforms have been supplied to all the children.  We wish them all the best!!

Nkoarisambu day students!  From left Jackie James (Project coordinator) Isaac, Nice, Nixon, Jostina, Kaaya Unambwe (Founder of Peace Matunda), Jennifer, Godfriend, Daniel, Wariambora Kaaya (School Manager at Peace Matunda.)

Amani House kids off to school!  From Left: Wariambora Kaaya (School Manager at Peace Matunda), Shila, Mery, Doris, Magreth, Calvin, Corfield, Kaaya (Founder of PM)

Jesca was accepted to a prestigious, government boarding school!  Congratulations Jesca!

National exam results!! Congratulations Peace Matunda! January 01 2015

We are so proud of Peace Matunda!!  All 19 of the 2014 grade 7 students passed their national exams, allowing them to continue on to secondary school.  Not only did all the children pass, but Peace Matunda's ranking in the district, region and nation is outstanding!!  Congratulations to the students and teachers at Peace Matunda!

PEACE MATUNDA PRIMARY SCHOOL – P0105130
NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 19

SCHOOL POSITION DISTRICT LEVEL: 8 out of 128
SCHOOL POSITION REGIONAL LEVEL: 51 out of 589
SCHOOL POSITION NATIONAL LEVEL: 532 out of 15867

http://necta.go.tz/psle2014/results/shl_p0105130.htm

Elephant Highway- Victoria Falls, Zambia to Windhoek, Namibia May 01 2014

The name of this section gives away the main highlight: elephants. For many days on this section, riders spotted elephants roaming the savanna looking for a tree to snack on our a tree to rub away the days itches. Other wild animals on route were giraffes, springbok, kudu and baboons. It was a special experience for me to see both giraffes and an elephant while riding! 

We were luckily to have Daryl, the elephant whisper, along with us for the journey. He was an expert in wild animals in Botswana and gave us the run down on what to do if an elephant was close to us on the road. Basically, stay away from it. Although it would make a great shot of you with your bike and an enormous African elephant in the background, it really is not advisable as the elephant might be frighten and head in your direction- they move a lot faster then you think- we were told. Some riders, frustrated with their unsuccessful sight of elephants felt the highway should have been called “The Elephant Dung” highway as the sides of the road were literally lined with huge mounds of elephant dung. 

One of the other highlights for this section of the tour was the "Man- Eating-Bugs" (probably not what they were really called, but the name suited them.) These crunchy critters were all over the road. There was certainly more squished on the tarmac than alive, but the ones that were alive, fed themselves off their friends, and relatives. Yes, these bugs were cannibals, once their kind was killed we would see several bugs both eating the dead bug and pulling it off the road for an evening snack.

At first I did not want to run over the bugs as I actually thought they might puncture my tire, but later, as my mind went more and more nub with boredom I would aim for them and try to crunch the critters. This was a really fun game for about two hours until one bug squirted its guts all over my leg and shoes. Enough of the bug squashing game, I continued to practice my ABC’s backwards out loud while also looking carefully for the huge African elephants along the side of the road.

Another amazing experience was being able to go on a river boat along the Kazungula. Such a beautiful river that Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia all share. When we reached Maun, I also was able to go on a flight over the Okavango delta at sunset. So pretty! 

This was also the part of the trip where I really figured out I am not a long distance flat road cyclist. I found riding on the road to be quite boring. No hills to climb, no rocks being through at me and no bad road surfaces to dodge. Riding a mountain bike does contribute to the slowness of my pace, but it was mainly I was to bored to push myself to go faster. I decided that biking intervals might get me focused. With tips from my dear friend Suzie, Sonia, a fellow rider, and I hit the road for a few interval sessions. It did help for a bit!

Though Botswana was also the biggest distances we road in one day: 208km into Namibia. With the help of a peloton, we pushed through the day, and at the end of it all, it was really not that bad. Not that I wanted to bike further, but reaching Namibia meant the end of the long road days and that we were headed for off road in the dessert. 

Diamond Coast - Windhoek to Cape Town April 30 2014

The last section of TDA2014 brought some amazing experiences and some of the hardest sections of the entire tour. 

If Namibia is not on your bucket list, you need to add it. I found it to be a beautiful, diverse country with so much to offer in terms of animals, landscapes and culture. Our first rest day was in the Namib-Naukluft Park, at the dunes of Sossusvlei;  miles of mesmerizing sand dunes. Some riders biked on the dunes and had a great time messing about in the mounds of sand. Watching the sunset over the dunes and how the colour of the sand changed was marvelous. We were also able to make it to Fish River canyon, the second largest canyon in the world.

Through Namibia we continued off road through incredible mountain vistas, without having too much climbing. Cyclists saw lots of wild animals- kudo, baboon, lorx, springbox, ostrich, and big  snakes. There were times when these wild animals seemed to chasing the riders, twice there were encounters with a lorx who seemed to be quite curious as to what these crazy people were up to. Luckily, no one was injured.

Cycling through uninhabited areas meant there were few places to stop for a drink or a snack so it was important to ensure riders had enough water and food to get them to lunch. There were times on this section of the tour that I ran out of water and was super hungry before arriving to lunch. But nonetheless, this section confirmed that I am much more of mountain biker than a road cyclist. For the first few days of the off road I was cruising at a speed that I could not maintain on the road- seems ironic, but I had more adrenaline to push myself.

As we got further into the southern hemisphere, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, it did start to get much colder. Nights involved sleeping in with all my clothes in order to stay warm in the Namibian desert.

Entering the border into South Africa was a great feeling; this meant we were 7 days away from Cape Town, a place many had been thinking about since we started the tour in January. It did also help us to remember that we still had 7 more riding days, and of course needed to be careful as we were headed off road again. The reason for the off road in South Africa is that the highways are too dangerous to cycle on, cars are at max speed on roads without a shoulder.

We were warned about the wind in South Africa, but personally nothing could have prepared me for the endless wind as we headed south. I realized I can take climbing mountains, curious locals, off road, rain, and sand. But wind and I really are not friends. As our tour director, Randy said, it is like the invisible enemy.

It was on these seven days that I finally got that feeling I was waiting for: pushing myself to the limit. On day 115 of 120 each pedal took so much effort. I pushed myself as hard as I could;12km an hour into an intense headwind. I thought the lunch truck was at 70km, so began my count down at 60km. It took an hour to go 10km. Reaching 70km I realized that lunch was not there and must have been at 75km. I was done, really feeling I could not keep going, feeling I could run faster with my bike then ride. Nonetheless, I continued reaching lunch 45 minutes later. I really felt like I wanted to give up, but after a nice break and some food, I decided to push on as there was road and the possibly of a tail wind ahead. Another 8km on off road, then it was a delightful, to see tarmac again (despite my previous dislike). Happy to be moving at a much faster speed I powered down the hills, until the free hub on my bike snapped again. This meant my bike was out for the count, hoping in the truck with Alex was a good choice as the rain started to pound down just as we reached camp.

That night I went to sleep thinking that I really wanted a day off, and told myself if it was raining in the morning I would take the dinner truck to camp. The am brought sunny skies and my bike was fixed, and ready to ride. I was happy to have made the decision to ride, but knew that I was going to be thrilled to reach the finish line in 3 days, where my Dad and Carol awaited!

Day 119 was like no other on the tour, pelting down rain, hail, and busy roads meant that I really did not want to bike. I did not sleep much the night before, debating my decision, so also woke up really tired and freezing in the rain. I thought up so many different excuses for not riding, but in the end I just did not want to, I was tired. Thus, along with another rider who took the day off, we put up the marking tape so those amazing riders that decided to give it a go in the weather conditions would not get lost. It was extremely impressive how many riders finished the day, as even in the car it was a scary 120km ride into our last camp for the TDA2014.

Waking up early on Day 120 was not a surprise for me, as whenever I am really excited about something I have a hard time sleeping. We had 60km to get to lunch that was on a beach with Table Mountain in the background. Despite being up super early, I was late leaving camp and had to boot it to get to lunch in 3 hours. After four flats I finally made it!  Next up was some photos on the cold, windy, rainy beach then our 20km convoy into Cape Town. It was hard to know how I would feel reaching the “finish line”. But I was extremely happy to see my dad and Carol and very proud of what I had accomplished over the passed four month. I now just need some time to reflect on the experience and truly understand what it meant for me to bike across the amazing, marvelous continent of Africa. 

Zambiez Zone April 23 2014

Entering into Zambia was delightful! There are miles of lush green grasslands leaving you curious as to what kind of wild animal might pop out. I think this was just my phobia of snakes as there were never any animals that took us by surprise.  We cruised passed tons of agricultural fields with GMO signs advertising the huge crop yields.

There were many rolling hills in Zambia so lots of climbing for Justin. Not only did we have long riding days, there were also lots of hills for us to mull over. We also had the longest km day on my birthday, 181km and over 2000 meters of climbing. I will remember the day I celebrated my 30^th birthday for a long time. Each grueling km!  The night of my birthday we stayed at a lodge along the river and had apple pie for dessert! My amazing friends also sent Justin over with lots of birthday goodies from Bangkok!

Although I planned to ride and meet Justin in Victoria Falls, I decided once we reached Lusaka to take the bus with him. As a rider you are aware of the big buses that fly passed you, but often to not consider that they are filled with people watching you cycle. It was great to be on the opposite side of the tracks, as on the bus we passed all of the TDA cyclists on their ride out of Lusaka. It was then that it really hit me that we are biking down an entire continent that most people bus through.

We found an amazing lodge in Livingstone owned by a retired Canadian couple. It was so nice to sleep in a bed and stay in bed passed 7am in for three days in a row. Justin and I went to visit Victoria Falls and got soaked by the mist. I also took at ride in a micro plane over the Falls in order to get a better view! It was truly spectacular.

Zambia seemed like a quick country to ride through with only 8 days on the bike, and only 5 for me. Off to the Elephant Highway in Botswana we head!