Zambia here I come!

Hey there friends, family and blog followers (whether that is on purpose or by accident...)!

I just recently found out that I will be spending my internship year with Grassroot Soccer in Lusaka, Zambia! Or as I like to call it "Lusoccka"... I will have two fellow GRS interns with me in Lusaka and the rest of the 20 or so interns will be placed throughout South Africa and Lesotho.

Zamiban flag:

Beyond Lusakaaa being a fun name to say (try it, I promise you will not be dissapointed) it seems like a pretty amazing place to spend the next year... From my extensive and scientifically supported research (aka wikipedia), I have learned a few things about Zambia that I thought I would share with you!

1. The new name of Zambia (it was previously named Northern Rhodesia) was derived from the Zambezi river, Zambezi may mean "God's river."
2. Zambia gained its independence on October 24, 1964.
3. It's very hot(most of the time), like Ghana hot, and I like it!
4. It's roughly the size of Texas.
5. Lusaka is one of the fastest growing cities in Southern Africa.
6. There are over 2 million people in Lusaka and around 13 million in Zambia.
7. It is offically a Christian nation, but a wide variety of religious traditions exist.
 8. "There is a lot of dancing in Zambia, so be prepared." Just picture me clicking the "like button" right now, and don't worry Zambia i'm ready.
9. "African" or "Zambian time" most defintely appilies.
10. The other two interns and myself will be the proud owners of a dog named Kamba and a cat named Ping...yessss!
11. English is the national language, but there lots of dialects spoken throughout the nation, with Nyanja being the most widely spoken in Lusaka.
12. Zambia is a landlocked country bordered by Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.

13. I will be driving stick shift/manual and on the left side of the road...so watch out EVERYONE else on the road.
14. Nsima is one of the staple foods(a thick, strachy porridge consistency), which is prepared from maize or cassava(a lot like Ghanian banku) and can be eaten with a variety of veggies, beans, meats, fish or sour milk.
15. A typical Zambian greeting can include kisses on the cheek and hand holding during conversations :)

I will stop there for now, as you have obviouly learned everything there is to know about Zambia now...or at least you can now pick it out on a map!
In all seriousness, I am so excited and blessed that I will have the opportunity to be working with GRS Zambia in helping with their fight to stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. And thank you so much again to everyone who has donated on behalf of GRS and my internship or is keeping me in their prayers, lots of love being sent your way!!

Until next time,
Casey

Welcome!

Hello everyone and thanks for joining me on my new blog! I have recently accepted a 12-month internship with Grassroot Soccer in southern Africa. Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses the power of soccer in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I am so blessed and excited to be on my way back to Africa and cannot wait for all that awaits me this next year.  I will be using this to keep family and friends up to date on my Grassroot Soccer experience!

Grassroot Soccer:

Founded by former professional soccer players in 2002 and supported by organizations such as The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNAIDS, Nike, The Ford Foundation and Sony, among many others, GRS trains African soccer stars, coaches, teachers and peer educators in the world’s most HIV-affected countries to deliver an interactive, innovative and culturally sensitive curriculum that seeks to empower youth in order to provide them with the knowledge, skills and support to live HIV/AIDS-free. GRS has over 490,000 graduates to date, and has worked in 18 countries (mainly in sub Saharan Africa where HIV prevalence is the highest in the world), in partnership with 25 organizations.
Here is a youtube video to give you a little better idea about the amazing work that GRS is doing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKynD3dzccU


What will I be doing as an intern?:
As a GRS intern, I will be responsible for assisting in the planning and implementation of youth-targeted HIV prevention education programs, networking with community organizations to develop relationships and to promote GRS programs and services, planning and coordinating community events such as Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) soccer tournaments, assisting with program monitoring and evaluation, recruiting community-based volunteers, and assisting in curriculum and business development.


How to help with my internship:
I am writing to ask for your support in this life-changing experience; Grassroot Soccer covers my housing and direct business expenses during my internship, but I am responsible for covering my personal expenses including airfare, food, health insurance, medicine, transportation and incidentals. GRS suggests that I raise about $10,000 to support myself while living in Africa, and I would appreciate and be grateful for any support you might be able to give! There are two ways you can support my internship, as well as the goals of GRS:

1)      Donate to Grassroot Soccer (Since GRS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.) – You can donate to GRS on behalf of my internship through the “Interns Donation page” at www.grassrootsoccer.org/donate-to-an-intern, or you can send a check made payable to Grassroot Soccer with “Casey Kilburn” in the memo, to P.O. Box 172 Norwich, VT 05055

2)      Donate to me (Donations made directly to an intern are not tax deductible.) – You can donate to me by sending a check made payable to Casey Kilburn at: 101 Lanigan Place, Cary, NC 27513

As many of you know, soccer has always been an immense passion of mine and I believe in its transformative power as a universal language throughout the world. I am incredibly blessed to have this opportunity to blend my passions of working with children, soccer, and fighting for a cause that I whole-heartedly believe in. The mission, methods, vision, and goals of GRS have truly inspired me, and I am both proud and humbled to be part of the GRS team.

I cannot say thank you enough for all your support, prayers, and well-wishes and I hope that you can use this blog as a way to experience this crazy journey with me! I will provide more details soon as I learn more about where I will be placed, but here is a link to the organizations website if you want to know more for now: http://www.grassrootsoccer.org/

God Bless.


Lots of love,
Casey