ZAMBIA (1) - 1977

Imagine me, at 40 years old, making my first trip outside of the British Isles - and to the heart of Africa! To say that it was a culture shock is putting it mildly; the sights, smells, sounds in strange languages (for a Geordie who only knew a little school French) although everyone did speak some English. We (a colleague flew out with me - it was his first trip to Zambia) landed at Lusaka where we changed to a small propeller driven aircraft and flew on to Ndola in the Copperbelt. Thence taken to Luanshya (known as the 'Garden City') by road. My colleague was an Electrical Engineer out for about 10 days: I was scheduled to be there for about a month to help in planning the installation of a new Crusher in the Baluba Copper Plant Luanshya. Whilst I had never been in Africa before, I was soon made very welcome by the Project Manager at the Plant, who was a fellow Geordie, and by almost everyone I met. It also just happened that a long-term friend from my past was living and working in Luanshya with his wife: they were really surprised to see me! On the Sunday, I attended their church - and had a culture-shock in reverse. Despite the fact that the congregation was 95% Zambian the prayers and Bible readings were all in 17th century English and the hymns mainly Victorian. It really brought home to me the way in which the Western brand of Christianity had been imposed upon the African peoples with little regard for their culture. During the month in which I attended this church I saw other things that made me feel uncomfortable, and caused me to think more deeply about some of my long-held beliefs.