Zambia, Meet Nshimbi

A couple of weeks ago the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) came to the village of Mr. Nshimbi to interview him about his work, particularly about the garbage recycling company he's started.  ZNBC heard about the project from Zambia's Minister of the Environment, called Nshimbi up, and rolled right into town with cameras blazing.

Nshimbi addressing the camera, which in turn is the nation, and the small crowd that formed nearby.

If Nshimbi didn't have a big head before he absolutely should... he's a bit of a local celebrity now.  

Nshimbi talking to the reporter from ZNBC about the solar charger he built for people far out in the bush to use when charging their phones.  The man is a hard worker and an incredibly bright guy - sky's the limit for him.

Nshimbi is a tireless worker.  He doesn't make excuses for himself like others sometimes do, but instead he keeps his head down and works.  He's the man.  The reporter from ZNBC asked him, "Why are you so different from other people in this community?  You are doing things on your own, why?"

Nshimbi's response: "I'm not going to wait for the government to give me a job.  You won't find me standing in the corridor of a government office knocking on their doors for a free handout or a job.  No, I'm making my own job.  Why wait to be paid once a month?  Me, I get paid everyday."

This made me so happy to hear.  

Watching his interview was like watching a pro-athlete after a game.  He stayed cool, calm and gave direct answers.  Like Jason Kidd, shown above, Nshimbi gave a great interview.

Watching Nshimbi as he interviewed was a very proud moment for me.  It's the end of my two years here in this village and one of my main counterparts is on a clear path to continue his work and making his life better long after I'm gone.  I couldn't be happier.  I can absolutely say that I had at least an impact in that success, although I'm the first to say that all the hard work was his and all the praise goes to him.  I merely looked on and answered the occasional question.

Nshimbi talking about his "tetra-pak mats," which he makes with old juice boxes that he melts together.  He sells a mat like the one shown for about $5 per mat.

I'm so hopeful for Nshimbi in the years to come, but I also hope that people will see what he's done, what he's worked hard to do, and will try to mimic his successes in some way.  The best part about Nshimbi is that I know he hopes this too.  He's consistently talked of trying to improve the community by teaching them what he knows and demonstrating it whenever possible.  I wish him all the success in the world, and if nothing else... at least he got some face time in front of the nation.