Future Me

Our damaged kapenta boat isn’t back on the water yet, but it will be soon, thanks largely to the help of one man, who I think deserves a blog shout out.

Andy is a nice older gentleman who runs a nearby kapenta fishing company, and nothing I could write in this blog could do justice to how cool this guy really is.

Andy is an old white guy who lives up the lake and has a lot going on. His company has eight kapenta rigs in operation. Like Namumu, he runs a small carpentry operation, too. He has farm land around Siavonga, where he grows maize and sorghum. He raises cows, pigs, goats, chickens, rabbits and pigeons (yes, apparently people buy and eat rabbits and pigeons here). I’m pretty sure that he has other businesses going on that he just hasn’t told me about yet.

Andy has lived in Zambia for most of his life, he says, though I think his family was from the UK. You can tell from his accent, which remains strong. He’s tall, tan and lanky, with a bushy white beard. He always wears really short shorts and a button down shirt with the top four or so buttons undone. Most of the time he’s just hanging around his dock on the lake, fiddling around with something or directing his workers. Basically, he’s what I aspire to be in about 30 or 40 years.

This guy has done unbelievable amounts of work for Namumu for free, including the current repair of our generator. His mechanics have helped us with major repairs no less than five times since I’ve been here. He’s loaned us equipment. He’s given me loads and loads of advice on how the kapenta business works. He’s really bent over backward for Namumu. And he never lets us pay him.

He’s just a nice old man who wants to help our Orphanage. Actually, I think he does this for other fishing camps besides us, too. I think he just likes helping people.

And that’s not all he does. Unemployment is a big problem in Zambia, and I’m pretty sure he’s employing way more people than he really needs just to get some of these local Zambians working.

After encountering more than a few people engaging in shady business practices here in Zambia, I’m glad I met Andy, a guy who, to some degree, has restored my faith in humanity.

If you’re praying today, ask that God will raise up more people like Andy in Siavonga.