ZamFam

On Monday, I am moving to Zambia for a year.

I go in and out of being extremely excited and totally petrified daily, but what calms my nerves, maintains my sanity and most importantly keeps me laughing is my ZamFam.

ZamFam (n): a small group of Global Health Corps Fellows, consisting of half Americans and half Zambians, that become a family the day that they meet each other; together they embark on a journey in Zambia while loving and supporting one another through their shared passion for social justice via their collective fight for health equity.

Our ZamFam cohort (which is deeply rooted in and connected to 6 years of ZamFams before us) couldn’t be more different in terms of backgrounds, personalities, and age--but we have bonded in a way that makes me believe that I am right where I am supposed to be. As much as I already miss my family, ZamFam makes everything better and happier. And another fabulous part about us is that out of all of the GHC country groups- Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, United States, and Zambia–we are the smallest with only 18 members. But that hasn’t stopped us from having a larger than life and memorable presence during these first weeks of the fellowship and at training. Always loud and always laughing, Zamfam is known for our strong bond. 

Additionally, I have the most incredible co-fellow and partner in crime. Lute and I, only 1 week apart in age with creative and communication interests, are a perfect match. We are very similar in terms of personalities (although she is much more audacious than me on a daily basis which keeps life fun) and are excited to creatively contribute to the Society for Family Health as a dynamic duo.

The uniqueness of our relationship was verified 2 nights ago at the GHC cocktail party at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Lute and I were chosen to give a 2 minute pitch on our grand vision for the future of global health to GHC donors, celebrity friends and strategic partnerships. Using powerful metaphors and articulate speech, we had a connected vibe and message that resonated with the crowd. 

“It is time that we rebrand global health. It is essential that global health becomes an inviting brand that everyone feels that they need to be a part of in order to transform the world. Our generation will do that. And quite frankly, it’s about damn time.”

Needless to say, that was an incredible experience that was greatly supported by the amazing Zamfam in the audience.

I love my ZamFam and am so blessed to have been joined with these incredible people; I now know that as we enter this new adventure, that we will have each other’s back cuz thats what families do 🙂