ZAMBIA... Erin Wolf's Chronicle

Hello and welcome to my new website.  My hope for this site is to give others a glimpse into my life, the lives of Zambians, and the thrill of exchanging a western way of living for a taste of the third world. 

I have been living and working in Zambia as a US Peace Corps volunteer since 2006.  In January of that year I arrived in Zambia and began an intensive 9-week training program focused on language & technical skills.  In March, 2006, I was officially sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer and was stationed in the rural village of Safwa in the Northern Province of Zambia.  In this village, located about 90 kilometers south of the nearest town, I lived among the Bemba people and tried as best as I could to learn about their culture, language, and traditions.  I lived in a mud hut, fetched my water from the nearby river, and cooked over a fire each day.  I  was provided with a bike, which was my sole mode of transportation (aside from the occasional hitch-hike).   I worked on a variety of projects, including increasing the value and accessibility of education, teaching about malaria and malnutrition, and promoting HIV/AIDS awareness. 

From now until August, 2009 I will be living and working in Solwezi, a town located in the Northwestern Province of Zambia.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader, my new position entails overseeing the well-being and work progress of other volunteers living within my province.  My living conditions have obviously changed, and for the next year, I will be living in a "real" house with electricity and running water.  I have cell phone service now and even fairly regular access to the internet. 

This site will continue to develop and change for as long as I am living abroad.  Please check out the "journal" link to go through my archive of letters written home during my Peace Corps service.  Feel free to bookmark this page, pass it along to friends, and check it regularly for updates.  I can't just keep Africa all to myself...

"Africa?  A book one thumbs

Listlessly, till slumber comes."

Countee Cullen (1903-1946), US poet 

I was born on January 6, 1981.  I grew up in the small dairy community of Windthorst, TX and graduated from Windthorst High School in 1999.  From there I went on to earn my B.A. degree at Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX) in Speech Communication.  I then moved to Austin, TX, where I earned my M.A. degree at the University of Texas in Interpersonal Communication.  Upon graduation, I was employed as a Campain Coordinator by Global Impact (www.charity.org), which is a non-profit organization that represents 50 of America's leading international development & relief organizations.  I joined the US Peace Corps in 2006 and will complete my service in August, 2009.