By Doug Harris
Krystal Warren had no hesitation about leaving the luxuries of home and being plunked down in Zambia, Africa, for six weeks over the summer as the leader of a University of Dayton cross-cultural immersion trip. She did one before to El Salvador and found it both challenging and exhilarating.
And the six students who took the journey with her were just as committed as she was, willing to get out of their comfort zones, take risks, and embrace everything the country had to offer.
They certainly did that on the day they took elephant rides, though the experience became a little unnerving when an unexpected noise spooked those six-ton beasts and sent them into a full gallop.
"Some people were thrashing grass nearby, and it scared the elephants so bad that they started sprinting," Warren said. "Two of our students were knocked off by a big branch after two minutes of sprinting. They were dazed.
"One had thorn in her head and scratches on her back. The other could barely walk. They had to go to the emergency room. But they were fine.
"We went back to the hostel and thought it would be best not to go back out. But they said, 'No way! We're all the way here in Africa, and we're not going to miss any opportunity.'"
Warren, an assistant athletic director for athletics communications, and the rest of the group maintained that spirit of adventure throughout their journey and came home with a sense of fulfillment and memories for a lifetime. Warren was able to take a leave of absence to lead the group on behalf of the University.
After flying from Washington D.C. to Ethiopia to the Zambian capital of Lusaka, the group met up with Marianist brothers at their residence for a couple of days of a spiritual refreshment and then branched out across the country.
They took an 11-hour ride on a public bus to Lubwe, where they stayed for about a month and interacted with the villagers. They visited hospitals, raised awareness for AIDs and left a lasting impact on the schools there.
All Zambian students are charged tuition and are required to wear uniforms, and parents are often forced to choose between providing food or an education for their children.
The UD group raised enough money beyond their expenses to give out scholarships and pay for the uniforms for nearly 200 children — and then made arrangements to cover the cost of educating one kid each through adulthood.
UD's Center for Social Concern arranges the cross-cultural immersion trips to developing countries for students to learn about the culture there and gain an appreciation for what others have to endure. A stop at a malnutrition ward opened some eyes.
"That was one of the hardest things to see. With some of the kids, their skin is falling off because they're not getting the proper nutrition," Warren said. "There were some tough parts about it, but it was an amazing trip. They don't have a whole bunch of material possessions, but what they have they would give to you."
Students on the trips are encouraged to open their hearts and share plenty of hugs and smiles. That happened, too. There were daily soccer games, and Warren gained an ever-growing entourage on her early-morning excursions to watch sunrises over a lake.
The trip also had some practical application for one student. Carlos Rodriguez, a senior from San Antonio, is majoring in human rights, and his goal is to establish a non-profit organization that will help people with disabilities in developing countries.
Physically challenged students in Lubwe can attend school only on Saturdays. And not only is there no wheelchair accessibility there, wheelchairs themselves are scarce.
He happened to meet a United Nations representative affiliated with that cause along with Zambia's agency for persons with disabilities.
That confirmed he's on the right career path.
"It really allowed me to understand that where I'm going is exactly where my place should be in the world," he said.
One encounter that had a profound impact on him was when he saw a boy carrying his disabled sibling home from school.
"I asked someone if I could carry him home. They said, 'No, no, they live very far.' Finally, they said yes," Rodriguez said. "The distance was so far. I was walking and just sweating and thinking, 'Why is this such a far walk?' Then I realized they don't have wheelchair, but a wheelchair wouldn't make a difference because, guess what, the roads are very unstable, and they have to go up and down all these different areas, and the terrain is rough."
Finally, after about two miles, they convinced Rodriguez to put the child down because of safety concerns. They still had another two miles to go.
"I was able to see the love this brother had because he would walk every morning and afternoon to make sure his sibling could go to this class," he said.
No trip to Africa would be complete without a safari, and the UD crew took a 10-hour bus ride to Livingstone and were exposed to all kinds of wildlife, including elephants, baboons, wildebeest and warthogs.
That city is also home to Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Warren did a bungee jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge, billed as one of the highest bungee jumps in the world, while others did a zip line.
"We tried everything," Warren said. "We ate everything that was put in front of us. We talked to everyone we met with open arms."
UD has been sending students to Zambia for about 20 years.
"One of the brothers said it best: 'You have no idea how much it means to these people to know someone across the world cares about them,'" Warren said. "If you say UD to them, they're like, 'Oh, my goodness, we love that place,' just because of the representation we have there and the connections we have with the people."
Like the students she led, though, Warren received more than she gave.
"We're privileged in the U.S," she said. "You can have all the money, but you can't have as much love as the people in Lubwe have. It's astonishing how little they have and how they're willing to share everything they have with you."
Members of the 2017 UD Center for Social Concern Cultural Immersion Trip to Zambia
Krystal Warren, UD staff member, from Dayton, Ohio
Ellie Rizzo, junior from Alpharetta, Ga., majoring in mathematics and international studies
Sara Brunner, junior from Toledo, Ohio, majoring in environmental biology
Bridget Thomas, senior, from Annapolis, Maryland, majoring in dietetics
Jennifer Sloan, senior from Dayton, Ohio majoring in criminal justice
Carlos Rodriguez, senior from San Antonio, Texas via Columbia, majoring in human rights
Miranda Melone, graduated (currently doing a year of service in San Francisco), student group leader of the trip, English and American studies major from Chicago
For UD students interested in applying for a cultural immersion trip through the Center for Social Concern visit: https://udayton.edu/ministry/csc/immersions.php Applications are due Nov. 11, 2017.
Come and hear firsthand about student experiences in India, Guatemala, Zambia and Cameroon. The cross-cultural immersion symposium, Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in ArtStreet Studio B, will provide you with the interesting adventures of many of our students this summer and how you can be involved in the future.
