I Left Africa and Never Wanted to Go Back

Last year, my wife and I went to Africa.

And something shifted.

People say that all the time — “life-changing trip” — but this was different. Not because of the wildlife. Not because of the sunsets.

Because I didn’t expect to feel anything at all.

I grew up in Zimbabwe.

I left when I was 21 to chase opportunity in the UK. Inflation was around 45% when I left. Wages went up 22%. And that was just the beginning.

It later hit two million percent.

The currency collapsed. Then collapsed again. Then again.

Zimbabwe broke in a lot of ways.

My childhood wasn’t easy or full of joy. I hadn’t been back since leaving in 1999. And honestly, I had very little desire to.

So going back to Africa — even if it was Zambia — felt strange.

But this story isn’t about Zimbabwe.

It’s about finding something I didn’t expect to find.

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Zambia Wasn’t What I Thought

We went to South Luangwa.

Not for a safari holiday.

Not to tick the Big Five off a list.

We went to volunteer.

There’s a charity supporting A-level students who’ve finished school and are trying to secure fully funded university places somewhere in the world.

These are the brightest kids in the region.

Top grades. Huge potential.

Me with some of the students and also two others volunteers from the US who were there for about 2 days. The woman with white hair was in her eighties!

But they’ve grown up in very rural communities. No exposure to big cities. No exposure to the outside world in the way we understand it.

That gap is massive.

So volunteers come in — not just to teach lessons, but to bring perspective. Skills. Life experience.

And almost immediately, something struck me.

The villages are incredibly safe.

You can leave your car unlocked. Leave your bag next to it. Nobody touches it.

If someone misbehaves, they answer to the headman or headwoman.

Community matters.

But the outside world doesn’t work like that.

A big city doesn’t work like that.

Theft. Bullying. Exploitation.

They need preparing for that too.

But then there’s the wildlife.

Elephants wander into villages.
Crocodiles injure fishermen and dangerous hippos are ever present.
While buffalo munch away on the fringes and lion are never far away.

The people are safe from each other.
But not from nature.

It’s raw. It’s real. It’s not romantic.

And yet… it felt authentic.

In the next post, I’ll tell you about the schools, the girls’ youth club, and the moment I started to realise this trip was doing something to me.

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If Africa has ever stirred something in you — curiosity, connection, or a sense that there’s more — stay with this story.

If you are interested in joining us in Zambia this year in May or in the future, click here to find out more.

Here is part 2

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