Every new recruit beats the drum on arrival, every thump a wake-up call, a signifier of change, of letting go of past baggage. Every beat removes you from the life of the old and into your new existence.
"We're not a cult!", chants the Greenpop crew who dedicate a month of their lives to Zambia and ecological heroism. Perhaps not a cult (although at some points it does feel particularly cultish) but a family of like-minded individuals that welcomes one and all with open hands, minds and hearts. Like many other volunteers, I arrive solo, nervous and unsure of the two camp-life weeks ahead of me, but as I crouch-run through the tunnel of arms that greets all new arrivals and beat my ba dum tish on that drum, I immediately feel at home. Past dramas, the heartache that led me here, dissipate and the smiling faces of my new family come into sharp focus.
Greenpop, a fairly young organisation founded by eco-warrior couple Misha Teasdale and Lauren O'Donnell, is celebrating its fourth year in Livingstone. The Zambia Festival of Action aims to tackle the severe deforestation issue in the country through numerous plant, mural and education days in schools, colleges, villages and co-ops. For one or two weeks, courageous individuals from all over the globe forgo creature comforts to volunteer their time, strength and energy to the green cause.
Time in the Livingstone Greenpop bubble is a strange elastic entity. Two weeks fly by in a matter of eyelash flutters; however each day feels like centuries, a lifetime of experiences packed into 24 hours.
Currently sitting at my desk, fingers resting on keys, I'm wondering how best to describe my past two weeks. How best to capture the immensity and openness. When people ask me how my trip was, I say: "Amazing", "super", "great", but this does it no justice. What I really want to convey is the swelling of my heart as we head out for new adventures on the trusty Overlander. The feeling of immense awe while looking up at the shimmering Milky Way, while underneath a piping-hot outdoor shower (yes there are hot showers if you time your cleaning cleverly). The joy of cycling through a village where big-eyed kiddies chant Muzungu and grab your hand as soon as you break. The satisfaction of a thought-provoking conversation with a new friend (there's no time for small talk here, we dive in deep, yo). The rush of leaping from a three-metre height into the churning Zambezi, my heart in my throat.
Saturday night, the last night for the volunteers, we're jamming to Daft Punk's Around The World, feeling the groove, feet churning the dust into faces when - sudden darkness, sudden silence. Zambia's marathon load shedding strikes most unfortuitously. A round of ahhhs, then a sudden flash light pierces the night, then more. Christafari, the local crew muso, picks up a drum, starts playing - we're dancing again. A disco of flashlights and tribal beats.
A hushed, crouched-down, hands-in-dirt conversation with a pure soul. "My dad would whisper to his plants." He whispered such sweet nothings that a cactus lost all its thorns.
"You give me Nshima, Nshima in the morning, Nshima all through the night" (sung to the tune of Fever) looping endlessly throughout our heads.
The smell of acrylic, multi-hued splattered hands, the sun beats down relentlessly as we transform a mustard yellow wall into a masterpiece of colour and flourish.
Diving into breath-haltingly cold water. Making a swift exit and letting the afternoon sun press warmth down your body.
Watching tiny souls back flip and somersault for the camera as the sun sets rusty on a football pitch. Clouds of sun-kissed dust particles dance as barefoot feet flurry by. A young girl with her baby sister on her back starts braiding one of the volunteer's hair, no words exchanged.
Skipping through the streets high on Mosi Beer and Cassava.
Watching a patchwork of golden light traverse through the branches of a baobab.
"A mango, a sweet sweet mango." Oh take me back.
As poetically put by Lizel, one of the volunteers, during speaker night, we're all shades of green, some pale minty, others bottle green dark; however we're all encouraged to 'fearlessly express' our particular shade however we feel fit - be it a small shift in lifestyle or a full on passionate embrace, together the green consciousness shall rise.
Thanks for the journey, Greenpop. Boom!
