Philosophy in Action

In life as in my practice, the undeniable truth remains: the speech and actions of every single person, every single day matter.

For the last few summers, my family and I have had the opportunity to travel to Zambia to work with orphan children in the slums of Lusaka, the capitol city. We were assigned to a group of ten boys, ranging in age from 6-10 years old.These boys represent the forgotten generation in Zambia, a country with the world’s seventh highest HIV/AIDS infection rate, and an average life span of less than 52 years.

Most of the estimated 1 million+ orphans in Zambia live in conditions that we in the US would consider absolutely miserable. Children are considered a burden in Zambia – just another mouth to feed.We had the opportunity to see these boys every day, and to shower them with attention. Our primary role? To love them, to listen to them, to let them understand that they matter.

Our goal was to let them know that someone, somewhere in the world cares for them. The transformation from the shy, somber boys we met on Day One to the smiling, playful children at the end of camp on Day Seven was amazing!

Not surprisingly, my family and I, too, came away forever transformed. We’ve kept in touch with these boys, and have had the gift of witnessing their development. The confidence, self-worth and hope that these boys developed over the years is truly amazing. They went from feeling they did not have a hope or a future to aspiring to be teachers, doctors and lawyers who will make a difference in their community and in the country.

It bears out the truth of one on one coaching: every single person matters. Every interaction matters, and you can make a difference.