Mukuni village is a traditional Zambian village close to Victoria Falls. The village represents how the Mukuni people have lived for hundreds of years and is typical of many throughout Zambia. The village earns income through tourism, and invites people to come and meet with the residents, visit their homes, take photographs, and purchase their crafts.
I enjoyed meeting the children and saying mwapona buti? (how are you?), and twalumba (thank you) in Tongan, their first language. The children were surprised that a white person was using their language, and after their first broad smiles and claps quickly transferred to English so we could continue communicating. I was particularly impressed by a young woman who was 15 and in grade 7 (the typical age for Zambian children in grade 7). She was studying for her school exams the next week, and showed me the work she had been doing.
