'My only regret is not going sooner:' Local chiropractor and family help needy in Zambia
LEXINGTON — Martin Gottschling said he and his family "got more than we gave" on a recent missionary trip to East Africa.
Gottschling, a local chiropractor and member of the Lexington Local Schools Board of Education, traveled to Zambia recently with his wife, Joann, and their 18-year-old daughter, Adriana.
They went through Lifesong for Orphans, a nonprofit organization that oversees the Lifesong Harmony School in the city of Kitwe.
Through its donors, Lifesong provides two meals a day, books and supplies, medical care, wages for teachers and staff, and operating expenses for the school.
"They interview families and try to take the neediest kids (at no cost to the families)," Martin said.
Martin and his family were part of a work team that included two people from Mansfield, Paul and Tonya Getz.
Zambia is a landlocked country in East Africa
"It took us eight years to get there," Martin said. "I knew of the work and what they're doing.
"It's just a long way to travel. It's not an afternoon drive."
Zambia, a landlocked country of 17 million, is 7,863 miles from here. It is known for copper mining.
"Almost everyone speaks English," Martin said.
Martin and his wife already sponsor a student there. They also have done relief and missionary work domestically.
The family spent three weeks in Africa, including a week at the school.
"You appreciate stuff when you get back," Martin said. "Even poor people here have more than they do."
Lifesong offers vocational training for students
Lifesong Harmony School started as a school for orphans and had about 200 students. It has expanded to more than 700 students and is on pace for 990 in 2024.
Martin compared it to Pioneer Career & Technology Center on a smaller scale and much lower-tech.
Students can learn food preparation, vocational education, sewing, auto mechanics, carpentry and masonry.
"They come out with not only a diploma but a saleable skill," Martin said.
While his family was at Lifesong, Martin helped install solar panels, as well as rough-wiring a building.
He said the solar panels provide all of the school's power, which is good because power can be spotty in the area.
"It's 100% off the grid," Martin said. "The sun powers it during the day, and then it runs off batteries at night."
Public schools are also an option for the native children, but those feature 100 to 150 students in a class with one teacher. Parents must pay for uniforms, books, etc. Martin said the cost can be 10% of a family's income for one child.
In contrast, the Lifesong school has a student-to-teacher ratio of 30:1 and structures classes the way we do in the United States.
Children happy with what little they have
While most of the students are poor, Martin said they seem content.
"They're happy with the little things in life," he said. "That's something our kids can learn. There's a lot less of an entitlement-type of attitude with those kids."
Joann agreed.
"I was impressed with the children's appreciation to attend Harmony School and their overall happiness despite the little they have," she said.
Martin learned something, too.
"You realize how blessed this country really is and how much we have at our fingertips," he said. "When people are blessed, they need to share. You have to give back."
He said he couldn't get Wi-Fi and asked a local for a solution. Martin said in Zambia, people pre-pay for Wi-Fi. The local told Martin they had run out of data.
"I said, 'Don't they just bill you like Time Warner?''' Martin asked her. "You pay as you go for everything."
Gottschlings hope to return to Africa
He said some of the highlights of the trip included going on safari — elephants and impala are as prevalent there as deer are here — and a dinner organized by the faculty for the work team.
Martin said he hopes to go back one day. His 18-year-old daughter is taking a gap year before starting college. Adriana hopes to go back to Zambia and spend more time there.
"Africa was amazing. To see the large animals in the wild and to experience how different life is in other countries, it really makes you appreciate home," she said.
People here can do their part to help the kids at Lifesong.
"The biggest need they have is to sponsor a child," Martin said, adding 100% of the donation goes to the student.
The cost is $40 per month. People can see profiles of the children at lifesongcanada.org.
For the Gottschling family, the trip left a lasting impression.
"My only regret is not going sooner," Martin said.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield chiropractor and family members go on missionary trip
