Nicole Regobert is a travel enthusiast, who is determined to use her life in the most altruistic way by giving back and helping others in need. An engineer by profession, she decided to combine her skills and passion to team up with a group of innovative and dynamic individuals, EWB-“Engineers without Borders,” to build a school in Zambia! This dynamic and courageous young Saint Lucian woman is one on a mission, and is the epitome of what it means to live life to the fullest! She recently returned from her Zambia mission, and I am honored that she is willing to share the experience with me and my readers.

 

Nicole Regobert, left with local kids in Zambia

 

Lovee: Hi Nicole, thank you for agreeing to share your wonderful adventure with me and my readers. I am really excited about sharing your story, because I always try to encourage others to use their gifts, skills and talents to help make a difference in the lives of others, and you are the epitome of someone who is doing just that!

 

I can remember when you mentioned that you would be going to Zambia, and told me about your project, I was overwhelmed with joy! I knew it would be a life changing experience for you, and by the look of the images and videos it was! Kudos to you!

 

So, how did the Zambia project  come about?

 

Nicole: Thank you so much for interviewing me! I am so honored to share this story with you as we definitely share a passion for giving back and travelling! (Smiling) The story behind this project is quite interesting. It started when a Peace Corps volunteer who was assigned to the village in Lumwana, Zambia died unfortunately in a bike accident while on vacation in South Africa. Her parents visited the village thereafter and quickly recognized the major need for education. Not only did school finish at middle school level (around age 13) in the village, but the nearest high school was very far and expensive so few students continued. Moreover if a family had to send a family member, they would choose to send the boys instead of the girls.

 

As a solution for this, her parents started an organization called EBZEF (Elizabeth Bowers Zambia Education Fund) in her honor to fund high school education for some of these girls in the village (who became known as Beth’s Girls) and in time also built a small library for the village. However, realizing that funding for the girls may come to an end in the near future they reached out to Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB) to build a high school in the village as a more beneficial solution so that these children wouldn’t have to travel so far to attend. Some of the volunteers who had worked on the library were also part of EWB in Washington State and they spread the word quickly about this. That’s where I came in…

 

Giving back has always held a significant role in my life as a way of using our talents to help people. Being in the engineering/project mgmt. profession provided such a tangible way of doing this. I had just moved to Washington State and felt like I wasn’t making the most of my life/time, so I started looking for volunteer opportunities (it actually was my New Year’s resolution for 2010).

 

I became involved in a number of community volunteer programs with Habitat for Humanity and my local PMI chapter but when I was approached with this project it immediately touched me, as I knew we had a profound opportunity to really make a valuable difference in the lives of this community and I was so energized to start. I started doing the project scheduling to organize all the tasks we had to do and then became Project Manager and have been heavily invested ever since.

 

 

Lovee: WOW! It’s amazing how things align themselves.  It is very sad the passing of that Peacecorp volunteer, but I’m so happy her parents were able to honor her memory with this foundation. Was it difficult getting team/sponsors to support this initiative?

 

Nicole: Yes, funny how things happen. Her parents have really initiated some amazing things for the village. With any volunteer work of that nature I think the most difficult part is not really getting people initially interested but getting long term commitment. People are volunteering their time and skills without getting paid so as a group leader you have to tread a fine line in keeping people motivated to stay the long run.  I always say, if you can succeed within a leadership role in a volunteer organization you can be a leader anywhere!

 

EWB consists of student chapters and professional chapters. Student chapters have the benefit of having students with a lot of free time although not much experience, however, professional chapter like ours have the opposite problem – a lot of experience, very little free time. A lot of the members had full time jobs and families etc, so the challenge was aligning the right people with the right tasks so that they were not overwhelmed, and that it fit into their work/home schedule. In addition, although we gradually got support from community organizations, it was also initially challenging to get support from my job in the form of resources etc. and an understanding for what I was doing, but this changed greatly over time and they became one of our core sponsors.

 

 

Lovee:  What an accomplishment! I am so happy you did not give up! I know just what you speak about when you say it is difficult to get others to share the vision and commit long term without any financial reward, but more for the common good or betterment of mankind. What were some of the other challenges you faced putting such an extensive project together?

 

Nicole: Yes, the motivation has to be there solely for the purpose of goodwill but even with that people have things that come up that sometimes take priority. There were a couple of main challenges – Getting a strong committed team together, distance, fundraising and support. I was able to overcome the 1st one by learning how to gain a diverse group of people who can each help in whatever way works best for them (many work tasks off and on such as looking at a calculation or just one main task for a longer period of time). We also were able to work with the students in the local university (WSU) who have more free time. Secondly, coordination with the Zambian counterparts was difficult and delayed because of the distance, challenges in technology as well as the time zones.

 

We overcame the fundraising/support challenge by diligently working on our grant writing to local and international companies such as Rotary International and were rewarded greatly for our perseverance. Through this process, my company, Bechtel became one of our top sponsors in conjunction with its new focus on sustainability and volunteering as a key company initiative. They developed a whole new ‘Stewardship’ department with focus on this, and now support our project with funding and technical resources and have even joined the EWB Board!  It was like everything fell into place! All that was left to do was to make the best of it.

 

Nicole Regobert and team members having a photo op with local children on building site in Zambia

 

Lovee:  Again, you prove what perseverance, hard work and commitment can do. You overcame all the road blocks, and in the end, even established a department within your company. Great work! So, once everything came together, what was your greatest fear as you got ready to leave?

 

Nicole: Thank you! (Smiling) It may not pay off right away but this has really shown me that it does in the long run and the universe will align your path to make things happen. We sent teams to the village in 2010 and 2011 to do water and structural assessments so we had a good idea of the community. However, this was the implementation trip to actually break ground so I was very apprehensive of all of the potential unknowns. We only had a very short period of time to conduct all of our foundation tasks as well as organize procurement for the next stage and each task depended on another. My greatest fear was that one thing would go wrong and affect everything else down the line with no time to fix it! We were also a little nervous about the safety and health risks, so we made sure to work with EWB Headquarters, World Vision and the embassy ahead of time to take all necessary precautions beforehand and while we were there.

 

Lovee: We do the best we can, but we must never underestimate the power of faith. I know you travel extensively for work, but had you ever visited any countries in Africa prior?

 

Nicole: No! I had never been to Africa before so it was such a wonderful opportunity to visit in such a profound way.

 

Lovee: I bet! What was your first impression once you arrived in Zambia?

 

Nicole: I actually had a few first impressions!! (laughing out loud)
1. I felt at home. Their culture was so much like our West Indian culture! From their folk singing to their dancing to their mannerisms – everything.
2. The people were so warm and hospitable.
3. The children were so full of joy and so eager to learn. It made me want to hurry up and get the school built to give them that opportunity. Who knows, the next Zambian leader may be one of them!

 

Nicole Regobert and team member Ricky Franzese, enjoying a meal with the locals

 

Lovee: Indeed! And that’s one of the great things about implementing and creating such wonderful initiatives. The foundation we are building and the opportunities we are creating for the youth. They are the future. I share your sentiments about the people and the similarities in our culture.  Africa is indeed our motherland! As the days passed, what were some of the harsh realities that you were force to face, and was the transition easy for you?

 

Nicole: Well some of the realities were what I expected. Work wise – the procurement organization took longer than expected due to lack of stock. The rainy season had just started so we had to stop for a few hours every other morning or so to wait for the rain to stop and then resume work in the mud but it gave us an opportunity to take a break and also gain some serious dance lessons from the workers. (smiling)

 

 

There was no electricity, running water or toilets so we had to adapt to the village’s way of life but it was definitely a humbling and learning experience – in a good way!  (laughing out loud)  Oh yes, let me not forget the bugs. Africa has some serious wildlife and that includes giant bugs!! But we adapted quickly…eventually.  (Smiling)

 

 

Nicole Regobert, crushing mushrooms local style in Zambia

 

Lovee:  (Laughing out loud) I did see those dance moves you captured in pictures and on video! That’s what I really loved about your trip; you really immersed yourself in the culture, and lived like a true local. A lot of people go over to Africa to do missionary work, and in the evenings, they stay at the Hilton hotel, so kudos to you for going the entire mile. Once you and your team started with the building phase, what were some of the challenges faced?

 

Nicole: As mentioned, the rain became a challenge as well as the procurement. We did not have many of the materials in time and so there were short delays while we had to go back and forth to the nearest town (which was about 3 hours away) to obtain them which affected the schedule a bit, but we were able to get back on track. In addition, while surveying we realized that the land was on a slight hill (not visible to the eye) and that affected our staking. We also hit rock while digging and had to make adjustments to our calculations to raise trenching and allow for this as well.

 

 

Lovee: We can plan for everything, but we can’t predict the weather. (laughing out loud)How did the people in the community respond to you’ll efforts?

 

Nicole: I have honestly never met a more hardworking and welcoming people. It was very clear that they recognized the importance of education for their children and the benefit the school would bring, so they were very appreciative of our work. They helped us in any way they could and really went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. The headmaster accompanied us on all our trips, translated for us and took care of any needs we had.  The other community members were highly participative throughout the duration of the project. The librarian, Sandra, cooked food for us daily and prepared hot water for bathing. The core construction workers were 8-10 men of varied age from the village or surrounding areas who were chosen to work on the project. These men were eager to help and were excited to learn new skills and use the tools we brought. They volunteered their labor for the footing phase of the project without payment and worked extremely hard to finish on schedule. They even started building the brick way before we even got there!

 

Nicole Regobert and Team member with local volunteers in Zambia

 

Lovee: Don’t you just love humility and gratitude! (smiling) It really ignites the spirit and motivates us to give more of ourselves. Once in an interview, Oprah Winfrey echoed your sentiments about the graciousness and humility of the African people, when she too was building a school there. She expressed their enthusiasm for learning, and their eagerness to always give a helping hand. It inspired her to want to do more, because she knew that her efforts, time and resources were appreciated and making a difference. Something often taken for granted in the Western world. What impressed you the most about the people?

 

Nicole: I think what impressed me most was one how very happy they were! They may not have had much but they took joy in every part of the day and this started from the kids up to the adults. They literally were always smiling and took every opportunity to laugh or sing or dance (like during the rain spells). Some of them did not speak English very well but I was able to communicate in that way just through their open and joyful spirit. Secondly, they were so very respectful and hardworking. There was a quiet dignity that I will never forget and it was clear that they took pride in themselves and their surroundings. I learnt to take time to enjoy life one day at a time and to never forget my dignity.

 

Local children helping out on building site in Zambia

 

Lovee: I love that! I felt the very same way being there. It really takes you on a spiritual journey and causes you to look inward. It just allows one to realize just how blessed they really are, and how we should never take anything for granted. I’m sure with every passing day you found many reasons to be inspired, and it probably opened up your mind and heart to so much. Describe that feeling.

 

Nicole: Yes! It was such a life changing and inspirational trip. I have never spent time anywhere else that has changed my entire view on life in the way that this trip did. My heart was filled to the brim with love and in awe of the community the entire time and every day brought a new opportunity to learn.

 

Happy children in Zambia!

 

Lovee: And that in itself makes the bug bites all worth it! (Smiling) Those defining and “AHA” moments in our lives, thank God for them. The opportunity to evolve, to grow, and to use our lives to be and do better. Through your pictures, I could see the joy and appreciation on the people’s faces, especially the children. And one thing that really inspired me was the fact that they were always smiling, despite their meager circumstances.  Mother Teresa was right, “we can learn so much from the poor.”  Describe the one thing that resonated with you the most.

 

Nicole: No bug bites, thankfully…I would’ve freaked! (Laughing out loud) Mother Theresa is definitely right! I don’t think I can pick one thing …there were so many. We went over there to help the community by building the school but the lessons they taught us were so much more valuable. I learnt from the kids how to be joyful and to make the most of life regardless of my circumstance – simple joys! I learnt to take time to relax. Electricity has brought us many positive things but I think it has in a way made us more stressed. I can definitely attest to that. I am used to doing everything really late at nights. When you don’t have the luxury of inside piping/showers or electricity you are forced to do everything that has to be done while it is still bright outside. As a result we were able to go to sleep earlier and actually relax and have a chance to reset our internal clocks.  I learnt how important that is (and so did everyone else – I was less snappy -laughing out loud)

 

I learnt dignified humility and respect from the community –  the way they greeted each other with a respectful bow, to their quiet and observant disposition. This trip solidified my pride of my African heritage. They were so wise beyond anything a book could teach them but I also saw where opportunity could bring them. I am where I am today because I was fortunate to be given opportunities that allowed me to succeed and I was so honored to be able to pass on opportunity in that way to them.

 

I especially felt honored in giving inspiration to the women. They were all pleasantly surprised to see a woman in construction and were very interested and supportive. Go ladies!!  (laughing out loud)  I think what inspired me the most was being able to contribute to that cycle by not simply building a school, but in doing so also giving them the means by which they can continue helping others. Their library is already being used by nearby communities and in the same way I can envision the school lab being beneficial to not just them, but others as well.

 

Nicole Regobert, hands on with volunteers in Zambia

 

Lovee: WOW! Listening to that got me emotional! So profound! I can attest to every word! And I especially love the part about how smart and wise the children are, and the only thing that distinguishes you, us, from them is being blessed with an opportunity to shine. I am so happy that you can now pass on that torch in your own way, and allow them to shine! And I love your take on electricity and its role in our lives. I saw that you immersed yourself in the culture; you even participated in some local dance moves. (Laughing out loud) What was the most fascinating thing about Zambian culture for you?

 

Nicole: (laughing out loud) Yes, I couldn’t resist! I could clearly see where we got our music/dance culture from! I think the most fascinating thing is how they truly enjoy what life has to offer in every way. They are strong, hardworking and fun loving people, and I am very blessed to have been touched by them. I was also fascinated by how similar their culture is to us West Indians.

 

Local Volunteers working hard in Zambia

 

Lovee: Indeed! (Smiling) Did you get to travel to anymore countries while there?

 

Nicole: Yes!  I travelled to Zimbabwe and Botswana to see the Victoria Falls and for a safari. What a positively phenomenal experience.  I was truly impressed with how wildly beautiful Africa is.

 

Lovee: An abundance of beauty! God blessed it; man cursed it, in many ways! I know that this project is still ongoing, what’s next?

 

Nicole: We did the first foundation stage of the school. The next stages will complete the walls and roofing. Concurrently, we are working with regional contractors to design and build a water filtration and piping system so that they can get water from a well to the school, clinic and houses as well as solar energy. We also have plans to implement agricultural/farming training in conjunction with Peacecorps/World Vision and social/life skills training for the young men/women.

 

 

Lovee: I look forward to seeing the developments and sharing it with my readers also. (Smiling) What advice would you give to anyone who wants to do something similar, or is interested in making a difference in the lives of others?

 

Nicole: I would tell them that there are opportunities both big and small to do this all around us. Start in the community around you and definitely don’t be afraid to get out there and do it – every bit counts! If it’s already in your heart you are halfway there. Actually doing it and making a difference is just a small step away. I cannot think of any greater accomplishment than the use of our skills and time in service to the greater good of our fellow mankind.

 

A local girl in Zambia

 

Lovee: Most definitely! With time I have come to understand the true meaning of Ghandi’s quote, “To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of others.” Words never rang more truth. To live beyond the “I” is the most fulfilling thing. So, now that you have done this, do you have any regrets?

 

Nicole: None! Except that I wish I had started sooner!  (Smiling)

 

Lovee: (Smiling) Better late than never, and you are very early! So young, so daring, so accomplished! Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us. I love to be inspired, and I love when others challenge me to use my life in such an altruistic way, like you have. Cheers to you for giving back and making a difference in the lives of so many. You know I am proud of you, and I wish you all the best as you continue on with this project and the many more to come.

 

 

Nicole: Thank you Lovee! Your inspiring words and support mean so much. I am proud of you also for your many accomplishments and wish you the same. (Smiling)