'Zumba For Zambia' Helps Open the World for African Children

How can you change the world for countless Zambian children simply by doing something good for yourself? One North Kingstown family offers you the chance to get in shape while making an impact on the world.

Diana Christie and her children Tess and Chloe Robitaille didn’t know until last year, when they found out about EduSport after a chance meeting with Derek Keir, founder of the UK branch of EduSport, at the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce. 

After hearing about all he was doing to help start schools, teach sports and educate children in Zambia through EduSport, Christie and her family knew they wanted to do something to help ... even if it would only help in a small way. But even a small contribution can make a big impact.

“It only costs $12 a month to send a kid to school in Zambia,” Christie said. 

This was the starting point for their idea to begin a first fundraiser in the United States for Edusport. In keeping with EduSport's mission to promote education and athletics, the Christies put together the idea for the exercise class and things just took off, according to Christie. Katie Callahan, a senior at North Kingstown High School involved in the fundraising, said they decided to do Zumba classes because it was a simple and fun way to get others involved in charitable work. 

Tess Robitaille, another senior at NKHS involved in the fundraising, said she wanted to help start the Zumba for Zambia program because she was inspired after talking with Keir and hearing about his efforts in Zambia. 

“It is such a good cause,” Robitaille said. “We want to eventually do more fundraisers and get other people involved and inspired to begin other branches to fundraise for EduSport.” 

The owner of Focused Fitness, Donna Sabitoni, got involved, allowing  the group to use to the gym space for free. “She has been so very nice and thoughtful to us,” Callahan said. “Her kids have even gotten involved.”

Diana Christie believes her chance encounter with Keir may not have been by chance after all.She said she believes it happened for a reason and that she and her family are supposed to be a part of the efforts for education in Zambia. 

“He was riding from Maine to Florida on his bike and he had stopped in North Kingstown looking for a place to stay, so we ended up putting him in a hotel for the night and spending quite a bit of time talking with him and finding out what he does for the children of Zambia,” Christie said. “Derek is all about human connections and telling five people who will then tell five more people to start changing the world.” 

Christie said Keir has made it his mission to change the world and turn it from the disastrous poverty that it has seen. His committment and enthusiasm certainly seems to have inspired others to action as well.

“Zumba for Zambia is a starting point; definitely not the end point,” Callahan said. “We’re very blessed and we wanted to pull back and think of what we can do for other people; it’s so easy to just sit here and be happy but we want to open people’s eyes to the problems that are happening in the world.”

If you would like to be part of the fundraising effort for Zambia and also learn some Zumba moves, head to Focused Fitness in Exeter on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. Each class costs $5 and lasts about an hour. All of the proceeds will go directly to the EduSport non-profit organization to help give children in Zambia an education.