NPR

Opinion: I want my mom to see her grandkids for Christmas. Travel bans make it tough

Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa was planning for her mom to fly from Zambia to the U.S. for Christmas. Ever-changing travel bans are making it seem like a holiday dream that won't come true.
Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa, left, and her mom, Anne Sikwibele, at the airport in Lusaka, Zambia, in November. Musiitwa, who lives in Washington, D.C., is worried that her mom may not be able to visit the U.S. for Christmas. In an effort to stem the spread of the omicron variant, several nations have imposed travel bans on southern African nations, which are in a state of flux.

Last month, I flew from Lusaka, Zambia — my homeland — back to Washington, D.C., where I now work.

It was my first trip to the country in a year and a half. It was invigorating to go home. So much had changed. Everyone was excited about the peaceful election of a new president — people were calling it "a new dawn." And

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