Kelvin Beachum had wanted to visit Africa since 2016. He finally made it last month, and it changed him.
The Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle, entering his 12th NFL season, visited the Rufunsa District of Zambia to help raise funds for a water well after funding two himself in partnership with World Vision. The effort will assist the humanitarian organization with its goal of providing clean water throughout all of their project areas. Its objective, by 2025, is to help 800,000 people in Zambia.
Beachum knew the statistics about water scarcity, but hearing firsthand the effects of having a dead cow in the water supply and how something like that can impact locals pierced his conscience even more. He felt “convicted” about living well off material items while seeing people struggle to access clean water.
Beachum noted the importance of how something as simple as a bicycle can be of help, as it could allow for quicker communication for health needs and resources.
“That’s the biggest thing that came out of the trip — the perspective,” Beachum said. “The ability to look at life and humanity from a different vantage point and realize how blessed I am and how to better serve individuals not just in America, but around the world.”
Beachum was a seventh-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2012 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Jets and now the Cardinals. As a pro, Beachum has made philanthropy, leadership and diversity and inclusion his calling cards off the field.
Beachum is intentional with his offseason time, using it to support various charitable and educational programs. He’s passionate about ending hunger, as well as being an advocate for education.
Beachum promotes STEAM through Kelvin Konnects, which exposes minorities to careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. He and his wife, Jessica, brought to his alma mater SMU last year an exhibit that highlighted the Black experience. They will bring a similar exhibit to Baylor, Jessica’s alma mater, in May.
For his efforts, Beachum twice has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year — in 2018 and 2021.
Beachum isn’t the first NFL player to address water needs. Former defensive lineman Chris Long started Waterboys in 2015 and recruited fellow pro athletes to help provide clean water globally.
Beachum’s commitment to the project in Zambia is strong — and globally calculated.
“We’ve focused very domestically on all things hunger and food insecurity here in America,” Beachum said. “We wanted to start thinking on a global scale. There were many nations that didn’t have access to water. You can’t talk about access to food without talking about the most basic of human needs, which is water.”
Brainstorming about doing something in Africa started in 2016, Beachum said. At that time, there was no certainty on what country to visit. Plans to pinpoint an African nation temporarily were halted in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When it was time to plan a trip this year, Zambia came up as a place to make an impact. Addressing the water concerns there was the best use of Beachum’s resources, he said.
Zambia’s economy showed growth in 2022, but there are still high levels of poverty in the country. According to the United States Agency for International Development, roughly half of the population lives in poverty.
“Take the time to be open-minded and listen to what they want and what they need that will be most helpful to them,” Beachum said. “You’ll be able to find out the small, tangible ways and kind of move the needle for folks who are dealing with the challenges.”
That’s where seeing how much a bicycle can change lives resonated. Beachum said there are women who have to walk to receive medical attention to give birth. Rather than traveling by foot to alert staff, a bike would speed up the process.
That’s not a huge financial commitment for the NFL veteran. He sees how a good bicycle for $250 can make a difference. It’s one of the reasons why the Zambia trip helped change his mindset.
“You just realize you don’t need that much,” Beachum said. “It’s cool to be able to conserve and to be able to give that stuff to someone who actually needs it. It puts life in perspective, and it’s good to check your conscience in a way that you realize you could change some things.”
Beachum isn’t sure when he will visit Zambia again. He does, however, plan on staying engaged on the project. He plans to post updates on progress through his website and social media. He also wants to write op-eds that will bring more attention to the issue. Domestically, he and his family will continue their work, including volunteering at local food banks.
He sees a lot of service to be done worldwide.
“This is what I plan to do for the rest of my life,” Beachum said. “Teaching my kids how to serve, and serve in this particular capacity.”
(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
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