one ceremony

We had been driving for at least 2 hours with all but 15 minutes being on dirt roads. We have driven through countless villages receiving stares and shouts of Azungu (white person). Then we turn off the main dirt path onto a trail that leads by a field. 2 more villages and then the third. Before we have even reached it we hear the high pitched shout of a woman that is usually done in celebration moving the tongue quickly from side to side to create the ululation sound. The sound is picked up by other women and we hear children's shouts, too. As soon as we stop the truck we are surrounded and the women are singing and clapping and dancing with joy.

The men and boys carry the parts to the well site as Jan and I get ourselves together (sip of water, sun protection, note cards, camera, and android). We do some dancing with the women and a little singing as the song is familiar from other villages. Then we make our way slowly to the site still singing and clapping. Agogo (grandmother) has my hand and isn't going to let go.

This installation went without a hitch and so we started the dedication. The headman offered a prayer, thanking God for the visitors, the day, the village, clean water and the answer to prayers. We introduce our team from Marion Medical Mission and tell them that Christians in the US heard of their need for clean water and made donations to help make that possible...to buy the pipes, cement, and pump that have now been added to the hole the village dug, layered with gravel, lined with bricks made by the villagers, and finished to create a beautiful closed well. That the well represents the love of Jesus Christ and that each time it is used glory should be given to God. Written on the top of each well is the date of construction, the depth, Glory to God (in English), and Ulemu kwa Mulungu (Glory to God in Chichewa). We ask whose well this is. Is it my well? MMM's well? Wilfred's well? No!! It belongs to the village and therefore they are responsible for it. They must use it correctly, keep it clean, keep animals away from it, and pay the maintenance fee to keep it up. If this happens the well will bring clean water for many generations to come. If it breaks, they contact their maintenance man who is a volunteer and so should be given a gift of thanksgiving for coming promptly to repair the well. When given the chance the headman stands and thanks us for coming to install the well, for giving them the opportunity of good health from safe water, for bringing the water source much closer to their village, and then asks that we continue our work of installing wells for those who still have need and could benefit from the program. Then we were given a chicken and bowls of dried maize in thanks for what we have done.

The demonstration of how to use the well is done and we take the picture of the happy village and then make our way back to the truck to go to the next village.

When the installation is easy this only takes about 25 minutes. How long does it take to change a life?