During the dedications we give someone in the village a chance to speak. It is usually the head man or woman who stands and speaks. They start with thanksgiving, thanks for our coming to install the pump, thanks for this chance of clean safe water, thanks for the love that has come from so far away to help them, thanks to God for the blessings of our lives. They tell us that they don't have enough words or time to thank us properly for what this means to them. We are asked over and over to take back their thanks to the US to the donors who have sent us in their places.
Sometimes this is followed with the explanation of before. Of how the women had to walk for long distances to get water that still wasn't always safe for drinking. Of sharing their drinking water places with animals and trash. Of even other organizations who tried to help but it wasn't sustainable.
One man said that they now feel like people...they no longer have to drink from the same watering hole as the animals, they now have clean safe water for themselves and their children.
The Malawian culture is a giving one. They don't like for visitors to leave empty handed. And we haven't! We have received (and you don't decline a gift) many, many chickens, maize, beans, soya, sweet potatoes, bananas, eggs, telele (dried okra leaves), ufa (maize flour), ground nuts. Such an outpouring of love.
Thank you for all of your support!!
No comments:
Post a Comment