dry wells

There were many more dry wells this year than there have been before. After the flooding last December in Malawi, the rains didn't come and there has been a drought. How they were able to have a flood and a drought in the same year is hard to imagine but it has happened. And it has made life even harder both for finding water and for the bad harvest that came out this year.

The first thing done when we come to install a well is to measure the depth of the well and the depth of the water in the well. Drop the pipe down and pull it back up to measure where it is wet. Our computer program wants a depth of 2 meters (6 feet) and asks if it is less than that why you think it is ok to install. At the very end of dry season (which is when we install) it is ok to not have 2m of water...the rains are on the way and with at least 2 feet it should be ok. But 6 inches will not do.

Of course by the time the measuring and installing have gotten under way, we volunteers have been greeting and singing and dancing with anyone who is there. It is so hard to stop the celebration when there is no water. At 2 of the villages we found, they continued to sing and dance after the explanation. The explanation of not being able to install because the well isn't deep enough and that they will have to take to top off, dig it deeper and then we can return to install. At the third, they didn't want to see us go.

In Africa it is often part of the culture to tell you what you want to hear. To agree to whatever even with the knowledge that it won't get done. And I think that third village thought we were telling them that we'd be back without meaning it. Possibly they had been waiting a month or more since the well had been dug and covered for the team to come and install. And now we're leaving again.

We did make it back to 2 of the villages (and the Malawi team will get back to the others before the rains) and I got to dance and sing again.

In many of the headman speeches at the end if the dedication services they mention how they didn't believe it would ever really happen. That the well would never really get finished. That we were an answer to their prayers. What a blessing. We come to bless others with the gift of water and yet feel blessed ourselves at the sharing of joy.

Want to sponsor a well? Become a volunteer? Check out www.mmmwater.org or let me know!