The typical day in the field

Pics: the well as we arrive (it has been covered, the piece sticking up was added by the installation crew, but I rarely get to a well before that has been added); conferring with the crew to answer android questions about the well

That is one of the topics that we cover during the daylong orientaion...and the speech started with :

"There is no such thing as a typical day in the field..."

And it is true. It depends on which country you are in (we work in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia), which field officer you are working with, and what happens during the day. So this topic is taken for what it is, a possibility of what the days may bring.

Up early. 6 is sleeping in for some...the hotel in TZ started serving breakfast at 7 (we pushed for 645), but the one in Rumphi (where I am now) feeds us at 6am and we are out the door by 630. Load the truck with everything well related: pipes, pumps, little parts for the insides...To the shop to get water for our team, biscuits (cookies), bread and peanut butter (bought this the first day in TZ and never stopped to eat it...2 weeks! They push through til dinner), and cokes.

Drive. Drive. Drive. We try to go to the farthest well of the day and work our way back. When we arrive we pull what we need from the truck and walk to the well site. The team starts putting the well together and we volunteers start greeting: hand shakes, how are yous, fumbled responses, and then info gathering on the android (what the well looks like, village demographics, builder names). Then the dedication service and a demonstration on how to use the well correctly. Then back to the truck (possibly a hike to get there) and on to the next well!

This goes on all day with a break for lunch (unless you're in TZ where you might pause for biscuits and drink) until you have either completed you projected goal or the time is getting too late as you need to get back to the hotel before dark (company policy that doesn't always work). Time for dinner, backup of important well info, showers, prep for the next day and bed...ready for another day!!