On Monday morning we organized the funds that we had left to provide material aid to the villages and went on a big shopping trip to the large market in the heart of Mwanza. This market is straight out of that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indiana and Marion flee through all sorts of stalls and winding walkways to elude their attackers! The market is made up of both inside and outside areas, and it is impossible to see everything as you walk along, though I tried to take in as much as I could. Val's local friend Gertrude was able to join us and she provided such valuable help in finding the things that we were after: sewing machine, sewing supplies, children's shoes, clothes, and hundreds of yards of material sold in conga and katanga (sp?) sizes (these are used to either sew clothes or make the traditional skirt and baby carrier that the women wear).
By the afternoon, we heard that the drilling crew had begun at Welamasonga so we traveled out there. The earth began to come up damp at about 60 meters and continued to be very wet clay and sand meter after meter to 108 meters. We were worried because we had not seen more fluid and isolated water, as is typical. However, on the drive back into the city the drilling supervisor called to tell us that this deep pocket would very likely support water for a well. They told us that after a few hours they can send a water pressure tool down the well to see if it has sufficiently filled with water.
The next morning, Tuesday, we received news that the water pressure test favorable and that we had a good well! We went to Welamasonga that morning and watched the flushing of the well. Needless to say, both the children and adults gathered around were very happy, especially when the water started to plume into the air. I dearly hope that this new water supply means that many of these children will be able to bathe more regularly and it will diminish the prevalence of ringworm that so many of them suffer from. Gertrude, who had come with us, helped us pass things out to the children and was a valuable interpreter as well. At one point she turned to me and said that the three men talking beside us decided that as a wife I would be worth 15 cows (presumably a compliment!).
We were also able to visit the village of Melalike and Mwanenaka before returning home. In Melalike we passed out the conga material to about 40 women (or men to take home to their wives). I'm thankful it was a small crowd there as we were able to give this material to all of them, as well as bracelets, gum, and additional clothing to the children. They hosted us to a lunch of rice and chicken and I find that I'm now pretty comfortable with eating any piece that I happen to get from the pot. The meals are incredibly warm with hospitality, though the clear priority given to the men over the women is hard on my Western sensibilities. When we circled back to Mwanenaka we saw that the concrete pad for the pump had been poured the previous day. Some of the villagers were diligently pouring water on the concrete to keep it from drying too quickly and we had a nice visit with them. Once the concrete is cured, the pump should be installed later in the week.
We enjoyed dinner outside the city center on the banks of Lake Victoria, which was a nice end to the day. Lake Victoria is huge, larger than Lake Michigan, Superior, etc. There is talk in the wind about investment to use this resource to bring irrigation water to northern Tanzania, which I hope will come to fruition someday. A trip like this makes you realize what a valuable asset that infrastructure really is (water, sewer, electricity, roads, bridges, irrigation, etc.).
As I write this Tuesday night at the hotel room, the drilling has proceeded on to Nayamahanga, so we may get news about how that goes tonight. We are getting a heavy rain that began around dinner time, the first since I've been here. Gertrude told us that this year has had drought conditions, so I hope this rain, unexpected before the rainy season begins in November, will help.
Around 1AM we received a call that the new hole in Nayamahanga reached water!! The team should travel there today (Wednesday), though I will probably not be able to join them due to the timing of my flight, but if there is more news, I will try to send another update. I am so happy for the people at Nayamahanga.
If I had to pick one work to describe Tanzania, it might be "thirsty." But maybe that is because I've been thinking about water for the last several days :)
--Merideth
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