Bore hole & garden
Circa 2007 bore hole
Circa 2006 bore hole
Gardens around the bore hole
So continue now where Carissa left off…
Note: We use as much time to write on the Jenn’s EWB-provided laptop and then hook up to the net to copy-paste into our blog… we’re constantly rotating Jenn/Carissa/Minh to get our blog & emails out. This is much more efficient than typing new messages when we hook up :o)
Leaving the Chilaw family early the next morning in order to “beat-the-heat” we begin our 6AM hike back to Monze. To join us, we had the pleasure of being “pushed” by Mrs. Chilaw for the first 1KM or so. “Pushed” refers to the custom of being escorted part of your journey. IMG_2262.JPG
On our return journey, we were fortunate to be seen on the trail at the 3KM mark by Slady’s father, who offered us a lift. His work consists of deploying anti-malaria sprayers to the various households in the town. The ride in the back of the truck proved quite enjoyable, especially given Carissa’s marriage proposal by one of the workers :o) IMG_2270.JPG
Once we returned back to town, we decided a single-day trip to the next village was more suitable. Chippenbelle village was 22 KM from Monze, with intermittent bus service. In order to reach this region, we hired a car & driver, Kenny. Kenny was an amusing chap who did not use turn signals in the along congested streets. However, upon reaching the area, decided that a roads which had a car half slanted, one tire a good two feet below the other side, now would be the perfect time to use his blinkers. I guess the occasional cow needed to know our intentions ;-)
From a project point of view, this village is one where Fabie has put her main efforts on since Jenn’s departure. This ward of 33 villages is where Jenn spent most of her 3 years with EWB. Chippenbelle has the goal of providing 100% its households with latrines. The community also has made some key decisions in order to provide support to all households that may not otherwise have the ability to benefit from this initiative:
- We were introduced to Abigail, a blind lady who used to rely on a well to collect water. She had managed to collect water along the same property path until the well ran dry. The local council and committee responsible for Wat-San took it upon themselves to build a latrine for her and ensure that the newly built bore-hole was only across the road from her property. IMG_2279.JPG
- While the location of a bore hole involves a mix of political and practical criteria for its placement (i.e. 1KM accessibility by households in the area), many bore-holes were built with vegetable gardens around them after their construction. IMG_2282.JPG
As our driving tour continued, we passed the local Witch Doctor’s home and discovered a variety of bore-holes that have provided communities with opportunity to combat last years floods. This included a community centre and school property which built its own irrigation system that fed water through pipelines into their garden. IMG_2295.JPG IMG_2301.JPG
Next was a meeting with Christopher, one of two assigned latrine builders for this village. He explained the process for getting latrines built: the household must dig the 3 x 1.5 metre hole, and purchase the bricks before he needs to arrive, and fortunately, the cement is free. A household should not be allowed to create the concrete flooring until the wall material is ready. The danger here is that a built floor may collapse before the walls are able to be built… resulting in a loss of efficiency and duplicate work for the household.
Christopher shared a variety of hurdles he faces in order to effectively complete his work. Having a cast-iron shovel to mix cement, a better way of reaching distant households, and households that had not provided “their side of the bargain” (prepared hole and material) had been brought to the local committee’s attention, but without success thus far.
What was clear, was his pride in his responsibility to ensure the 5 elements that comprise sanitation are taught in each household. And as an entrepreneurial fellow, he gained additional income by building villages in other villages as well, until local village households are ready to have their material ready. IMG_2306.JPG
After finishing our tour of the village, Kenny drove us back into town to buy Monze infamous “Chicken & Chips (fries)” and took us to a place called Moorings Campsite. This place once belonged to Mr. Mooring, who was robbed and killed over a year ago. His commercial farm was the largest in Monze, and he build a mini-oasis of lush green lawn, lodging and camping sites on his property.
As a commercial farm, we were also required to undergo sanitation (vehicle & people) to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease. Once driving into the property we sat ate our chicken & chips and discussed some interesting points about marriage with Kenny (who recently became engaged). We asked whether his family would need to buy cattle for his fiancé, also a town resident. He explained how he has already nominated his uncle to represent his interests with his prospective in-laws to pay a “lebola”. More interestingly, he shared stories about different tribal customs such as when a Bemba… we will load a video so you can see for yourself what happens!
Video
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