18th June 2016

Making 7 wells in 5 days would have given us direct access to the Rio Olympics. Today’s goal was to dig the 7th well in the village of Ambera but it was a very unlucky day. Wake up at dawn as usual and then directly to take some equipment for today’s well between Balaka and Toleza. The excavations went on regularly and, galvanized by the successes of the previous days, we considered the latter hole a formality. And instead, just as happened last year, we get to 60 meters and not even the shadow of water. So we decide to move 200 meters and make a new hole but even here nothing to do. Just like last year, the tough decision to make: try a third hole in the same village and, in case of a new failure, pay the cost of the well anyway, or move to a new village and try again from scratch? These are the “contractual” agreements. Reluctantly and with the eyes of the head of the village we decided to move, the third empty hole is too risky. The disappointment of the village was great and all the songs and dances that accompanied our arrival disappeared. Sometimes the bad luck goes on in a really violent way … I wondered what people who live in those difficult conditions will ever think and feel, then luck smiles at them for a moment and they see a very important help coming from nowhere but … after a few hours mother nature says to him “No, I was joking.” It must be terrible and the eyes of the chief of village told me. Unfortunately we could not do anything about it, the water was not there. The seventh well is still pending and I hope we can do it on Monday or Tuesday. Tomorrow, in fact, a rest day for everyone and then start again on Monday with the masonry work of the other wells already excavated and, finally, with the final laying of the pumps. Good night