June 20 2016

I was told that in journalism school it is taught that if a dog bites a man it is not news, but if a man bites a dog yes. Here in Malawi, on the other hand, if someone makes a well it doesn’t make news but if in less than one week it makes 6 then it’s news! A journalist joined our cheerful group this morning, after knowing what we were doing. He wanted to touch what he was told with his hand in order to write an article to be published in the newspaper. All day he was with us to take pictures, document and interview some people in 4 of the villages where we made holes while we were busy assembling pumps in two wells in these villages. Eventually Agostino and I were also interviewed and on Friday (Malawi times permitting) the article will be published. What an emotion! I share it with everyone who participated in the project! In addition to helping many people, we made the news! It means that we really did something great! If they are on time with the publishing, I will bring a copy to Italy. We spent the day with him and with the people of the two villages who now have the well working. There are still a couple of them where we need to install the pumps and finish the brickwork and then inaugurate them all with a tour de force on Friday.
There were also showers, songs, dances and parties today to conclude the work with the children who finally drank “barrel”!
Tomorrow, if there are no hitches, we will try to make the seventh well, in the district of Toleza, in a village that has been asking for it for more than a year. Fingers crossed, we chase the Uffiti and ready for a new hole in the water. Good night