June 10, 2017

And like every year, there is always the unlucky day. Hopefully it will be the only one. Tradition has in all these years that one day we dig and do not find water. Today was that day. Wake up at 6 to begin with the well that Bambo Gamba was supposed to do in Balaka, taking advantage of the auger. The well went off as smooth as oil, immediately under water after just over an hour of excavation, near the Cecilia Youth Center. At that point we are ready to go to the village of Chalenga, those who already wrote us the letter you see last October. The “traffic jam” is the only train that passes in Balaka in a week and that proceeds at 5 steps per minute. And we catch it! The road makes me come up on what I have not even eaten yet and finally arrive at noon. They were waiting for us and the party was great! Songs and dances of women and children, a chat with the village chief who tells me about his community and then asks me what gift he can give me to pay back… Everything seems perfect, including the usual side dish of undecided children whether to be more intrigued by the drill truck or from my camera. In the end Nikon beats the Indian truck (and also Canon) 10-0! It begins, soft earth, almost moist … too much … everything collapses! After three hours of excavation we have to stop, the ground doesn’t hold up and you can’t throw out everything you dig. Great advice from the wise in action: discussions, hypotheses, walks, counter-hypotheses, let’s dig elsewhere, no it’s good here…. in the end Giovanni sentencing: we need 5,000 liters of water and a magical fixative concoction to keep the walls up while we dig. Moral of the story: those of the village begin to dig by hand a big hole that tomorrow will have to contain these 5,000 liters of water, while we go to Balaka with the truck to retrieve a tank that can be filled. Tomorrow I will learn something new.
Next year we should devote 10% of the fundraising budget to bring a diviner, we would need it. If you know someone, send me a CV. Candidates will be interviewed in a supermarket. They will pass the interview only if, blindfolded, they find the lane of mineral waters.
Tomorrow alarm clock set at 5:30, time is running out and there are many things to do.
Children, continue to embrace and take courage, tomorrow we will make it!
Goodnight Malawi.