Friday in Chimwong'ombe

Greetings from Malawi,

Another beautiful day. Today was our first day at Chimwong'ombe, having finished our work and other efforts at Khwamba yesterday. Chimwong'ombe is another Ministry of Hope feeding center and village like the other, typically serving more than 500 orphaned children a couple of meals a week consisting of a local version of corn meal.

The day began early as the team divided into two groups; Paul and Keith took the flatbed truck with all the necessary equipment and supplies for the new solar installation to be done this week while Lisa, David and I rode in the minivan we've been using with our driver, Felix.

The road to Chimwong'ombe was unbelievable. Not sure I can explain other than to say, imagine 2 hours of driving a car with no shock absorbers on the surface of the moon. The potholes could swallow texas, and there were plenty of them, throwing our van and ourselves from side to side as we avoided some and took others head-on.

Here's a picture of the "good part" of the road to Chimwong'ombe:

Once we got there, our van pulled up to the MOH feeding center we will be working at this week and hundreds of children ran to greet us with wide eyed curiosity. Here's some of our greeters:

Once we got settled and unloaded, we were offered a tour of the garden there which the locals are quite proud of, for good reason. it was a beautiful veggie garden with gorgeous tomatoes growing now. Part of the success was due to a unique irrigation process by which people take turns operating. Picture an eliptical machine at the local gym, but one that pumps water from a nearby river into a hose servicing the garden when it's operated.




One of the kids demonstrated the "elpitical" pump, here:

While some of us enjoyed the garden tour, the rest of the team got situated on the center's roof and began to install the new solar panel which will light the center with new, first-time ever overhead lighting. The metal roof coupled with what we are told is a bat infestation in the rafters and attic may slow progress, but thus far after day 1, huge strides have been made.

Here's a shot of the guys on the roof working to install the brackets that will hold the panel safely, long into the future:

 Before lunch, David inflated six soccer balls and handed them out to the kids. The locals are soccer fiends and showed amazing skills the moment they got their hands on the balls. They were thrilled to play and immediately took them out to the field and ran to play.

After the soccer game settled down lunch was served. Approximately 400 kids were served today, and they were so great about it. Each kid took a plate, was served, and when finished, they took their plate to wash it and their hands, returning the plate so the next groups of kids can use them and eat their own meals.

Here is an example of a few of the little ones enjoying their lunch, outside under a big shade tree:

After lunch, Lisa, David and I walked to a nearby village with the Center director and three children to visit a local family for a short home visit. We got there by foot, walking about a mile over some pretty rough terrain including loose bricks and stones across a shallow river.

The woman we visited with was in her mid to late sixties, and yet she had three young children including a pair of twins, all under ten or eleven years old. Her home was modest, no more than 200 square feet and perhaps 6 feet tall inside, divided into two rooms by a partial wall and a curtain.

We sat there in her home for close to thirty minutes, asking questions about life in the village, learning fascinating things about her family, her past and her village, and she was so proud to see her three kids presented with new clothes as part of our gifts we presented.

Once we returned to the center following the home visit our visit was coming to an end, but not before an exciting bible lesson that Lisa led for the kids, outside under the same shade tree. Most of the kids and the volunteers listened intently as Lisa led the lesson like the most talented preacher. Everyone loved it.

As part of the bible lesson, hundreds of the kids were each given a bar of soap, representing a way to cleanse their outsides just as Jesus helps us cleanse our insides. The kids lined up patiently and were on their best behaviors as bars of soap were distributed.

They seemed so excited to get their soap bars!

All in all, it was such a terrific day, we can't wait to go back in the morning to continue our work with those awesome kids and those caring for them.

With love,
Marc