Pastor Mary's Well

The Reverend Dr. Mary Ludvigsen was our pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Monticello, Illinois. She died last summer at the age of 55, having lost her battle with cancer. As a woman in a nontraditional role, she led the church with understanding and love, personified the church’s mission and unified the congregation. She will be missed.

Prior to my leaving for Malawi, a woman in the church donated money for a well in Pastor Mary’s name as a memorial. My impression was that there could be some sort of recognition of memorials on the wells themselves and I would be able to bring back to the congregation a personal account of Pastor Mary’s well. I was mistaken. It is important for the villagers to know and understand that the wells belong to them, that although donations come from Christians in America, the well is truly theirs. The only writing on the well states “To the Glory of God” in English and the local language. As I left for Malawi my wife Gay asked how I would identify Pastor Mary’s well. My response was that this was a spiritual trip and I was confident that I would know at the time, which well was hers.

A little background. The social order in the northern part of Malawi where I was sent is patriarchal. Men are in position of leadership and responsibility. Women take care of the home and children. When a well is installed, it is the men that gather around the well and assist with the installation of the pipes and pump. Women gather a short distance away. Upon completion of the installation, there is a dedication ceremony. A leader of the village offers a prayer thanking God for the clean water. Following the prayer I speak about the well as a gift from Christians in America and that their donation was made to the glory of God. I go on to ask the villagers to think of the love of Christ when they draw water from the well and share that love with others. This is followed with comments by a village leader or the chairman of the well committee. They would thank me and acknowledge the contribution from the U.S. They would go on to state what the well meant to the health and life of the village.

During the first four days of installations, the village leaders were exclusively men. On the fifth day in the field we came to a well and were greeted by a woman and her six children, alone at the well site. The men of the village were away in the fields. After the pump was installed, it was the woman who gave the prayer and spoke about how the well was such a tremendous gift and that she would no longer have to worry about her children becoming sick because of the water. Her speech was so moving that I thought to myself, this must be Pastor Mary’s well. After a few photographs of the woman and her family I was comfortable that I had assisted with installing Pastor Mary’s well.

A couple of days later, on Sunday, we were given the choice of working or taking the day off. We felt that we could praise God best by serving his people. It would be better that we were putting in wells than sitting in church.

Late in the day we completed a well where there was a fairly large number of villagers celebrating around the site, singing and dancing. At the dedication the men of the village asked an older woman to lead the prayer. Everyone knelt as she thanked God for the blessing that had been bestowed on this village. The speech following the prayer was given by the well chairman, also a woman. As I took a picture of the women pumping water from their new well I thought of the strong women of this village in nontraditional positions and asked myself was perhaps this Pastor Mary’s well.

The “shallow well project” is being implemented in seven regions of northern Malawi. Each region is assigned a field officer who has the responsibility to identify well sites, work with the villagers, and ensure the installation of the pump. These field officers work with builders who are responsible for the actual digging and building of the well structure. The first week we worked exclusively with men.

On our ninth day we stopped to pick up the builders that would lead us to the next well and perform the pump installation. Among the builders was a woman. When I asked, I was informed that she was a trainee, learning how to build and maintain a well. This was the first woman I had met that actually was involved in the construction of a well. When we arrived at the well site she jumped out of the back of the truck and grabbed a pipe wrench and led the team to the well. I stood there watching her assist with the installation, saw the joy on her face, and her personal satisfaction as she tested the pump and clear water came flowing from the well. Maybe this was Pastor Mary’s well.

Later in the day we came upon a beautiful well, which had perfect cement work. The cement was smooth; the dimensions of the structure and apron were also perfect. I inquired about the builder and was told that her name was Elizabeth. It was an interesting coincidence; my mother’s name is also Elizabeth. Once again, I thought to myself, another woman in a nontraditional job, could this be Pastor Mary’s well?

At the end of the second week we had just finished installing a well and had returned to the truck. A frail old woman came up to me and in her outstretched hands were two small eggs. In Chechewa she said this was her personal gift for the gift of life, water. I thanked her recognizing how precious a gift this was. I took off my cap and placed the eggs inside, thanking her over and over, yewo, yewo, yewo chameni. Was this the sign? Was this Pastor Mary’s well?

As we drove away I looked at the two eggs sitting in my cap on the dashboard and I realized that this WAS indeed Pastor Mary’s well………….…..but so were the others. All the wells that had strong women taking care of their families, providing leadership to their villages, working in nontraditional jobs, sharing the love of Christ……..that is where I found the spirit of Pastor Mary.

The Journey Continues

I have been back home for about four weeks and have constantly been thinking of my experiences in Malawi. What a trip! The people, places, work. This has been one of the few times in my life when I have felt true satisfaction in what I was doing. The need in Africa is enormous. I encourage anyone who has contemplated doing something like this to go for it. What ever your skill set, it is needed.

When I go on mission trips I ask myself; did I have an impact, was it better that I went or could more have been done if I just donated the cost of the trip in cash? In this instance my conclusion is that it is better that I went. The more I can spread the word, the more that people are aware of the need, the more that is donated (in cash and service) the more impact my experience will have. Therefore, I will continue to post my thoughts on this experience and hope that it makes a difference.

Oh, I am making plans to return to Malawi next year. Does anyone want to come along?

Mzuzu

It has been two weeks since my last post. Getting an Internet connection has been a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. I am posting from the home of Jim and Jody McGill, Presbyterian missionaries working out of the northern city of Mzuzu. During the last two weeks I have been installing pumps in wells across the far northern reaches of the country (including along the borders of Tanzania and Zambia). The primary locations have been around Karonga, Chitipa, Ntalire and two days ago, Mzuzu. We travel with the local field officer and well builders from those areas. The builders are responsible for directing the work of the villagers in digging the well and preparing it for the pump installation. They also complete the finishing cement work. The areas around Karonga and Chitipa are totally different and the well builders and their approach to the projects also vary. Karonga is the rice growing area of the country. It sits at about 1200 above sea level and is relatively flat. Much of the region is located along Lake Malawi. Getting to the well sites is off road but beside the narrow paths is fairly easy. The wells can vary from 8-15 feet deep. Water depth ranges from 6 ft to as little as 2 ft. People in this area appear to have fruit (bananas, mangos) available for their diet. The primary staples are rice and kasava root. The Chitipa district is mountainous. The wells also vary in depth and water levels. Many of the wells are fed by underground springs. Everywhere we go we hear "water is life". In actuality "protected water is life", this is what is provided by the shallow wells. The sources of water that people have had to use for generations that these wells are replacing unbelievable. It is a wonder how the villagers can maintain their health at all. Think of pond scum on the surface that has to be pushed aside in order to collect water for drinking. The life in the rural villages is particularly difficult. Poverty is acute. People are ill-clothed and we are beginning to see the signs of malnourished children and are told that Malawi is on the verge of a massive famine. It is the dry season and planting will not take place for a couple of months. The months of Jan-March will be the hardest. The government anticipates that 22 of 27 regions will be effected. The crops will have been planted but not ready for harvest. Now is the time for the US and the international community to respond not (as in past African famines) wait for the famine to unfold on TV. Another health problem is that of HIV/AIDS. Approximately 13% of the population is HIV +. The death tolls are difficult to measure. However the the resulting toll can be measured in the number of orphans. In the Chitipa district, the local social welfare official counts more than 27,000 orphans in a population of 128,000. The Malawian culture bears the responsibility through the exended family. The children who are orphaned are taken in by their extended family. This has an added impact on the already large families. There some underfunded programs that provide assistance (food, clothing, blankets) at orphan centers. It is incredible to me that in all of this distress, there is little despair. Yes, people are poor, but they work through it. And work hard they do. Unemployment is about 60% and another 25% are underemployed. Every well is dug by the village, by hand with primitive tools. When we arrive at a well site, there are numerous people eager to carry parts and help install. Every well represents one less impediment to a better healthier life. The joy that is displayed when the installation is complete is overwhelming. The gratitude like the clean water is overflowing. Each well has a story, the woman who carried the pump (the heaviest part) down the mountainside just so she knew that it was really there. The women singing "nada, nada (happy, happy) while the installation is taking place. The woman who told us that the village was poor and had nothing to give us to thank us for the gift of safe water but said that they would share what God had given them and gave us a bunch of bananas cut from a nearby tree. The children that would follow us along a mountain path eager to carry anything just to be a part of such an important event. The old man that said he thought that he would die before drinking clean water. The people that are silent and in awe over the sight of clear water coming from the pump. More stories and project details to come. It is pushing midnight and 5am comes soon. Tomorrow is another day, another well, and the hope for a better life.

addendum

I forgot to mention that I handed out the laptops on Saturday. On Saturday we met with the nine regional field officers at a national park/reserve. All have had experience with computers and several are university graduates. We pulled out the nine computers and booted to make sure that they all worked, they did (thanks to Paul and Eunhee, Prairienet grad assistants who set up the computers). I went over each computer with them and also demonstrated open office spreadsheet. I also demonstrated the back up CDs in case the computers have operating problems or the desktop is disabled. The comThey were all very excited and will be preparing reports and maintaining a data base on the well project. Half of the computers came with modems and the new owners are investigating Internet connectivity in their areas. It looks like Prairienet will be offering a few email accounts in Malawi. The test will be how long the computers will work and how much more efficient the project becomes through their use. I would also like to thank Carle Foundation for the donation of the laptops. In a small way they will be helping to improve the health of thousands of villagers in rural Malawi. I intend to follow up (on laptop issues) with any of the field officers that I work with during the next three weeks.

here and off to the north

I arrived in Malawi on Friday, Sept 30. Today is Monday. After a four hour drive from the airport we arrived at the mission station in Embangweni. We met wiht field office and organized into teams of two volunteers with field officer from the regions that we were to work in. I am with Gary Lewis from Quicy, Illinois and we are heading for the far northern part of the country. We will be on the border of Zambia and Tanzania. We will be crossing over to Tanzania later in the week to work on about 50 new wells. On Sunday Gary and I headed north with three of the field officers. The drive was a day and a half. Sunday eveing we stopped at Karonga which is on Lake Malawi. The drive north provided a much different environment than wat we have found in the central part of the country. The center of Malawi is similar to the savanna. The north has mountains, pine trees, logging, and much more ground vegitation. The drive is on the left and we travel in a Toyota Land Cruiser pickup truck (4x4). People and bicyles are everywhere. There are also numerous semi trucks. The main highway is a two lane paved road. The balance of roads in the country are narrow dirt (and very bumpy) roads. We are traveling with a full truck. Three people in the fron, in the back is a motorcycle, two passangers, supplied and tools for the wells. The main problems with driving is the pedestrian traffice. The temperature upon arrival at the airport was a compfortable 70 degrees. Here in Karonga at 10:30 the temperature is close to 95. We are heading to the Zambia border shortly to work on 13 wells that have been prepared. We are bringing the pump and piping to be installed. We expect to be in the northern region for two weeks. Hopefully completing 125 wells. The people are great. Kind, helpful. Everyone speaks English (as well as the two native languages). This posting is coming from a communication and health center. People come here to use the phone, the fax. They also stop by the room next door for basic medical services. The internet conncetion is a dialup. There are very few places where you can get a connection. I did pass a Internet center in Mzuzu and would like to check it out on the way back south. Cell phone have become popular in the last couple of years. Heading out. Posting will be less than expected.

Marion Medical Mission Shallow Well Program

This journal will detail the next four weeks as I travel to east Africa working with the people of Malawi. Updates will be posted when an Internet connection is available.

I will be working as part of the Marion Medical Mission (MMM), an ecumenical organization that has worked in Malawi assisting the local people in the areas of education and health. A signifcant initiative of MMM has been the "shallow well" project. East Africa is an arid environment where people and animals compete for precious water resources. During the past twenty years over 3,500 shallow wells have been installed as part of this project. Much more needs to be done. Our goal on this trip is to install another 750 wells. If we meet this goal, another 750 villages with over 175,000 inhabitants will have safe drinking water. The difference between the existing water sources and these wells is literally the difference between life and death. The Malawian governmental statistics indicate that over 80% of children who die before the age of five, die due to water borne illnesses. Where the shallow wells have been installed the infant mortality rate has dropped to near zero. To quote a local villager, "Oh God, we drank water with the animals since the beginning of creation, now we can drink clean water by ourselves."

The project works hand-in-hand with local villagers. They make the bricks and dig the wells. Mission volunteers bring cement and equipment to well sites throughout Malawi and parts of Zambia and Tanzania. MMM also provides the skilled labor to install and maintain the wells.

This is a wonderful opportunity for me to combine my spiritual life with my professional life. I currently serve as the director of Prairienet, a community network at the University of Illinois' Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Prairienet is dedicated to assisting disadvantaged individuals and groups meet the challenges of the digital divide. We do this through providing Internet access, recycled computers, training, web suppport and numerous other technology based activities. As part of my participation in Malawi, I will be bringing with me, 8 laptops. The MMM project has grown over the years and currently employees 8 regional coordinators. They are responsible for documenting the installation, status and maintenance of the wells. This has been completed the old fashion way with paper and pencil. These laptops will be distributed to the coordinators enabling them to maintain and share information. In addition to providing computers, I will also provide appropriate training to the coordinators.

I am supported on this trip through the generosity of my church, the First Presbyterian Church of Monticello (Illinois). The church has a long history of supporting mission and believes in the universal sanctity of human dignity. I am proud to belong to a community of sharing and to undertake this mission on their behalf.

Thus begins what I belive for me to be one of those pivital times in ones life where "meaning" joins "action", which defines who we are and the significance of our being. I truely believe we are our brothers keeper as I head off to contribute in my small way to the idea that we are one world, one people.