http://picasaweb.google.com/105226841757151966002/AfricaDay1July6?authkey=Gv1sRgCOPHsfq97LqMJA&feat=directlink
wow - what a day! We pulled out of the hotel around 11 am to head to our build location, with stops for petro and water (stopped at at BP station - they are everywhere) and surprisingly enough downtown Blantyre resembled any small Canadian city - everything is in English (including the giant Carlsberg beer billboard - they have a plant here). There are grocery stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, banks etc. Our money exchange had to occur in the back seat of the minivan as the banks are closed for their national Independence day celebration.
We pulled into our community around noon. First stop was the Habitat office, then off to the work site. It is very surreal to travel in the minivan as children run to the roadside so that they can wave to us - we feel strangely famous.
When we arrived at the worksite we met the grandma and children that will live in the home that we build. We also toured their current home and my emotions could barely stay under control. The grandma cannot walk and so needs assistance to get to and from the house and I believe at times crawls to get where she needs to be. Her oldest grandson is going to help us with the build he is about 12 years old and lovingly welcomed us and thanked us for coming. The new home will have one of the most stunning views you can imagine - the Mulanje mountain and a brilliant blue sky face it.
We were able to participate in building a brick wall for a couple hours, they are hand made bricks and mortar and they keep everything very precise with a level and string (much like when my dad builds a fence!), several members of the group posed for photos with many of the children (some had the day off of school-others do not attend) and then we packed up to head to our lodging. We stopped at a recently built habitat house to see what ours should look like by next week and met the grandma that lives there with her 2 grandchildren. She spoke English very well and was very thankful of the Habitat program. They have a hand made sign in the window that said "thanks to Habitat".
By the time we drove by the Habitat office on the way out of town, word had spread we were there and the children swarmed our vehicle. Again it is very hard to describe the emotions of them all smiling and trying to fight for front row views of us. One adorable toddler (2 years at best) reached up to my window and when I touched his hand his eyes popped so wide and then he pulled back and stared at it total awe, then quickly reached out again to touch my hand once more again in total fascination - again I was grateful for my sunglasses so I could hide the tears that had pooled up.
The drive to Lithubuka lodge was slow but very interesting. The road had a continuum of foot and bicycle traffic - bicycles are expensive - they save similar to how we would for a car but there are many of them. Barb had the front seat and learned much from our male leader - Tadeo. At one point he mentioned that the displays in the roadside vendor were actually mice on sticks and that they are very tasty, he said we will let her taste one before we leave - she said 'maybe'. He also mentioned that if he can get some black market elephant meat he will bring it for us to try - some parts (legs) taste like chicken, shoulders like pork and the rear is like beef.
He is very informative and showed us his house on the way to our lodge, he has worked for habitat for 9 months since he left college.
When we arrived, Shaori introduced us to the lodge administrator Nancy and we got settled into the dorm. Had a bite to eat, it rained while we were eating, showered of the days brick dust and here I type. (There is a group from Scotland here too).
Cannot believe how much I typed - sorry!
