INSPIRING DAY FOR AZUNGU
The village of MACHESO was easily reached from our office, only 30 minutes walk along the curvy path. A journey, not nearly as picturesque as the one last week when the landscape of neat little houses and vegetable gardens was framed by faraway hills. I had been feeling phlegmatic for the whole morning and that feeling wasn’t much improved in the previous village where nobody was present for the meeting. I plodded on…..was this going to be one of those places where nobody wanted to take responsibility and everybody was hoping to get something for themselves? How could I squeeze out an inspiring speech if I was feeling like this?
The village reminded me of Ndirande, the township of Blantyre where poverty is too obvious, houses too closely built and green areas missing. We stopped, waiting. An elderly woman, carrying a baby saw us coming and quickly rushed to the nearby house to inform them about our arrival. I studied my surroundings: The core of the village was a whitewashed building, standing proudly alone in the middle of the village. It looked inviting, I hadn’t seen such a neat place for a long time; even my ‘luxury’ house wasn’t as clean and welcome looking. How wonderful that there is at least one good, caring person in this village who has given this house for the people to use. My spirit was slightly uplifted by the thought.
We sat down on a straw mat, waiting silently, always waiting silently. A Couple of dozen curious children were peeping behind the window and doorway. Probably very few, if any azungus had ever visited this God forsaken corner of the world.
Soon people started pouring in, filling the room: 15 women with children and 7 men. Men! That was something rather unusual. What were they after? I started thinking of selected words about social conscience and caring for one’s own community…
A youngish, pleasant looking man with a straw hat and very muddy feet started the meeting. What was he saying, why was everybody so alert, so alive? In few minutes my apathy had disappeared and I was struggling to stop tears filling my eyes, so touched did I feel. Yes, the village was poor, they couldn’t start a vegetable garden as space was so scarce; they had more than 50 orphans and many elderly, but rather than being discouraged by that, they were ready to tackle the problems. The committee members had been helping 10 poor families to cope and Steven Zeka’s muddy feet were a result from brick making. Bricks were needed for a house the villagers were constructing for a disabled person. A field full of clay bricks were waiting for the sun to dry them and more sun was needed, as a day centre for orphans was to be raised after that house was ready. Would I like to see the bricks and the plot where the orphan centre was to be built? Most certainly I would and surrounded by children, holding my hands, we walked past the well where women were filling their buckets and soon I could admire the big, brown bricks laying on the ground. The area for the orphan centre was rather small, but there was enough space to make a shelter where these vulnerable children could get a meal, learn to read and write and feel that it was their place. Maybe even the tinsmith trade could be taught there, although that is going to start already in few weeks time, as soon as I have bought the materials. Do I have money for that? Probably not, but nothing is going to stop me doing it; Maybe there will be enough if I give up my few luxuries like…like…
I did not say anything, but have been wondering if ‘Heart of Africa’ would like to start supporting the orphan centre? One thing they would definitely need for the building, is the roof material, but naturally there will be continuous need for teaching materials and so on. I think it would be good to have a defined area which to focus on. What do YOU, dear Member, think?
The sun was just dropping behind the horizon when I arrived home from Macheso, but my heart was still full of sunshine and the earlier phlegmatic feelings were like a bad dream, wiped away by the charismatic people of Macheso.