Dedza to Lilongwe

Wednesday November 18, 2009

I’m up at 6 AM. Suzi plans to follow in a short time, probably around 6:48 or 49 since breakfast is planned for 7.

Promptly at 8 AM the three men from the farm appear outside the door in order to go over the tractor and the two BUV units delivered here last year.

First problem is a hanging tail light assembly on one of the BUV’s. Wow! Am I excited. I can do this. I’m a certified V-Tractor/BUV mechanic. Better go back and take out the word “certified”. In fact, maybe you want to also take out “mechanic”.

Can someone get me a screwdriver and we’ll just pop the cover off so we can put in a new bolt and nut and successfully wrap up the first project? What? No screwdriver. And no other tools. Now what do we do? As usual I wait for a time and a Malawians usually comes up with the solution. True to the past one of the man has run to get a nail that has been flattened and with it we are able to pop the cover, and get inside to put in a new bolt that will hold the box properly in place. Wow! Great. That one only took about 45 minutes. What’s next? I think I wish I had not answered that question. They can’t get the V-Tractor started. The battery is dead. And besides the main man that was trained last year has left and a new driver/mechanic is on the job and he would like for me to go through everything that was taught the year before. Now let me say candidly. For a few minutes I wondered what I was doing here! And I knew in a few minutes they would wonder as well. Trying to stall for time (maybe nightfall will interrupt us and rescue me in time), I suggest they get the battery charged while I go over and see the land for the international school with Mama Kadzamira. Wow, out of that one for a time. Now if the rains will just come before we get back.

We lave around noon to see the 150 acres the tribal chief has donated for the school complex. It is breathtaking, and almost beyond imagination. Our guide, near the bottom of the land, points to where we are going. You’ve got to be kidding. He wasn’t. And he heads out like he is a Kenyan runner in a New York race. I’m afraid he’ll disappear from sight and I’ll wonder around in the wilderness until the construction crews finds my skeleton later in the year sitting under a tree looking out over the beauty of this place. It’s a dream come true for sure and I can just imagine all of the buildings scattered around the landscape where students come from all parts to learn.

When we reach a place just a little way below a large granite outcropping of rock near the top the guide stops. Looking across the valleys and mountains that stretch toward the horizon I have a hard time holding back the tears. Then he says, “The next time you come we will climb to the top through those rocks.” Now I’m really having a hard time holding back the tears, but for a different reason.

Retuning to the village near the bottom of the mountain we stop to visit with the tribal chief who donated the land. She is 82 year old Pochema Nkutie, and she has been a chief for 31 years. I’m going to prepare a story for the Malawi Project web site about her. She was so gentle and kind, and appreciative of what I described was coming to her mountain. She said so many people come and make promises, but no one returns to do what they have promised. She is pleased to learn that the promises that have been made to her about this program will come to pass.

Then Mama and I return to the house and have lunch with Suzi and Mary, or is it dinner? After all it’s about 3:30 in the afternoon.

Now you probably remember those guys with the V-Tractor, the rains, and nightfall. Well, the last two events have not come to pass so I’m on the way outside around 4 to resolve this problem. The first thing I suggest is that we send the mechanic to Cool Runnings and have him trained by the mechanic Tom trained the day before. Great idea. Everyone agrees. Took care of that problem, don’t you think?. Next? The batteries have not yet been taken to “that place over there” to have them charged. Well, that sort of solves that problem as well. Don’t you like the way I do problem solving? I offer to stop by on Friday morning and take the tractor for a little demonstration spin if they will get the batteries charged. Everyone is happy with the results. Not sure Tom will give me a passing grade for this training session. I think when I return to the states I will throw myself on his mercy and plead for additional training on the tractor before I come back to Malawi next year.

At around 7:30 we leave for Lilongwe (yes, it’s dark), and arrive with Mama on the north-side of the city around 9. Remember that question as to whether 3:30 was lunch or dinner? It is now answered about 10:15 when we sit down for a very large dinner. Last bite eaten and we are off to bed by 11. We now have electricity, water and phone service. We’re in paradise.