WOW: Women digging Wells!

16th December 2016:

Rose reports:

We also visited a village in Nkhatabay known as Kajirirwe, which is about 42 km from Mzuzu. The chief from this village visited us at the factory and reported about the problem of water in their village.
We started off early in the morning on a bumpy and dusty road to meet the chief who walked about 8km from his village to welcome us and show us the direction.
Some women started dancing to express their joy as we get out of the car, while men gathered around and organised a place for us to seat and start the meeting.
A welcoming speech and introductions started by one of the villagers and then asked us to speak. I spoke about what we do at Wells For Zoe and introduced Alfred and Harisen, after that Alfred spoke about wells which was the main reason we went there. In his speech, Alfred told them what they as a village will contribute that is bricks, sand, stones and some work force and what we as Wells For Zoe will contribute.
While Alfred was speaking, a woman stood up and said they were ready to dig a well and that they were tired of walking a long distance to draw water from unprotected water sources, another woman stood up again and said that if men are not willing to dig, they will dig the wells because they are the ones who are facing the big challenge of carrying water. All the women then agreed to dig the wells saying they are tired walking a long distances 

The meeting was very exciting and the chief shouted at men for not being proactive and praised women for joining hands to stand up for development of their village, the meeting ended with women dancing and singing songs.


This is a watershed.
Up to this we were told that women were not allowed by tradition and culture to dig well. and now we have a new option.

Great: Wells will now be dug quicker