Day 2: Another Amazing Day -Esther Choe

What a busy day it was! Today we headed out early to visit four villages that have received wells from Golf Fore Africa. Three of the wells were funded from our annual Scottsdale Strong Women Strong World Luncheon, and the other from donors Kandi Davis and Trevor Povah. The stories we heard made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. Here are the highlights I took away from each village.

Mwalumina Village

On our first stop, we met with Mary and her 4 kids. She said her kids stayed home from school today to see the “mzunga”, or the “white people”. We got a kick out of that! Again, I was very inspired to see the changes that clean water has brought to this family. In particular, having easy access to clean water (the new well was just a stone’s throw away!) allowed Mary to be creative and innovative. Of the homes we have visited, Mary was the first we saw to implement a water conservation method. She showed us a drainage system she had made which allowed the water from her bathing shelter to flow into her garden. She was growing bananas, pumpkin leaves, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and peanuts. I love what she told us, “Our garden supplements our diet. We do not experience hunger anymore.” This statement is especially powerful knowing the history of droughts in Zambia.

Kasambisha Village

On our next stop, we met with 47-year-old Gertrude, a wife, and mother of 8. She was a joyful character, full of life and eager to share her stories with us. The stories started out on a sad note, about life before the new water source. Most notably, she told us about an incident a couple of years ago when she started smelling something weird in their water from the community’s hand-dug well. Gertrude said that the water started tasting funny, and cooking with it made everything taste strange as well. It turned out that a cow had fallen into the well, and the community only realized what had happened when the cow eventually floated to the top. It was so sad to hear her say that their only option was to remove the cow and continue drinking the contaminated water.

One other point really struck me about her life before access to clean water. She expressed that it was very hard to be neighborly. Gertrude reflected on the times when groups of boys herding cows nearby would come to her and ask for water to drink. She saw them working hard but could only offer them a small cup of water to share because of how difficult it was for her to get that water. She felt shameful but had to take care of her own family first. Now, Gertrude says when people ask for water, she can give them a whole bucket! She loves that she can be generous now.

Kambeba Village

Here, we were greeted by an enthusiastic woman named Beauty. She came running toward us, saying she had been waiting all week for us to come and watched the road constantly for our arrival. Beauty made a passionate speech in front of their new well about how grateful she was to Golf Fore Africa and “Davis and Povah” for providing clean water to their village. The community knew the well was funded by Kandi Davis and Trevor Povah because their names are etched into the well. Although the villagers have never met Kandi, she is known affectionately by everyone as “Mama Davis”. Every time the name “Mama Davis” was mentioned, a cheer would incite. I wished Kandi were there to witness it!

It was so great to see the impact “Mama Davis” and Trevor had on this community. We had the chance to sit down with Georgina and her grandchildren. I loved hearing about Georgina’s sewing business, a business she said she never could have started had she continued to spend her days walking for water. She had a contract with a local school to make school uniforms and said she felt proud to be able to earn an income. My favorite part of the visit was when I asked her grandchildren what they aspired to be when they grew up. All of them had an immediate answer, and the littlest one said she wanted to be the best doctor in all of Zambia. Not just a doctor, but the best. There is no doubt that grandma Georgina has had a hand in influencing her grandchildren to dream big because unlike herself, her grandchildren are able to attend school every day instead of walking for water.

Musokota Village

We were met by singing and dancing from the whole village when we arrived. It was a dance party! A 50-year-old grandmother, Edith, took us to her home and then led the way to show us the villagers’ previous walk for water. The terrain was rocky, and the path led to the Chongwe river. The river’s edge where they would collect the water was steep and slippery. Edith said it took 3 people linked together, to collect the water. It was not surprising to hear that someone had fallen in and drowned trying to get water. I couldn’t believe that these people had to walk that distance and drink that dirty river water right up until last year when they received a well.

I want to conclude by writing a common theme that ran throughout our visits. All of the women we sat down with expressed their hope that God will continue to bless us so that we can continue to bless others. I am so humbled by Golf Fore Africa’s supporters. I want you to know that you are truly making a difference in the lives of others.