A big Hello from here at Namingazi farms!
Today was unimaginably amazing. Mphero’s energy and enthusiasm surrounding the project is absolutely contagious. As soon as we entered the village, you could feel the welcoming happiness of the villagers – finally after three years of partnering with this community, the drill rig was on the ground!
Feeling the positivity from the community, the team immediately kicked it into high gear.
Goal number 1: finalize the drilling location. We met with Ben, a team member from the drilling company, Rodu, and walked to their suggested drilling location. After some discussion, the location was decided and the drill rig was set in place.
Goal number 2: Sign the Contract. We then sat down with Richard, the owner of Rodu, to finalize the terms of the drilling contract. Megan handled this with amazing leadership. She negotiated, tied up loose ends, and after countless hours of pouring her heart into this project – she signed the finalized contract to drill a borehole well for Mphero!
Slowly but surly the drill was carving into the clay ground. At about 1.5 meters we ran into a bit of a bump. The drillers had to run into the city to get a repair part for the rig, so drilling was put on pause. This gave us an amazing opportunity to connect with the community.
As we waited one of my and Meredith’s dreams came true. We were lovingly watching a mother Goat and her three kids, when a woman in the village picked up one of the tiny baby goats and let us hold them! After the hiccup in drilling, the pure joy that rushed over Meredith’s face was a look I will never forget. At that moment, the happiness on Meredith’s face matched the children’s as they follow you around, excited by whatever we are doing.
As we stood, surrounded by glowing little faces, one little girl stood out the bunch. Mercy was wearing a cute purple dress and her faced beamed excitement and curiosity. She followed us everywhere, calling out to take pictures, and speaking to us in Chechewa any chance she could get.
From the first moment I stepped foot into the village, I was greeted with hugs, happiness and love. I will be forever grateful for all the time I get to spend in this village, learning about and with the community, and meeting lifelong friends. The people of Mphero, who have some of the biggest hearts and smiles in the world – deserve just that. I am very excited and ready for another day of drilling to get these amazing people water.

Tionana Mawa,
Emma