Swazi Projects and fun

Hungry anyone?

We ate at an amazing restaurant in Swazi called the Calabash.  MMMMM!

Mogi Hotel where we stayed 3 nights in Swaziland

We had another appointment in Swaziland to visit some wells for a project there so we booked at a different hotel to try something new.  It takes about 4 hours to drive to the country of Swaziland.  So we checked into our hotel at about 2:30 or so.  What a nice place.  Swaziland is beautiful.

I loved the trails around the outside of the hotel.  It was beautiful and interesting to view.

This part of Swaziland was very rocky.  You can see the huge rock I am leaning against.  They used the rocks very decoratively in their landscape.

 

 

trails around Mogi

Did you know poinsettas are trees?  I was amazed to see these poinsettas of all colors, red, white and pink all on the same tree.  All those poinsettas we buy at Christmas time could be grown into a tree if we had the right environment?  Amazing. 

I enjoyed the outside at the Mogi Hotel.  The living space was very comfortable too.  We were comparing Mogi to Summerfield.  Stan likes it as well.  Summerfield is still #1 in my book.

Shasheila

Shasheila is the office attendant in Nompie's office.  She speaks English like she lives in the United States.

Some of the materials purchased with Humanitarian money

Our Humanitarian fund purchased enough materials to refurbish 6 wells in Swaziland.  We are actually working with two partners in water in Swaziland.  This project we are partnered with the Swazi Government Water Ministry.  We traveled to all 4 regions to view the wells we will refurbish starting today.

Shizelwini well

There are two wells with similar problems.  THese dedicated water committees have fixed and fixed and fixed these wells until the pipes are pure joints.  They finally stopped working because they couldn't put another joint in the pipe.  They have been without water for 6-8 months.  THese people have had to resort to going to the stream which is nearly dry with the drought.

The joints that are causing the problem

Here are the joints that were taken out of the 1st well we saw.  There are several things that will be done to refurbish the well besides sending down new pipe.  We will pour new cement around the wells, build a fence around the well sight, put a locking gate and secure the sight.  The most important thing is the training for the water committee.  It is up to them to keep the water from getting contaminated.  They must keep out the donkey, cows, goats, chickens and other animals from walking around the pump.  They must monitor the use of the pump and keep the minor problems solved.  They must collect the funds to have an account to fix the pump when it needs fixing.  All the homesteads that use these pumps have been trained in using a latrine at their homesteads.  Hygiene training is in place.

This is a pretty good looking pump but the pipe and pump need to be replaced.  this committee has been very consistent in keeping this pump running.

We will support them in the good work they have done by refurbishing this pump so they can continue to have water.  There was one pump the water committee asked if it could be upgraded to a reticulated system which means pipes running the water to their homes.  Most of these people fill a 5 gallon bucket and puts it on their heads to carry a mile or further to their home.

We are happy the refurbishing is starting today.  There are a lot of happy people, including us.