Easter Sunday

Sunday morning was cool and breezy, not what you might expect a few
minutes from the Equator. Just outside our rooms, a large heron danced
around the soccer field looking for rats and snakes in the grass, and
two black ibis worked the sidelines. Team members found breakfast at
the convent and lingered for two hours for a very productive
discussion of the water project planning. Erin Cummings is leading the
project and hopes to present a clear outline to BCDC members on
Tuesday. Jim Moyer's previous experience on three EWB student projects
in Tanzania is providing helpful insights into do's and don'ts at this
planning stage.

Easter Mass filled the school dining hall with many Notre Dame
students and a good portion of the Parish as well. A nice breeze blew
in through open doors and windows as swallows sang, darted, and dived
among the rafters and up and down the aisle. Father Godfrey welcomed
us warmly before the service and suprised us at the end by asking us
to speak in front of the congregation. He translated our basic
introductions and statements of the work we expected to do this week.
We felt honored to be received by the community in this way. Several
locals approached us afterwards with questions related to both
projects.

One man named Leopold explained to us what a blessing the Sisters of
Notre Dame have been for his Buseesa Community by providing a high
quality education for their children. He felt the Sisters showed the
villagers a lot of respect by allowing them to trade food, supplies,
and labor for their school fees. Leopold thought great potential
benefits could come as the villagers learned from both the biogas and
water projects that the school attracted. We parted and promised to
see each other at the upcoming BCDC meeting.

Matia was another familiar face from our previous trip. One of the key
BCDC employees, he also met with us outside the dining hall and
introduced his family to us. His youngest son is named Nicholas, after
the founder of BCDC. Matia invited us to all go to the nearby town of
Karaguzza to see another friend, Winnie, and to enjoy the town. Erin,
Connor, and Jim accepted, and were also able to scout for hardware,
complete errands, and learn about the water distribution system there.
Ed remained at the school and had a very productive meeting with
Sisters Anita and Judith to update them on the biogas project status
and the outlook towards eventual implementation.

Everyone re-convened for a private Easter dinner with the Sisters, and
a few rounds of cards and dominos afterwards. The bell rang at the
door at an unexpected hour and news came from a watchman that there
had been a vehicle fire down the road in Akasalava. It was a bus
carrying a football (soccer) team back from a match, and it was
engulfed in flame. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The smouldering
carriage was seen the next day in the middle of the road, smoke still
rising from the lumps that used to be the tires. The message the
locals passed up the road through the grapevine was a warning to turn
off your house lights to prevent the fire from spreading through the
electrical power system...?!