After cutting the ribbon and getting several shots of the clean water we sat down for more speeches and food. The popcorn which had previously been used for throwing was now being used for eating. Ketachoo gave a speech reinforcing the need for the community to care for the well. I was then chosen to speak for us. I gave a brief speech that went something like this.
"Thank you for your hospitality. We have traveled a long way and we're very happy to be here to see the beautiful well that you have built. We have given a small amount of what we have to make this well possible. You have given all that you have so this is your well. I know that will take advantage of this opportunity and you will take good care of this well. We will go back to America to raise more money so that other communities may also have clean and safe drinking water."
Ketachoo translated and I managed to get through the whole thing without crying. Dan and Scott then gave their speeches. Then we ate. The first course is a large, round, thick bread that is smeared with raw honey. The honey is not only raw - so its not translucent - but it also has bits of honeycomb in it. Dan has been wary of the local food, but he's pleased with this dish. They then poured cooked chicken and eggs over the several layers of injera in a table made into a basket. I also enjoy this. It also reassures me that the Ethiopian food that I've been enjoying in the states is authentic. We are also offered some suwa to drink. Dan and Scott decline the suwa is a fermented drink similar in appearance to swamp water. It is no more appealing because the name sounds like "sewer". My first sip suggests that the homonym is appropriate. My second sip confirms my first. I set it aside.
Finally, we are offered some coffee. I've been watching this process throughout the proceedings. The local health care worker has been preparing this for the entire time we've been here. She's been working over a small stove with charcoal. First she roasted the coffee beans. Then she put them into the coffee pot and heated the water. That was then added to the coffee pot. If she ground or mashed the beans in any way, then I missed it. The coffee was left to steep for a while with a piece of gauzy fabric in the spout. Finally, the coffee was poured, with the gauze still in place to catch the beans. I take a sip of the coffee. Perhaps, it is benefiting from the comparison to suwa, but I actually like it. I would actually drink it voluntarily.
We are then given gifts. Scott, Dan and I each get a pail of honey. Collectively we get several baskets and a pot. The woman health care worker and regional director for REST each get a chicken. The site manager gets a goat. The village leader then apologizes that they could not give us more, but tells us that they only had a few days of advance notice. We have another village to visit, so it's time for us to move on.
So here's the gist of the way I'm feeling. Just as these people are appreciative of the well that will now improve their lives, I'm appreciative of all the things I have. I appreciate my family, my house and my stuff. I don't feel guilty, but I definitely feel fortunate. I also appreciate how little of what I have it takes to make such a big difference here. I appreciate that I have the opportunity to work with charity:water to keep making that kind of difference.
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