Today our departure begins early as we leave our hotel at 8:30 a.m.  We will be visiting three of the W2T projects in the area near Axxum and then driving to the Gheralta Lodge, south of Adware.  Two of the projects to be visited were completed recently in late summer and third is in progress.

The first stop is at Mai Ayni, just a short 20 minute drive outside Axxum.  This project benefits about 400 community members in the immediate area and the local primary school also makes use of the well.  The school is located about 1 kilometer away and does not have its own water source.  The community is waiting for us when we arrive, showering us with popcorn to celebrate the inauguration of their well.  Rennie and Ed get the joy of cutting the ribbon at Mai Ayni.  

The whole W2T team then helps with pumping water and filling jerry cans.  You might notice that this sign is a bit different.  The donor chose to be anonymous and asked that the phrase “Jesus loves you” be translated to the local language and placed on the sign.  In Tigray, the local language in common use is Tigrean, thus the phrase “Eyesus  Yefetwekum”. We get a chance to visit with the water committee and they express their gratitude for having access to clean water.  Their prior water collection area was a river, located approximate one hour’s walk from the current well.  One of the women on the committee says that they can already see a reduction in sickness among the children because of the well.  The well is protected by a guard and is available to the community from 6 am to 9 am in the morning and then in afternoon from 4 pm to 6 pm.  We also get a chance to exchange gratitude and blessings with the community in attendance.

Next we drive a short distance to the community of Awi Sewhi.  Even before we get out of the car, people are already dancing, singing and clapping.  In addition to the community adults, there are over 200 children there too, carrying signs like “Water is Life”, “Welcome Water to Thrive” and “Long live the Ethiopian and American friendship”.  We even get a chance to see Jim demonstrate the Tigrean native dance for us (and yes we have it on video!).  

All together we make our way down a steep hill, into the ravine toward the water well, all the way being led by the several Ethiopian Christian Orthodox priests.  This time Jim and Dick get the joy of cutting the ribbon to inaugurate the well with the community.  The well is located close to a river bed that usually runs dry after the rainy season.  

It still has some water in it and it used to serve as the primary source of water for the community.  It is now primarily used for livestock.  We get a chance to visit with the water committee about the operation of the well and we exchange our expressions of gratitude for the project.

The group makes its way back up the hill and we reconvene under some trees and cactus for the community celebration.  The women of the community have prepared bread, honey, ingera, dora wat (chicken in ber-beri sauce) for the community celebration and later we enjoy some great Ethiopian coffee with the coffee ceremony.  

The celebration is blessed by the local priest and the elders of the community express their thanks and gratitude for bringing clean water to their communities.  The W2T is then presented with gifts of gratitude from the community.  Each of us was presented a handmade traditional wrap and W2T was presented a beautiful hand painted picture of a woman carrying water in a traditional clay pot.  The local water administration also presented a certificate of appreciation both to REST and W2T for the work we are doing in the area to bring clean water to their communities.

After enjoying our coffee together, we head to the third community on today’s schedule, Mai Mekan.  The well at Mai Mekan is still in progress, but should be completed in about 10-14 days.  This gave the W2T team a chance to see the actual process of the well construction, including the making of the concrete rings and the setting of the rings in place.  

We also had the chance to visit the current water source for the community, an open water catchment that is very contaminated.  This water source is also shared by the animals in the area.  The community members we met were very excited about getting clean water in the near future.

Shortly after completing our visit at Mai Mekan, we set out for the Gheralta Lodge.  It is about a 3 hour drive from Axxum to Gheralta, over some terrain that looks a lot like El Paso, with some mountains and hills mixed in.  This area of Tigray is generally very dry and hot and today was no exception.  Along the way, we passed a huge mountain pillar that reminded us of the Monument Valley area.  

We all look forward to a restful evening at the Gheralta Lodge.  We will have more to say about the Lodge in tomorrow’s blog.

Dick Moeller