OPSEU in South Africa and Malawi: March 21, 2008

Early on Friday morning, we rose to begin working on the installation of the solar lights in village homes. OPSEU brought these solar powered lights from Canada – purchased from a Calgary based group called “Light up the World” Foundation. The first priority was the outdoor kitchen, then the guest house.

Small solar panels waiting to be installed in the homes at Makupo village

President Smokey Thomas hands Zack Lavigne
the materials to install the lights.
Zack was an amazing teacher, patiently explaining how to
install the lights to the local youth

Village youth installing the solar panels on the roof of the kitchen

Bwerazani proudly displays the solar panel atop a village house

While Smokey, Ron and Zack continued installing the solar lights in the village, the rest of the group went into the town of Kasungu to buy supplies to be given out to every village household.

A procession in the streets of Kasungu commemorating Milad an-Nabi
– the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad

Sister Miriam Nkosi supervises the buying of fresh supplies to share among the village families

Dried fish is essential for protein as there is no refrigeration in the village

With OPSEU funds, every village family was given a package of sugar, soap, oil, tomatoes, onions, dried fish, mosquito coils and maize flour.

In the afternoon, Doug Miller drove us in a four wheel drive vehicle to a plot of land he and his family purchased with funds raised in Montreal, Canada. The size of the farm plot is 40 acres but it is 44km away from the village – the only piece of land available for purchase at the time. There is nothing else for the young men in the village to do except to farm which is what they know best anyway.

Walking to the farm plot

Kenny (one of the young leaders in the village farm project)
outlines the plan for the farm to OPSEU

President Smokey Thomas and Executive Assistant Ron Lavigne
with three of the young men who will run the farm

The problem is, of course, transportation to this farm plot. Not only is it 44km away but it is across very difficult terrain, through frequently flooded areas and rough rocky ground when dry. Makupo has identified five young men committed to farming this land and their plan is to build housing adjacent to the farm land so that they can live and farm there without having to worry about daily transportation to the area. From there they can then cultivate for the village and make a small living for themselves and perhaps provide for their future families.President Smoky Thomas promised he would raise the issue of special funding for this very worthwhile project upon his return to Canada.