Mwape - 27-06-14

There were three separate visits today, to various villages in Mwape chiefdom. Chieftainess Mwape has been in contact with NPAC for many years now and she definitely knows the drill regarding the shipping containers. She has gathered all the baby bundles, clothing, furniture, medical supplies, toys, books and all the things NPAC has sent most recently in the guest house. She will circulate a date upon which all the people of the chiefdom can come to the guest house and claim their portion of the shipment. The baby bundles will go to the clinic and only the mothers who bring their children for vaccinations and checkups will benefit from them. This all sounds a bit callous, but it is the fairest way to distribute the aid NPAC sends. Making new mothers attend the clinic means that both they and their babies are safer, and the bundles provide incentive for them to travel to the clinic. The other items stored in the guest house are distributed to the elderly first, and then to other groups with a pressing need.

Sorting the items we brought with us.

Reading glasses are always in high demand.

We made sure to take plenty of pairs of reading glasses. It wasn't something I had thought of, but it makes sense that there's no point sending books if the readers can't see the words. There are people who have never seen the plumage of a lilac-breasted roller, or the stripes on a zebra, or the faces of their grandchildren. NPAC wants to make sure that the people who need it most get all the aid we can give.

The children of Mwape village.

NPAC is based on people. We raise money only so we can afford to send 40 foot containers all over the world. Most of the power we possess comes from the warehouse heroes, the volunteers who plan and sort and pack. The people who make sure it all goes to the right place, the Chieftainess Mwapes and the Isaacs and the KKs. And the power comes from the generosity of the people who donate their time and unwanted possessions to those who can make use of them. NPAC wouldn't be able to do any of their work without the support of people like you, so thank you.

Women washing clothes in what's left of the river. During the rainy season the river will rise and cover a lot of the flat ground outside Mwape Village.

The head teacher at Mwape school, Mwenda Lovemore, is another impressive person. He teaches in a difficult place, where parents are often torn between paying to send their children to school or paying to feed them, but he turned down a lot of the aid we offered, saying that what they had was enough because they took such good care of it. We did make a list of things to send, particularly for the children who board at the school. They need proper beds and cooking equipment, and of course a school always needs more books and pens.

While we were there Dad took a look at the clinic and made a long list of things they need. It's mostly disposables, like gloves, bedcovers, antiseptic wipes and hand gel. It's just impossible to get enough of this type of thing out to the people who need it.

The day ended with some more fishing and a rousing bout of ceilidh dancing. We gathered quite a crowd at the camp to watch the mad Brits dance, but oddly no one volunteered to join us.