Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Hey buddy, have you got a dime?

Back from training, back from travel, I missed my village. I was gone for almost 3 weeks all told (the 2 hour SUV ride takes all day [really] on a minibus). I am working with four tree nurseries, one bee keeping club and fourish school clubs right now. Some of them worked while I was gone, some of them didn't. Which was actually a good thing- it lets me know who is interested in the project, and which projects will continue to function after I leave.
Anyways, I just wanted to write about the beekeeping club, becuase I like working with them the best.
I am so proud of this club. They get things done. Working with groups, funding is always a problem. We need money for hives, suits, wire, wax, buckets, smokers... the list goes on and on. Most groups I work with don't even consider funding themselves- and with good reason, for the most part. Money really IS tight here.
Thats what makes this beekeeping club so awesome. At our first meeting we agreed that everyone would bring 20 kwacha per week, every week. (20 kwacha is about 14 cents) I was stoked that they thought this idea up, really stoked that they followed up with it, and really really stoked when they did it in my absence. At my first meeting back, I wanted to hug them.
Now they are over halfway to their goal and chugging along. I don't know how they get the money, and not everyone brings it every time. But now I give them a round of applause after we announce the savings each week. It makes me so happy. I'm so proud of them.

And the beat goes on.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well I have a dime or two... anything we can do to help the cause? But more importantly, I have a spare bee costume that doesn't fit your pug anymore, she's just the teensiest bit too round. Talk to you soon, you sound great! Love, mom

Auntie M said...

Hi, grandnephew dearest
Interesting to hear about your beekeeping club. As you might know, we're having a bee crisis here, very serious, and they can't seem to get a handle on why they're disappearing in droves. I'm sending you several articles which you might find interesting about the problem.

We had a good sendoff for Gramps - he would have liked it. He would have loved all the tributes and readings from his letters and newspaper articles. So glad we had the 90th party for him, so he could hear these tributes in person, especially those from his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

We'll talk about this Malawi transportation setup. You will send a limo for us, won't you?

I hope your garden is doing well - quite anxious to see it.

Kath sends her love Talk to you soon. Love, Auntie M

Auntie M said...

Dear G Nephew,
What can we do to help the beekeepers? We probably could collect quite a few dimes too. Let us know.
Love, Auntie M

Phil Porter, InterPlay Co-founder said...

Dear Wiz,
Great to hear your bee story! Congratulations. And how good that they see the value of the project for themselves. Hopefully there will be a return on that investment.
We continue to process all that happened on our recent trip to Tukombo. I think we thought we would have it all figured out soon after we got back, but I think things have been settling and resonating quite slowly. Perhaps that is good. The effect with definitely be long term.
I preached a couple of weeks ago at my church, told stories, then showed photos after church. I told them that you had shopped at our thrift store. They definitely found that amusing.
I have a question for you: has there ever been any research about a substitute crop for cassava that might have more nutritional value, but still be easy to raise? Just curious.
Hope you are doing well.
Phil Porter