I became a traveler to Africa as the result of circumstances. My son Kevin was adamant he would somehow attend the Zambia well dedication in his best friend, Brian’s name. Unfortunately Christmas Break and the schedules of the other travelers didn’t coincide. The remaining choices of him traveling to and from Africa solo or not going at all were not especially comfortable either. And that’s how I became the fifth and final traveler.

Now I suspect like many people, Africa ranked fairly low on my list of vacation places to see – let’s say it wasn’t top ten anyway. But oddly enough, as our departure date grew closer and closer I noticed a change in my perspective, I began to get excited about this new adventure. I mean how many people have the opportunity to do something like this? We picked up a couple library books to learn more about the area, climate, history and above all the people. It turns out Malawi is known as “The Heart of Africa” because of its warm friendly people and Zambia as “The Real Africa” because of its wildlife. As it turned out, the people we met in both countries were beyond our wildest expectations. It seems without exception they were kind, open, friendly people who seemed to be genuinely happy, despite obvious hardships and poverty. You couldn’t help but be inspired by their enthusiastic handshake and broad warm smile framed against their dark skin. Nothing was held back; they were sincerely glad to meet you and it showed.

After we returned and had some time to reflect I tried to pick a most memorable moment probably because it’s the question people always ask. The entire trip was beyond my expectations. However, the afternoon spent at the Mchewele village was definitely over the top.

The day began with a road trip from Malawi across the Zambia boarder to Chipata to meet Elizabeth, an incredible woman who oversees World Visions ADP (Area Development Plan) where Mchewele is located. We continued the drive to a small turnout where lunch was to be delivered. It was delivered by motorcycle in the middle of a torrential thunderstorm downpour – the driver was beyond soaked. When he lifted his visor all you could see was teeth. Despite being drenched he had the biggest smile, it nearly filled his entire helmet. Lunch consisted of slightly warm grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches with soggy fries. By now we were starved and everything tasted fabulous, so naturally it disappeared very quickly.

From there we were off to meet the Head Chief of the area whose span of control includes approximately 325 villages. Following local protocol is important and we needed his formal permission to visit the village even though all the details had long ago been arranged. After parking the vehicles a respectful distance away from the Chief's residence, we waited for someone to escort us to the chief. Being low on staff that day, it was the Chief himself who greeted us. We walked to his “palace” which appears to have been under construction for quite sometime. For comparison his “palace” is equivalent to a small or medium size house and so far consisted of brick walls about 8 feet high and nothing else. In addition to being low on staff, he was also low on funds but full of hope and enthusiasm. Initially we sat in chairs semi circle around the Chief who had a small table with a vase of colorful wilted flowers in front of him. After introductions and formalities he gave us a history lesson of his people and how they came to live in this area. In addition, he described with clarity his long-range vision and the obstacles he faced as their leader. I was more than a little impressed; he is a visionary leader with an excellent grasp on what changes were necessary to sustain and improve the lives of his people.

Next stop Mchewele. Continuing into Zambia we soon came upon two teenage boys holding a large banner in the middle of the road which read:

Welcome Lemke and Dear Friends

In Memory of Brian Lemke

We have benefited Clean Water right at our doorstep

THANK YOU!

Mchewele Community

Little did we know what was waiting down that windy dirt road? The banner holders ran behind our vehicles for a short distance, and then vanished in the brush. As we continued down the muddy road there was a right turn ahead, at that turn we could see a number of children and women lined up, and as we got closer we could hear singing. Then when we made the turn the road was suddenly filled with people, all singing and dancing. Further down on the right side the warriors with their own chants and dance were approaching us. It was bizarre, one turn and we’d been transported into the middle of National Geographic territory. It seems like a dream. If it weren’t for our pictures I might wonder if it really happened. This was a hero’s welcome to be sure.

Time flew by very fast from this point on. We were seated in a row and greeted by numerous dignitaries, and then there were speeches by many of them. It became painfully obvious how much this well had improved their living conditions. We heard stories of domestic animals getting into the old well, which was more a deep depression than a true well. Many children suffered from dysentery, the major cause of death for young ones. They talked about women traveling 4 to 5 kilometers for clean water. Brian’s well is the only infrastructure these people have and their life style is so different from ours it’s difficult to imagine yourself in their situation. I’m sure we could never fully appreciate the impact on their lives. As all the festivities continued I felt uncomfortable and unworthy as a recipient of their celebration. I was a guest among them, our family just one of many who contributed in Brian’s name making this well possible. Yet here I was receiving an inordinate share of the praise and attention. It was as close to feeling like a celebrity, as I’ll ever know. After all the speeches and more singing and dancing there was a ribbon cutting ceremony at the well. Tears and smiles flashed across our faces from one moment to the next. For us this was a bittersweet event yet for the village it was a celebration of the highest order. It amounted to a collision of every possible emotion crammed into a few minutes in time.

Now that we were emotionally spent it was time for a walk around the village. In between rain showers we visited several houses. They were simple structures with one or two rooms. The pounded dirt floors looked and felt much like concrete and the roofs were thatched. Considering it was the rainy season, with a sea of mud and children everywhere the houses were very neat and clean. The split bamboo mats on the floor serve as sitting areas during the day and sleeping pads at night. These are proud dignified people with virtually no possessions just surviving day to day but doing so with style. As far as I can tell they really are basically happy people. Their frequent smiles and laugher were contagious; I really wish we could have spent a day or two getting to know them. Before we knew it, it was time to leave. It had been an exceptionally good day and one that I’ll never forget. It’s taken quite some time to put that day’s events in perspective, in fact the process continues today, more than a month afterwards. It’s difficult to reconcile the abundance of resources and wealth we take for granted at home. Just turning on a faucet and being able to drink the water is such a luxury for much of the world. It makes you wonder how much we really need to be happy. In the meantime I encourage everyone who can to visit a poor part of the world to better appreciate our lives but also to gain compassion for those who struggle with the basics of life everyday.