CSRS Newsletter June 2009

After weeks of waiting for the workmen to arrive, I am so happy to say that the building of the well has finally begun! It turns out that our village has not been the only one suffering from the water shortage and well diggers have been doing big business. They began on the 3rd by selecting the site of the well and started digging on the 4th. Thanks to those people who donated money for its construction, this village will not worry about the availability of water anymore. They estimate it will take about a month to complete. These are the first photos, and more are sure to follow.

After two months of relaxation in America, I stepped off the plane and got back to work. With classes in full swing, I arrived to meet our new volunteers. Not only were the seven volunteers from Vanderbilt University excellent teachers, they were superb cultural ambassadors. In between teaching classes and studying Swahili, they spent numerous hours with their students and among the community members in Mangapwani. I wasn’t sure how much of an impact spending one month here would make, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The students and volunteers really bonded in a way I could not believe. And because of the incredible rapport they established, our students have grown tremendously in just a short period. Mbarouk and I so enjoyed having them here, they were all so committed and genuinely interested in making a difference, which they did. They will be missed. We celebrated the completion of this semester with a great party that brought out about 100 people from the community including the students.