This was one of those days where the rubber meets the road. At this point in the trip, the decisions have been made and the plans have been finalized. Now we need to get down to work. The first step this morning was to go to town to buy materials for the hammermill building, and to Masala market for plumbing parts. In addition, Pascal, our head carpenter, took a rare trip out of Kantolomba to select some carpentry tools that the co-op wants to buy in order to make desks for the classrooms and products to sell.
Pascal and Theresa in front of the hardware store
Shopping for wire...
...and plumbing parts
We quickly realized we would need to hire a truck to get the cement, rebar, reinforcement wire and other things out to Kantolomba.
Truck being loaded
While we negotiated with the truck driver, we heard the sound of drums and horns in the distance. To our astonishment, we turned to find a parade coming down the road. We asked our friends what was happening. They told us that today is World AIDs Day, and that this parade is a part of the celebration. In the parade were marching bands, baton-twirlers, and people throwing condoms into the crowd.
World AIDS Day Parade
While the truck took the materials out to Kantolomba, we went to the main market in Masala for the plumbing parts.
And more plumbing parts...
Masala market
Dave and Sam, Friday's son
We arrived in Kantolomba in time for lunch with the team.
Lunch time
While we ate we held a meeting about a number of pressing issues pertaining to our trip. The biggest of these was the loan we are making to the co-op for the hammermill and the building that will house it.
It is important to us that the Kantolomba project move over time towards financial independence. Our dream is that the cooperative of people running the project here create, with our assistance, a way to provide opportunities for people in the compound that is self-sustaining and ultimately does not require outside aid. It will likely be the case that we will need to raise money in America and elsewhere for the feeding program for awhile, but we hope and trust that opportunities for employment, education, and healthcare will arise within the compound, supported by enterprises the co-op creates. The hammermill is our first big step in that direction. We hope to create a thriving milling business in Kantolomba that will bring funds to the co-op from the local economy, and through this venture discover a model for similar business in the future.
Talking about financial independence
To that end, we are proposing to the team in Kantolomba that the co-op pay for the hammermill and the building using a loan provided by Living Compassion. Once the hammermill is in operation and begins to bring in revenue, the co-op will gradually pay back the loan until they finally own the business outright. The business with be theirs, owned and run completely by the people in Kantolomba.
Discussing this possibility before the meeting, Theresa said, "We have a lot to learn about how to make a business work. But that is good. We are learning something every day."
We have talked with the team all along about this arrangement, and they had already agreed in principal. Today we just needed to confirm that everyone was on board before we officially begin. To a person they expressed excitement about the project and said they were ready. They are a willing group and an inspiration to all of us in America.
Marking out the hammermill building site
We also discussed creating a Living Compassion uniform. This was the team's idea--they would like to have a way of indentifying themselves as part of the Living Compassion project. Several possibilities were discussed. In the end, the group decided they should all have black slacks and purple shirts--children, women, and men. The suggestion of slacks for the women caused quite a stir. Seeing their reaction, and unable to understand their Bemba, we imagined they preferred skirts instead, but the opposite was true. "This is a dream come true for the women," Theresa told us afterwards. "They have seen slacks in the shops but have lacked the means to buy them." Then she thought about it a bit, and added, "This is the way it is with Living Compassion. One by one all our dreams are coming true."
This is our experience, also. As we go through this great experiment together, one by one our dreams come true.
And that was our day. More adventures to come tomorrow!