Our last day in the village brought both joy and sadness as we relished in the accomplishments of our time with the villagers. We were able to help them fix some major issues with the canal and both assess water needs and observe and participate in gathering water to better understand the issues the villagers face with the critical resource. All in all, it was satisfying to see the water running again. The water testing and maintenance plans we will provide the villagers will help them with ongoing planning, something they have struggled with accomplishing to this point. Also, the village was working on raising funds for maintenance and it appeared that from a political perspective, a lot of ground was gained this trip.
At the same time, saying goodbye to all the wonderful people we had met and interacted with during our stay was difficult. Everyone met for one last socializing near the end of the day and some gifts were exchanged. Pictures captured by the “Paparazzi” (my new village nickname) were a hot commodity that day. It was fun to see everyone one last time before getting ready to leave.
-S
Here are a few pics from that day.
