Friday, October 11, 2013

October 2013 Happenings at Malima Primary School

A Very Welcome Visitor
Summer, 2013

I apologise for not having contributed anything to this site for some time. I had technical problems with the site, but not because there were problems at Malima Primary School. The very good news is that being a village far removed from the everyday problems of the world, our children are left in peace to continue their education without worrying about the problems that are a plague to modern society.

There is much to be said for being incommunicado during these times. Once in a while, the village of Gouria receives visitors who bring selective good news. Laura and Maria, two lovely Spanish ladies, who are sisters, journeyed to Gouria in the company of Agustin, a member of our El Proyecto Malima/The Malima Project team. They were received like royalty and made to feel loved and comfortable. It is important that the village receive visitors to confirm that what we think has occurred, has indeed taken place. This is generally not a problem as the village requested our help and have always acted  as our partners.

Laura and Maria did a wonderful job of decorating the classrooms with wall paintings to brighten up otherwise drab walls with learning pictures. We have sent several people in the past but to add art to the walls means that you will be remembered for a very long time.

Agustin had a very full agenda of administrative matters to deal with, but mid-way through his stay he became ill, and worryingly, he still does not know what was wrong, although he is completely recovered. He attended a clinic that treats all who wish assistance, but the standard of the clinic is so far below that which we in the  West take for granted, he felt that in order to have the best chance to recuperate, he returned home to Spain.

This type of experience can be considered to be an integral part of understanding life in a third world country. The locals expect no more and somehow they manage to recover from their illnesses. Of course, some don't, but life goes on even though Westerners would consider some outcomes as outrageous. Even Maria and Laura became ill, but they were able to overcome their problems and to continue on. Even though the village has clean water from the borehole, it takes a little bit of getting used to life in the village, and the chances are that the visitor may go through a kind of iniatation period.

Shortly, the Spanish charity, El Proyecto Malima/The Malina Project will hold its Annual General Meeting. The news we will have to share is very encouraging, especially in that we have at long last been able to reach out to other villages around Gouria to share the love. More about that later, but in the meantime we extend our grateful appreciation to Laura and Maria and to Agustin for their contribution to the Project. It is heartening to know that they each got so much back in return.

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael