SWSC's Noah

Well, it’s official; SWSC has finally got wheels of our own. My favourite part of this entire vehicle purchasing spectacle, you ask? It was when the seller of the vehicle asked if we wanted to buy another vehicle from him. This is how the conversation went: 

Seller: “I have another one if you’re interested”.

Me (laughing): “It took us almost 6 years to buy this one; I don’t think we are ready for another one quite yet”.
Seller (laughing in disbelief): “Are you sure”?
Me (wanting to say, but only thinking): “Buddy, don’t let my skin colour deceive you. I have been hitch hiking around this country for 6 years. You have no idea how much effort we have put into making a decision on this one”.
Seller (probably thinking but not saying): “Lady, you are the craziest and I guess the poorest mzungu (white peson) I have ever met”.
Me (now feeling in disbelief as I walk out of his office and the entire way home): “I can’t believe I don’t have to hitch hike home. I can’t believe we finally bought a vehicle. I can hardly believe this, but I have to….this is way too good to be true”. 

 SWSC's first vehicle purchase, a Toyota Noah

So, every time I walk into my bedroom and peer out my front window and see a vehicle parked in my driveway, I still get excited thinking there is somewhere here to visit me; then I remember that it’s ours. As I sit here and write this at my dining room table, I can see a silver coloured Mom-Mobile sized machine that has so much potential (not likely for carting kids to soccer practice although it certainly could play that role). Our new vehicle has the potential to drive (excuse the pun) this organization to a new future. Here are some of the advantages:

·         Trips to Solwezi can be made on a schedule (no more walking 25 minutes out to the highway, waiting for whatever vehicle we can hike in at whatever time to take us to some unknown destination in town once we have arrived).

·         Efficiency is now possible (despite the horrible traffic in Solwezi…that has only one 2 lane road that reaches from one end of town to the other, not to mention that it is the only way to reach the rest of Northwestern Province north-west of Solwezi, or the entire rest of the country south-east of Solwezi). We are able to visit council offices, do shopping, have meetings and make so many other SWSC errands in the same day.

·         We can assist a community member in an emergency situation (no more walking 10km to a rural health post when you are suffering from malaria). We will be able to take those who are in serious need of medical attention to the nearest clinic for assistance.

·         Supporting local just got easier! In our own vehicle, we can stop and buy what we need, from local farmers (beans, bananas, potatoes and vegetables…all that we can from the side of the road). 

Truly, the list of advantages is endless, but I will leave it at that. I often find it difficult to FEEL the progress of SWSC when I have never been separated from its operations, not once in almost 6 years. Although it will take some time to completely set in and although I know that this is only a small piece of completing the puzzle….it is entirely satisfying to be reminded that we moving along just fine. We aren’t finished yet, there is so much more to do. We’ve hit speed bumps (yet another clever pun), been delayed at road blocks (mhmmm), paid a few unjustified tickets (still going), and have never once put ourselves into reverse (I’m done now). One day, I hope I’ll be able to look back and REMEMBER how much we have struggled so I can FEEL grateful for how far we will have come.