WELL AND SPRING INAUGURATION SATURDAY 1 JUNE 2013

The trip to the well and spring inauguration started out great. Elder Gates treated all in the car to a coconut bounty ice cream bar.

We parked at the mayors office and he kids began to gather.

Mayor's office.

Sister Moon plays with the kids bumping knuckles.

Inside the Mayor's office. His title is Chef du Quartier, literally "Neighborhood Chief". There are several layers of neighborhood and community administration.

This little tyke was fascinated with his reflection and was performing karate kicks.

He then approached to see himself better.

Elder Gates getting his Canon loaded and ready.

Carrying the rolls and drinks to the festivities.

We passed a tailor on the trail.

Liked the message on the T shirt.

Early arrival at the inauguration site. There were five wells and three spring captures in this project. This well is in the yard of one of the Chief's.

The new well with pump in place painted blue.

Love the message molded into the chairs.

Young men brought the cooler full of drinks down the trail

This is the only address sign I have seen in the area.

The Mundeles hiding in the back in the shade.

Boys who requested a photo.

The village children paraded into waving the leaves in their hands, chanting about the Mundeles coming to their rescue.

Eloi is the bespectacled man in the brown suit and tie who directs the NGO that engineered and did the work on the wells and springs.

A popular local comedian came to the event.

This is the traditional chier, descended from the first settlers in the area, very solemn, and with native dress, waving the fly whisk made from the tail of some animal, wearing a leopard skin had with a bird beak peak.

The police chief is being introduced.

Eloi and his associate being introduced.

The water committee. Their job is to manage the wells and springs, collect funds from the users, oversee maintenance.

The children were shooed away and invited guests and adults took their place.

The comedian being introduced.

The well diggers and masons.

An acting troupe performed a play about bad water and being saved by the NGO and the Church.

I thought certain people among the readers would be interested in one actor's footwear.

Reading the inauguration document.

One of the mayors speaking.

Police Chief speaking.

Each worker received a certificate of appreciation.

Ribbon cutting. 

Gathered around the well after pumping and drinking the water.

Following the well and pump ribbon cutting a procession to one of the springs headed down to the river's edge where the springs were captured.

The faces of some of the important persons in the procession to the spring.

Kids along the procession route.

Readying the ribbon cutting at the Spring.

Everyone drinks.

The well pipes running water from the captured spring.

The kids are the real benegactors.

Children will have clean water to drink.

Local rowdies gathered and became disruptive. Our translators advised us to leave. They later broke into the home where the refreshments were stored and stole drinks and rolls.

The Moons who oversaw the project and control the proposal and approval and funding requests and disbursement.

The rowdies again.

Returning to the chief's yard after visiting the spring.

Being photographed.

The closing prayer. Our guides and translators told us that we should leave right after the prayer because the crowd would become unruly when the refreshments ran out and would blame the Mundeles for the shortage. Later we were told they became unruly and demanded money from Eloi because he supposedly had receive much money for the project and he should share it with them. He had to leave too.

On the way back to the trucks we passed dwellings. This woman is pounding cassava leaves. The verb is "piler".

Well balanced.

Home along the trail.

Another living area.

The path back to the trucks.

Women and children in their yard

Trucks ahead.

Ready to depart.

The processional to the spring. (out of sequence)

Filling the glass from the spring. (out of sequence)