We continue to be very busy but the Mission President left town for a week, so for me that meant it was time for our first full day off since arriving. My goal was to head south until we hit the Zambezi River. That in itself is another story. Here are two items on today's drive that stuck with me.
In the first photo is the local miller. Instead of two stones or a home kitchen mortar and pestle, Mrs. Miller has a very nice grinder run by a gas generator. Women were on the dusty road walking to her with maize or corn and walking back with flour for nshima. Of course this was all carried on their heads. But here are two men waiting under the tree for their maize to be ground up. They had arrived with two cows (brahma type) pulling a skid. The skid was made from a forked tree limb and chained to the cattle. Across the limb was a couple of boards and their maize was placed on top. To me the amazing thing was that the load had to be dragged to its destination. It is a method as old as time itself. They certainly could carry more maize than what could be placed on their heads, so I suppose a step in the right direction. Perhaps an axle and wheels would not work over the terrain they traveled?
Here was the other photo that got me thinking. You will notice a typical house or two but look closer at the roof of the one on the left. That is an electric solar panel! I didn't have the nerve to stop but I wonder what it powered? How much could it store in a battery? What would run off of it?
Maybe just a light, and their home is smoke free now and their productive hours are extended?
I don't know if it is good thing or not. But I am in awe at every turn.
