As many of you may know, fellow member Dave Buttgen is currently working in Malawi, Africa, as a Volunteer International Professional (VIP) helping local fish farmers learn how to build high efficiency drying ovens that will be used to dry soybeans into fish pellets.
Dave, seen above, is volunteering in the Zomba River Basin area of southern Malawi, which is home to some of the poorest people in the world. Annual income is only about $111.00 per year and the incidence of grave disease such as TB, HIV, and River Blindness is very prevalent.
Dave is helping local metal workers and farmers build the drying ovens from scratch and using only locally available materials and tools. Too often, organizations have provided people with expensive machinery and technology that they lacked the skills and money to properly maintain after the helping organization left the area. Dave's design for the oven--and also for a wind turbine that will aerate fish ponds--assures that the people who use them can also build and maintain them long after Dave leaves the country.
Dave will be retuning home to Berryville on Saturday, October 10th. Our prayers go out to Dave for his safe return.
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