Backgrounder

Who are the people of Njuyu? The people are Ngoni, a tribal group that migrated north from the Natal region of South Africa (some say from what is Swaziland) somewhere between ca, 1811-1830. Legend says they are Zulu but the little I read paints a more mixed lineage.

Where is Njuyu? Northern, Malawi, Africa : 11° 31' 0" South, 33° 42' 0" East

What is the history of this village? I hope to learn some of the cultural stories. What I know now is that the village was started by a group of Ngoni in northern Malawi who invited Donald Fraser, a Scottish Presbyterian missionary, to migrate with them from Hora during a time of famine in 1902. One of the notables from the village is the prolific African hymnwriter Mawelera Tembo. (If you are interested in more see: http://embangwemi.com/FraserNgoni.htm )

Why build a well in this village? In 2006 Rev. Munthali my husband's host during his first trip to Malawi said, “Go with this guy, feast your eyes and come right back.” Rather than taking a half hour tour; Michael was “kidnapped” and taken to a remote village where 20 village chiefs had assembled. They told Michael they needed wells. He told them he’d try to find the funds for one but they had to decide who needed it most. They prioritized the village most distant from fresh water. That first well was dug a year later and over the past four years different sponsors have funded 12 of the village wells. A couple of years ago I told Michael to pick the village with the most kids for me to work on. I figured the most kids mean the most moms. I know clean water is important to any woman who wants her kids to thrive and who might also have some dreams worthy of some time saved from having to walk miles each day to find fresh water