I believe it was Einstein who once said that ‘necessity was the mother of invention’ and if there is one lesson that I will learn during my time here, I would venture to say it is resourcefulness. The amount of things that I have seen improvised by my villagers is truly astounding. Don’t have a hammer and nails? These carefully selected stones will do the job. Have something stuck in your teeth but don’t have a toothpick? This large thorn will take care of it. Don’t have a level or straight edge to use for that table you’re constructing? Just place it in the shadow of your house. Don’t have paint or wallpaper but want to spruce up your house? Simply draw on the walls with ash and seal with a coat of bee’s wax. Don’t have the nuts or bolts you need to reattach that bus axle? This stick will do the trick.
Well, sometimes they might take the ‘mend and make do’ attitude a bit far for my liking. But overall, they are genius and I am completely their student. So far I have managed to improvise an oven, several door and window latches, a loufa, curtain rods, candle holders, a hanging fruit dish, a coffee maker and probably half a dozen other things that I can’t think of right now.
And armed with baked goods, a weekend hiding place from the early morning sun, and above all coffee, my life is greatly improved.
“It’s the little things and the joy they bring”
