
Hands on: Jose at the borehole which he insists on maintaining
An elderly chief in Angola takes care of his village in gratitude for what he has received
Jose Candonga is the leader of the community in Issombo in Angola, a small rural village for whom ForAfrika installed a borehole a number of years ago.
He greets visitors with a huge smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. He says that although he is 100 years old, he still has much to live for.
Jose, who owns the land on which the borehole stands, has maintained the borehole himself and led the community in making bricks to build a school, toilets, and a church. ForAfrika assisted with the roof sheeting and plaster for these projects.
A large vegetable garden, where the children are learning about gardening, has been established near the borehole, holding the promise of a bountiful harvest.
Women walk up and down the hill to fetch their water from the borehole.
Jose says he does all this because he has received so much from others that he wants to do his bit in return.
“I don’t do it alone, I do it with my community and my church,” he points out quickly and smiles again. When we asked why he looked so happy, his answer was humbling: “I am very happy always. I have nothing to complain about. I have something to eat, something to drink, somewhere to live. That is why I am always smiling.”