Out of Africa: Part 7 (Continued - C) – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005
Experience #4 - The Water Source

We left the dispensary after the 25 minute program that closed with me having a public prayer for the project and the people. We all walked about a mile to a local water source. I am sure you have heard about these water sources; I know I have. But nothing can prepare you for what you actually see. It is a sickening experience in many respects.

This water source is actually a wadi. Wadis are not well known in the US, so let me briefly explain them. A wadi is in essence a dry river bed most of the time. In the rainy season however (especially the March-April longer rains) they become a raging river for anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours while the rain runs off. It is similar to what we call flash floods in the States, however in this part of the world, they are a vital source of water.

The water source had to be reached by walking 6-8 feet down the banks of the wadi. The water itself was about an 8x12 foot area of the filthiest mess you can imagine. It had a film on top of it. It is the same location where animals get their water. Each year during the dry season a hippo is killed at this source to protect the women and children. (Masai can throw their razor sharp spears with deadly accuracy over very great lengths.) I will write more why a hippo is dangerous later in the week.

The women will spend 2-4 hour every day simply getting water! They will select a location ten to fifty feet “down stream from the source” on the dry wadi bed, and then dig down two to six feet in the sand to retrieve water that has “filtered” through the sand. It still looks brown! They scoop it up into whatever plastic containers they can find. It then must be carried home (remember water is 8 pounds per gallon!) The lucky ones have a donkey or a cart.

There are several justice issues at play here. The first is the sanitation and health issue. That is quite simply a no brainer. Imagine the health concerns that can be addressed simply having access to clean water. The second issue is the loss of man/woman power. Imagine what your life would be like if you were to lose 2-4 hours every day just getting the day’s water!

As we returned from the visits the day before, I had observed the Africans throwing their Dasani water bottles out of the windows of the vehicles. I thought, “They are making the same mistake Americans did. They are throwing trash on the landscape just as we did.” I was later told that in reality this was a helpful thing because the local people will pick these bottles up and use them to carry water. In addition the smaller bottles provided the children a container to carry water to school. Be careful what you think Terry. Things are not always as they appear.