Crashing on the emotional roller coaster

Posted by Serge - Thursday, April 17, 2008

The next day, we left at 5:30 in the morning. We wanted to arrive at our destination, where mothers and daughter met to collect water, before sunrise. Contaminated water. Our goal was to interview as many people as possible. Questions like: ‘Are you aware that this water is contaminated?’ ‘Wouldn’t you rather go to school instead of lugging those heavy water bottles for 6 hours a day?’ ‘Have you seen family members die from this water?” were all passed in review. Answers like: ‘Yes, I know that this water is full of worms, but it's all there is.' ‘Yes, I’d love to become a doctor, but first I have to survive long enough to make it there.’ ‘Yes, I’ve seen them die and I’m sick now as well…’ hit us hard. Sadie started to crack up. Her emotions got the better of her. She turned away from the children, hiding her face under a handkerchief. I managed to keep a stiff upper lip, but it became harder and harder…even now, while I write these words.

Thank God!
Next stop clean water; and please hurry! Our hefty 4x4, built in the eighties, hauled us up into the mountains. After bumping along for about an hour, we arrived at a community that WaterAid has been helping intensively for a year now. We can see the difference immediately. The contrast is immense. These people are happy, healthy and look towards the future with optimism. The reason behind this: the gravity flow system. By playing around with the pressure related to differences in altitude, people can get clean, healthy water from the well up to 2 km further away in the village. This supplies their daily needs, sanitary facilities, their cattle, their crops etc. As the male representative of the Ecover team, I was awarded the honour of talking to the 'village elders'. It was an interesting talk, in which their offering thanks to God for bringing Ecover to them is something I won’t forget easily. Sincere thanks, something wonderful!