Our tour continued with Pastor Patrick taking us to the not-so-nearby water source. Women and children cautiously step onto the log used to create a pool in this flowing water source. They clear the muck off the top of this pool and dunk their dirty, yellow jerry cans under the top layer of sludge to collect water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and cleaning. Um wait, this is my bath water? Oh my…good thing I didn’t know until the last day. They load those containers on the top of their heads, on the back of a bicycle, or under their arms and begin their trek home – sometimes at distances of many kilometers.
While the people here don’t know any better – they do know that bore holes are drilled and safe water is consumed in other parts of the country. They puzzle, why not here too?