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African Night #3 Our second Stop: The Wells We left the Homas area and walked to our next destination, coming to the front of it where there were those huge white buckets thtat perhaps a painter would have filled with paint. There were 4 buckets, two were filled with water that had dirt at the bottom and things floating in it like straw and grass. We were told that this is the water that they would drink, wash with , do laundry with, cook with and anything else you could think of to use water for. The other 2 buckets that were empty were for people to try and balance on their heads, because this is the way the women would carry the water home from the well or the river, not to mention with strapped to their backs or in their arms. Empty buckets are hard to balance, let alone buckets filled with water. Someone said a gallon of water weighed 7 pounds, it that is true imagine what it would feel like to fill a 5 gallon buckt and carry that on your head back home to your family! After that we headed through the doorway.. inside the heat was very stifling as we walked through tall grass and plants down the dirt road. Plants lined up on both sides to the end where the fist well was. There are two types of wells: - The first well, was just a square hole in the ground that people would send their buckets down and pull back up the water in. The only covering over this well is pieces of wood and many lose their life falling in. We were told that when the bucket got stuck or the well seemed dry, they would send their first born down there to see if he can fix it and produce the water needed; again many have lost their life doing this. (Someone asked why the first born .. the answer was, because they are the ones trusted.. the ones who are to become family heads someday.. many do not have fathers.. so their position in the family is a high one.) - The second well was a pump well. These are wells that give them the purest water and actually the water is purer than what we drink, so they told us. These wells are paid for and put in thrugh donations, such as what the church gave them. The costs of these wells are $14,000.00 and as of July of this year, one family donated the full amount to have a second well put in. So they now have 2 pumping wells. Doing laundry either by the well water or in the river is an all day excursion. The trip alone could be over a 2 hour walk - if by the river - wash your clothes and then carry the wet clothes back to hand to dry on the clothes line. - if by the well water - you walk to the well which again can be a good hike carry your water back home - wash your clothes - go back to the well for more water - carry that back home - rinse your clothes and then hang them to dry. Keep in mind that most walks to any of the water spots is over 2 hours! Now that is a true laundry 'day!' As we left the well area and walked back outside to our next stop, the air felt cool! I could not have imagined that I would have ever said, Thank God we are out here where it is cool! I live in Florida and it was 82 degrees today and muggy, but nothing compared to what it felt like in the Bush of Zambia! It was this stop at the wells that my mom stated.. they live a hard life.. my response was but they do not know that.. they make the most of what they have.. who's to say the 'hard' life is not the better life? Our next stop... A visit to one of the Homes.. Have a great day all..  Gina ___________ Find the humor each day holds.... Gina |
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