Turning a life of thirst into a thirst for life.

Water.  A necessity of life.  Yet there are so many places throughout the world that do not have access to safe, clean water.

Two weeks ago, I went to fetch water for my host mom so she could do her laundry.  As I collected the water containers to wheel them to the tap, my neighbor informed me the tanks at the tap were empty.  The tanks are filled via a pump and machine generator, but the diesel had run out – thus the pump was no longer being pumped.  Supposedly my neighbor had informed me this was going to happen the week prior, as it was known throughout the village the diesel was going to run out, and that I should fill my tank before this happens.  Apparently when she told me this, was the same point I decided I did not need to fill my water drum so that I could clean it out when it was empty – clutch timing.

The following day I went into Turfloop, a larger community and site of the University of Limpopo – Turfloop.  While on campus, putting their internet access to good use, I needed to use the toilet.  En route, I ran into a friend and after a quick conversation, I excused myself to go down the hallway.  She then asked me where I was going, only to inform me that all of Turfloop was out of water – out of water?  How does this happen to me?  Unless I wanted to step outside to relieve myself and water some flora, I was going to have to hold my bladder tight until I got back to Masealama as the janitor had locked the bathrooms as the toilets could not flush.

Last Thursday, as I waited with a friend, Gift, for a kombi to take me to town, his cousin pulled up in a large truck, like a U-Haul truck.  My friend informed me the two of them were heading to Turfloop with the truck to fetch water.  I was confused, as literally right outside of his front gate is a tap where water comes freely – or so I thought.  Unbeknown to me, the water that side of Masealama has not been flowing since last year November.  Yet, just up the hill where I live, I have but occasionally been denied water at the tap.  They told me they would drop me in Turfloop where I could then catch a kombi to town.  As we pulled into Turf, they invited me along to help fill their containers.  Of course I accepted their invitation.

As we worked on filling all of the containers of water (about 3,000 liters worth), I asked Gift’s cousin why their side of Masealama had not had water since last year November?  As usual with politics, the municipality continually diverts their reasons to different places every so often, so nobody really knows why.  He told me that what they should do is start charging for the water, so to discourage waste.  This was interesting to me coming from a country where in every household we only need to flip the faucet on and have instant, clean, clear, fluoride infused water, now having to fetch my water I rarely waste any – if it’s not consumed or used for bathing, it’s used for washing dishes and further “flushing” the toilet.  So to hear in a place where water must be fetched using a wheelbarrow, that people are wasting water – remarkable.

In Turfloop and Polokwane, one must pay for the water they use in their homes, some paying upwards of R800 per month (equivalent of +/-$100).  As we were in Turfloop, I asked how much he is paying for this water only to find out that the tap we were using, at his cousin’s not-yet-completed home, was an illegal connection and thus it was of no cost.  Apparently this is a very common thing around here, along with illegal electrical connections.

I then ask myself, what do the people in communities such as those living that side of Masealama do that do not have access to a large “U-haul” truck?  Or that do not have a place with an illegal connection to obtain their water in another community?  Or those that do not another village that will allow them to fill their tanks?  I am told those living this side (up the hill where I live) of Masealama do not allow those that side (down the hill) to bring their containers to our taps and tanks to fill them.

Should they have access?  Who is to say they should or not?  Who should pay for this access?  The government?  The municipality?  Where does the money come from?  Should they charge per liter?  Is it right to charge someone for a basic human necessity?

Yesterday I needed to do my laundry; I woke at 6:00AM to do so.  I had no water, so I gathered three containers, a wheelbarrow, and headed to the water tower.  To my surprise there were five or so other people there before me, waiting patiently in line.  After getting my laundry started, I still needed more water.  When I arrived at the tap this time, there were even more people, I could tell there was agitation in the air.  My friend quickly informed me someone had stolen the machine that pumps the water from the ground, during the night, hence the crowd forming at the tap to fill their water drum before the tanks run dry of the only water left in Masealama.

The machine was stolen?  Who would do such a thing?  What will we do for water now?  Am I going to have to fetch it from Turf like Gift?  How will I even go about doing that – I don’t have a truck or a car?  Will they find the machine?  Will they get a new machine?  Who will pay for it?

I soon shifted my focus from my wash to filling my water drum for who knows when the water will run out and how long we will have to go without.  In what seemed like twenty minutes, it was now half past nine in the morning, remember I started around 6:00AM.  I was supposed to be at the crèche at 8:00AM, but the ladies were also fetching water and told me not to worry. 

While waiting at the tap, getting closer to my turn, more and more people coming and going, it was confusing who arrived when and whose turn it was next.  I could tell that people were discussing it, hearing my name thrown in the mix every now and then.  Then a friend told me to fill my containers, but a woman disagreed thinking she was next.  All of a sudden, those waiting were telling her that it was my turn and two of them even grabbed my containers and started filling them up – I would have let her go first.  At one point, I counted the number of containers in line, 43 – 25 liter containers waiting to be filled.  This wasn’t even the busiest point.  After filling my water drum, the bathtub and extra bucket for my wash, and helping Makwela fill the Dean’s and Liuhani’s water drums at their homes, I continued on with my wash, finishing near noon – a long morning.

In just two short weeks, I have experienced all of these issues, struggling alongside and amongst the locals.  Throughout this year, several struggles have come into the daily life here in Masealama, usually involving water.  I hope that these issues can be resolved, for access to safe, clean drinking water is far too important.

As I will be leaving South Africa in a few short months, I ask myself what I can do to help this situation – both while I am here and furthermore, when I return back to the United States?  What can you do?  What can WE do?  What can your church do?  What can the ELCA do?  One thing that is being done is the ELCA World Hunger program has set a goal of raising $250,000 in 2012 in the 100 Wells Challenge.  They are encouraging youth groups to either donate to the program or bring their offerings to this summer’s upcoming ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans.  Although this project may not directly help my community in Masealama, it is important to know that there are many places all over the world that need these wells just as much, if not more than, Masealama.  Let’s turn a life of thirst into a thirst for life.