Thirsty?

With the drought in central Texas this year, I began to think about what it would be like to not have easy access to water.   I have to say it made me incredibly grateful every time I took a hot shower.

Today we met a lady, Dudu, who showed us how her family collects water.  To the right you will see a picture of the water that I posted earlier on Facebook.   In a word - yuck!  I cringed as I watched the youngest take a drink from one of the containers.   Every one of her 9 kids has been to the hospital for treatment because of the diseases they have contracted through the water.   This family (literally all the kids from age 3 - 13) spends about 2 hours a day collecting water, and that's assuming the spring near their house is producing.  If it isn't, add another hour or two to that.  It's constantly on their mind.  The oldest girl, Zinhle, said she finds it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork because she is always thinking about needing to get home so she has time to collect water before it gets dark.

Thanks to WorldVision, there will soon be a system in place that makes the nearby river water potable and accessible to the homesteads.  We asked Mom what she will do when the day comes that she has easy access to clean water.  Her reply?  "We will have a big party and drink and bathe all day!"