Posted in Kenya on November 14, 2013
Wednesday’s activities involved a collective effort of the DWC team together with about 20 adult members of the village including both men and women. We replaced sections of the original local 1 1/2 inch PVC water distribution line in the adjacent County of Fittings with 3 inch pipe to allow for an expansion of the system to service more families. In my mind as a planner it might have made sense to go larger in diameter to plan for the future, but this seemed furthest from their minds at this time.
This trench was only a couple feet deep and in an open area beside the road and was more in line with the pictures we had seen on the DWC website. Only about 100 feet was dug up and back filled in our time there today, so to us progress seemed slow, but it was mostly because there were a limited number of shovels (also too short, too round and too flat) and hoes so that we all had to take turns at the job. There is no doubt that today’s task and the future work on this section of the distribution system could be more efficiently handled with a small backhoe, but the local people would not take the same pride in their accomplishments I’m sure as they did today. To those of the local community in attendance tremendous progress was in fact made, both at the task at hand, but in learning more of each other’s lives and traditions as we sat together chatting over tea /coffee and bread when we were done. There were some very enlightening conversations which hopefully will be shared by other members of the team when able.
Our work was over by early afternoon but not at our choosing, and all of us felt we had not given enough of our time to the day’s task or to the project, but these things are not within our control. So it was back to the lodge for a late lunch and a cold beer or two, some reading and a little volleyball.
We finally at the end of the day as the clouds parted from the mountains were able to catch our first glimpse of the snow covered peak of Mount Kenya. Spectacular sight.
We do not know what the next days job will be until we gather in the morning with the project coordinator Margaret. Our first order of the day, as it is every day and was again at the completion of today’s efforts, was for Margaret to give thanks in prayer to God and to all those that have made this water project possible.
Beth Halpenny DWC Participant Kenya, November 2013
Posted in Kenya on November 14, 2013
