A Journey For Water: Monday October 11, 2010

Today we plan to spend our morning with the community members at two W2T projects, Mai-Shana I and Mai Shana II, completed in the summer of 2008. These water points were among the first 12 funded by Triumphant Love Lutheran Church in Austin, the home congregation of Rennie, Ed and Dick. The communities have had more than two years of use from the projects, so it will provided the W2T group a great perspective on the impact of the projects on the community and their operation over the two years.

We depart our hotel about 9:00 am and drive east to Adware and then south to the area of the projects. It takes us about 1 ½ hours to reach Mai-Shana I. This project is located close to the community’s prior water collection point, a wet weather creek bed.

In the dry season, this source would dry up and the community would resort to dipping water out of an old Italian well that is unprotected and very deep. Because of the slowness of gathering this water, wait time often exceeded 3 hours for the women in the dry season. In addition, the creek water source runs past an Army camp where the soldiers use the stream to wash their clothes and to bath. This of course causes major contamination downstream.

The water committee (3 women and 3 men) gave a great account of the functioning of the well and its operation. There have been no issues with either and they experienced no downtime. The water committee has successfully collected annual payments for the maintenance fund, 5 birr (about $.40) from each family using the well. Also each family pays the guard with a ration of grain for his services. In addition the women mentioned the reduction of disease previously caused by the contaminated water. They say it is almost non-existent now.

The community expressed their gratitude by sharing a coffee ceremony, fresh popcorn and roasted sweet corn. We express our gratitude to the committee for receiving us today and our hopes that the clean water brings the blessing of good health and prosperity to their community.

We drive a short distance on the main road and then walk about 20 minutes through the grain fields to reach the Mai-Shana II project.

Here we hear a similar story….their prior water collection point was a wet weather creek bed, shared with the livestock. But in the dry season, their only alternative was dig into the sand in the creek bed in the hope of finding water.

The water committee gives a similar account of the operation of the well…..really trouble free since it was finished. And each community family is contributing its fair share to the maintenance fund and supporting the guard with a ration of wheat. In addition to serving their nearby community, there is a school nearby with about 500 students that has no water source. The committee allows the students to fetch water from their project as they need it.

One particular comment from this community will stick with the W2T team. In expressing their gratitude, the chair of the water committee, Kidanu Woldegerima (age 63), said the following: “My father and his father had no opportunity to drink clean water. I feel blessed to have it now and I give thanks for it every time I eat and drink in my home.” Kidanu is also a priest of a local Ethiopian Christian Orthodox church.

The W2T team left the visits at Mia-Shana I & II exhilarated, seeing firsthand the impact of clean water on the communities, their dedication to protect and share this precious resource, the cooperative nature of the water committee and the community……all done with a grateful heart. There has been no finer moment on our trip.

We say our goodbyes to the community and head back to Axxum, arriving early afternoon. After lunch, the group visits some of Axxum best tourist attractions….