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
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