Maize for Days, Yet Wishing for Water

Upon arriving back to Madisi, my lovely little village community, I’ve noted what is going on. People are greeting me, and amazed by the new confidence I have in speaking Chichewa, but there are so many more things to note.
It’s no longer the rainy season which is very evident due to the high grass and maize fields that have been burned down and observing creative african reuse the cobs from the maize for firewood.
Upon leaving Peoples, the local “grocery” store, where I have the employees as friends, and often buy my bottled water; I stopped to notice what was happening on a neighbors porch. Id say it was 10 women or so, practically drowning in maize kernels that were removed by hand to prepare for their families for maize flour, for the upcoming months. Not only the sight, but the sound; boy these women were having a blast! I mean, I was literally 20 steps to my house, but could not resist; I stopped, dropped my bag, and joined in. I wanted to laugh too(and help). Despite not knowing much chichewa beyond my 4 months of knowledge, I tried to communicate, and allowed the community to happen. Love & laughter were in the air, as we worked on burying ourselves deeper into the maize.
***The Maize here is the staple food, made for making nsima.
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So to me it seems as if there is maize for days, yet I know many people will still suffer. In addition to these findings, I knew something else was different…
Tinashe’s kitchen is quaint and tidy, however, very different that what I am used to. There are at least 3 large drums of water, stored in the kitchen. Yes, we have a sink with a tap in the kitchen, but as of lately, its run dry. Now, if you do not already know, water usually comes 2-3 times a week to the tap. It is not always just “turn the knob and get water” type of kitchen sink I am used to. When the water comes, its pressure is very low, and Tinashe is generally up for 2-3 hours refilling the drums.
Now, you are aware of this typical day-to-day water crisis, but now, 7 days in counting we have not had any water. In fact, I have not seen the drums replenished with a drop of water since I returned on Wednesday. Not only here at our house, but all the taps in this trading center, and our only other alternatives are wells.

Picture with me…

a house with a toilet,
dirty dishes, dirty clothes,
dirty bodies/hands,
and thirsty bodies.
Without water coming from the tap, we are in need. We are in crisis.
With the alternative of fetching water from wells, well, that in itself is another blog post. (time to walk there, or money to hire someone on a bike/foot)
Its costly,
time-consuming &
quite unfair.
Not to mention, when the power gets shut off, and stores close early, buying water is no longer an option either.

It might sound silly, but we need prayer. We need water. I think of the less educated who are only use dirty water to feed the children, wash their bodies or clothes in polluted streams, or lastly, the toilets that cannot be flushed in the homes, because there is no water to fill the tank.

Last night Tinashe and I both had dreams about water coming out of the tap, and still nothing.

Please be praying…. this is injustice. With 80% of the country like this, access to clean water, can change lives

*Also, a favorite organization helping to change the lives of communities without clean water is Charitywater.org