Arriving late in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) last night, I slowly fell into a light sleep only to suddenly wake up to my alarm, unsure of where I was – I guess jet lag had set in!
I spent the morning with our African partner organization, Cheshire Foundation, visiting some of the school and community water and sanitation projects we are supporting in Addis Ababa.
What stood out for me today, from all of my past visits to one school we have been supporting over the past 15 months, was the kind and generous hug I received from a young girl. She saw me out of her classroom window, and ran up to me, arms wide opening, closing around my waste.
She could not have been more than 6 years old, although she was quite tiny for her age and had Down Syndrome.
Her teacher came out and gently led her away, saying to me ‘thank you, now my 14 students, who are all affected by a mental or physical disability, have a proper place to go to the bathroom.” With a ramp to improve accessibility, a raised toilet and support bars for one stall in the brand new latrine block at this school, the young girl who so warmly greeted me now has a safer place to learn.
It must be market day, as the number of people and animals we narrowly miss on the highway to Butajira is astounding.
Horses pulling carts, men walking cattle, women carrying sacks of charcoal, goats grazing in the nearby fields, and donkeys – well - if I didn’t know better I would think they were all on a suicide mission – with the water and food on their backs unlikely to reach its destination.
They seem to own the highway here, and I am happy to report that we arrived back in Addis without a single incident, and with everyone and their animals heading back to where they started – phew.
1,600 students. 30 teachers. 4 bathroom stalls. One working tap.
This is the reality for Awash Primary School in Ethiopia. A team of dedicated teachers comes to work each day, to a muddy compound with school blocks constructed of local materials and to teach students in dark and crowded classrooms.
To teach and learn here is nothing short of a challenge, but the students and teachers are keen. What a difference access to clean water, safe bathrooms and hygiene education would make here. It is the reality I see in front of me that reminds me of the importance of the work being done by WaterCanand our African partner organizations. I hope to be able to tell you the "after" part to this story soon!
Africa, Women and STRENGTH:
Survival
Tough
Resilient
Endurance
Necessity
Gentle
Together
Humble
Someone told me recently that, "Westerner's have the clock, but Africans keep the time". Looking at the screen blinking "flight delayed" I can't help but smile at this saying – and reflect on how true it really is.
At Namungona Primary School in Kampala, Uganda today, I’m amazed to see the level of cooperation between the students at this Christian-founded school and the students from the neighbouring Muslim school.
Together, the students perform short skits sharing information about HIV/AIDs and the importance of good hygiene practices using clean water and sanitation facilities.
Their voices collide in a beautiful chorus, and they end their dance in a circular formation, hands held high demonstrating cleanliness and the proper use of safe water. There is great hope for the children of this generation and the next if this is a sign of things to come!
While I am 7 hours ahead I know my colleagues are busily preparing for the Collega for Aveda Walk for Water in cities across Canada in celebration of Earth Day 2010. Each year, participants walk 5 km to garner support for the global water and sanitation crisis, a crisis that is all too blatantly staring me in the face outside the car window here.
Our 2010 4-day regional workshop finished this morning, and all but the participants from Ethiopia have returned to their respective countries. I too should have been on my way home as of last night, but due to the volcanic eruption last week I am going to be spending an extra 5 days in Kampala – definitely not the worst place to be!!!
The regional workshop was by all accounts a success as 37 field staff and managers representing 14 of WaterCan's African partner organizations met face-to-face in Kampala. Great discussion was had focusing on work to date with the current cycle of Clean Water for Schools and community-based ea-WASH projects. And we looked ahead to another exciting year of programming!
How do the small rapids on the Nile sound? Wonderful! Finally some peace and quiet – a nice one night spent away from the hustle and bustle of Kampala – listening to the small rapids flowing quickly past where I sleep – birds chirping, red tailed monkeys calling to each other. A nice change from the big city!
The wheels of the plane make contact with the runway. I'm back on home soil. The past three weeks have been a whirlwind of wonderful learning, sharing and reflecting opportunities that I look forward to writing about the experience in greater detail in future WaterCan publications!
Leslie's Fall 2009 Monitoring and Evaluation Trip Diary
May 2008 Reflections on WEDC Conference - Hygiene Promotion: Old Challenges and New Ideas
Leslie's Fall 2008 Monitoring and Evaluation Trip Diary
