Today and yesterday, we took to the streets, marking as many important points as possible on GPS units. On Tuesday, we split into teams of three and toured two of Marwa’s sub-villages: Njakitai and Pateli. Sierra, Pat, and Robbie surveyed Njakitai while Alex, Melanie, and Randall surveyed Pateli. Before splitting, we saw a few major parts of town. We saw the churches, dispensary, and the primary school.
On our separate surveys, our guides took us to points in the sub villages at which we might need to take GPS waypoints. The leaders had many points they wanted to show us as they knew what they want their water system to look like. They knew proposed pipe routes, distribution points with good reasoning behind it, and even a tank. They pointed out points of high population, and major buildings too which many people travel every day. In the afternoon, the team converged for a large-scale meeting where nearly 200 community members came to hear about our program and learn what they need to do to help the program step forward. Introductions were made all around, and each of us was given the opportunity to speak to the crowd and communicate what we feel is very important about the mission.
As that forum came to a close, we invite those at the forum who belong to either the Njakitai or Patelli sub-villages to join smaller social surveys, to talk in more focused sessions about water issues in their own neighborhood. At the sub-village survey, people talked about their water usage, their aspirations for a future with adequate water, and the lives of their children now and into the future. After another tasty dinner of Nyama Choma barbeque, we said good night and headed back to Same.
As today started, we again split into our separate groups, to tour the last two villages. Group A will tour the sub village of Marwa, the most populated sub village, while Group B toured Lesirway. Again, similar points of interest were identified all over the two sub villages. Social surveys were taken where ever we could get a few people to convene and discuss their water story. Finally, as has become quick tradition, we joined together in the late afternoon for a cup of chai, a meal, and light-hearted Kimasai lessons.
A Cement Block Production Yard
Robbie Pesarchick – These days were, I think very productive. Having already been warmly accepted into the community of Marwa Monday, we engineers arrived and happily set to work doing GPS work, measuring building footprints, discussing water usage, and listening to Marwa’s plan for their own water system. I was very proud of how thoughtful neighbors had been, selecting carefully the best points in the village to distribute water. Some points were at schools and dispensaries for the sake of the community, and some were equally spaced among clusters of bomas. What I saw today was a community that came together to come up with what might be the best possible schematic for their own water system, with no training at all. My group was brought to the northern area of Nkjakitai to see the point of highest elevation in Marwa. They figure this might be the best place to put the storage tank, and they might be right.
The second day, in the sub village of Marwa, was very productive in it’s own ways. the “downtown” portion of the village as a whole is in Marwa the sub village. That may sound very confusing, but its why they called the village at large Marwa. Our guides for the day showed us a lot about their development plans for the future, including a new market they would like to set up on a road out of town. They believe having a place to buy and sell on Thursdays before they leave for the Same Masai market on Fridays will give them the best opportunity for success in business. They also showed us many points around town where having a distribution point could be very useful.
We’ve learned a lot about community development on this trip, and how important it is that solutions be organically developed within the society in question. Here, it seems that we didn’t even need to catalyze the design conversation, they’ve meditated on this for a long time. It was additionally beautiful to hear the women’s plans for the time after they do not have to fetch water anymore. Many want to be farmers, some dream of using some water to make beautiful brick or concrete houses like they’ve always wanted. I appreciated the dynamic in my group, as we took turns taking the lead on a conversation. Leading one of these conversations is a point of a lot of responsibility, but genuinely wanting the answers to questions, and having enough Swahili to be able to communicate a portion of the information myself both help.
Sierra Heaton – The past few days we have been in groups taking data points of the community. We would drive around in the land cruisers packed with village leaders as they would direct us to certain spots in the community they wanted us to see. It’s amazing how well they know the land. The work they have already put into this vision is extraordinary. They know what they want and what they’re going to do when that times comes, they just need someone to answer their cries for help. So many people have let them down in the past. We NEED to make this work for them. I have met so many great people and smiling faces. Working with so many of the community leaders is such a great experience because you get to know so many different people and their stories. I want to come back when this is completed and see their reactions when water is brought to all of the sub-villages of Marwa.
Masai women and children
Alex McWhirter – It is hard to over emphasis both the need and the effort the community is willing to put into this system. I not sure if there will be anything that doesn’t remind me of Marwa when we return.
There is something so universal about children and it is amazing to walk into a school (shule in Swahili) and they are learning Kimasai, Kiswahili and Kiingereza (English). I have a few pictures of them taking selfies. Then I took a video of them swarming around the phone and they went wild trying to see themselves.
Today we bought donuts from a women and the chairmen scolded her because her son was not in class, but later we learned that he was there to see the “flying doctor”, a doctor that flies in once a month to look at children and women. One of the boys was doing handstands so I got a chance to show off what my osu tution paid in my tumbling classes.
We were also given fresh milk in one of the bomas. I think I was the only one that even slightly enjoyed it! Every time we try and leave they give us tea and a meal.
We started with a hundred questions. We now have a thousand answers. We all have a million ideas.
Randall Berkley – The last two days have been long days in the hot African sun as we collected the much needed elevations and social survey information. As we walk around the community talking with both the leaders of the community and the residence you can tell how much everyone has dreamed about a water distribution system. Everyone knows where the perfect spots for distribution points are, why they would be there and can articulate how their lives would change. Women specifically mentioned that instead of spending their days transporting water from the river they could start micro-businesses, fish ponds, agriculture and just spend more time around their home. It’s great to see how providing water won’t just solve drinking water problems but also increase their quality of life in a bunch of ways.
Man commissioned to dig a shallow well
Melanie McDonough – Today and yesterday myself, Randall, Alex, and Hagenberger visited two subvillages within the Marwa community: Pateli and Lesirway. We came across so many churches and schools. Marwa’s first cry for water and their second has been consistant- they need more infrastructure for schools and churches. We went to a school today that had 7 classes, 4 classrooms, and 3 teachers. The need is overwhelming however I do believe that if we could bring water to their community they would have the resources to fix their own problems, or at least be a lot closer to it. With more time they can raise funds to pay for the supplies to build their schools and churches and they will have enough water to make concrete. One thing I was surprised at was the level of sophisticated thinking within the Marwa Communtiy, Not only did they know exactly how many and where they wanted their distribution points they understood the importance of treating their water. I have been impressed time and time again by these people and I am so happy to be a part of this project.
Patrick Enright – After two long days of spending time with the community, we are getting a feel for the community’s wants and needs as well as their vision for the community. Before coming, a major assumption we were making is how much they wanted to be a part of this project. When we arrived, they had drawn maps and planned out some ideas for what could be good points for storage tanks and distribution points. The amount of effort they put in to this project reaffirmed our efforts and made us feel like we were going to make a positive change. They have thanked us countless time for answering their call for help and told us about the tremendous impact this would have on their life. If they had access to water they could spend time farming, caring for their families and livestock, making bricks to make their houses safe and modern, and make their community a better place to live. It is heart wrenching to hear them talk about the number of times people have come through their village promising water and not delivering so I feel a hundred times more motivated to follow through and finally deliver the water they desperately need. Hearing the women and children talk about how difficult getting water is on their and their families lives. The women talk about how they get half of the water they need for their families with tears in their eyes, sounding nearly ashamed of their struggle. They live on 10 liters of water pre day, while we use 300 per day in America. The children talk about how they can only carry one bucket of water – equivalent to 20 liters – because the walk is too far for them to carry more, all while they are missing school. They have welcomed us into their community with open arms, making us food and tea for the end of every day. I truly feel like they connected with us and believe this is the time water will finally come to Marwa and I will do everything in my power to make that dream come true. Towards the end of the community surveys, Kateri approached us and told the group that a man had died in the part of town we were headed into and that we needed to go pay respects to the grieving family before going any further. We approached the house and saw a dozen grieving women outside. Following custom and saying “pole sana” to all of the women, which means “very sorry”, and shaking their hands, you could see the pain in their eyes over a lost family member. This humanizing moment showed me that no matter our country of origin or way of life, the connections we have with our loved ones are the most important things we have. This has not been the first humanizing moment for the people of Marwa and I’m sure it won’t be the last, but it will certainly be one of the moments that stands out the most in my memory.
A very special Kids Only survey