Well today I got to experience first hand just how important these biosand filter are to people here in Zambia. Despite avoiding certain foods that are problematic for Americans, drinking only bottled water, and washing my hands ,somehow I still got sick. I think it happened when I was in a village pulling up a bucket of contaminated water from a hand dug well. Thy say experience is the best teacher and if so, I have a doctorate in empathy for these people now.
This has really underscored the importance of biosand filters for these people. I feel horrible right now. I can’t even stand up straight. I can’t imagine having to go out and do manual labor to provide for my family feeling this way, or worrying because I cannot take care of my child who is sick from the water. Sadly, however, this is everyday life in Zambia, but it doesn’t have to be.
I did my best but in the end (no pun intended due to my plumber crack) I was too sick to continue putting together the molds. So Katie Rose and Mike from Blood:Water Mission helped make 20 biosand filters. Believe it or not I was not trying to avoid work. I was genuinely sad I could not complete that part of the day but I needed to keep going with the plumbing service around town.
Katie did such a great job and now she can add this to her already long list of occupations she has had in her short life time.
After getting some meds in me, I was feeling up for helping to deliver some filters to some families who have been on a list waiting for a long time.
I am so glad I did not miss this. It was amazing standing in someone’s tiny, dark, home knowing that life would be better for them and their family by the time we left.
For some reason they trusted me to set up a filter and I was told I did it perfectly, but if not, I did offer to leave Katie behind to fix it.
Today, and this trip, have been such a blessing for me. I can’t wait to share more stories and ask people to get involved in helping the people we met in Zambia. I have felt their pain of contaminated water, literally, and I can’t wait to get back to buy a couple filters myself to help make life better for these amazing people.
