Invest In People

When in the village of Kalanje, my desire for clean water was a big source of my culture shock in the area. Here is the story of how I overcame it.

It was HOT! We just got back into the village after biking for hours in the hot sun. I was thirsty. My water bottle was empty after chugging the last of the borehole water I was able to get 10 km back. So I wanted to get water in the village. The only water they have access to is stream water which isn’t clean at all.

I dreamed of cold clean water. I remember back in my old office in Canada there was the most wonderful water cooler. The water in my cup was almost taunting me, reminding me how easy it was to receive cold, clean, clear water in the past.

I also remembered many other volunteers in my sending group were smart enough to pick up water filters. At the time I wasn’t sure if it was worth the investment. Now I knew it was and would do anything to get my hands on one of those filters.

I wanted a filter but I couldn’t buy one anywhere and I started thinking: “What could I possibly use as a filter?!?!”

I thought about using my clothing and I found one of my t-shirts that I wouldn’t need to wear anytime soon.

But then I remembered it wasn’t originally tinted brown.

I went to my bags and searched for anything else I could use to filter the water.

I pulled out a sock… and it wasn’t the cleanest sock. So, I kept on digging trying to find something, ANYTHING that has been washed and hasn’t been worn since.

I only found a clean pair of boxers. And… I’m not going to lie, I contemplated the possibility of this being my final solution. Thankfully, my frantic self decided it was a bad idea.

But then I came across my first aid kit. Yes! There had to be something clean in here. Something even STERILE!

And there it was in all its glory: a sterile bandage. I looked at the item list and I would have 2 non-adhesive bandages left over. So, I was clear to use at least one and still be fine to handle wounds and cuts that will happen in the future.

The next thing was to get a structure together. There were many clean plastic bottles around since I was buying drinks left right and centre trying to avoid the stream water.

I cut off the bottom half of the bottle and figured I’d use the top part as a funnel.

Carefully I began to look at the different ways I can place the bandage into the funnel without creating channels and pathways that would allow water to get around it.

It looked magnificent. I spent the next few minutes patting myself on the back and feeling great. “It’s wonderful! The precision, the ingenuity, the resourcefulness. You are awesome!” (Not withstanding the fact that you can find something of similar or better quality and creativity in primary schools around the world… built by children who don’t have engineering degrees.)

I was savoring this moment. I could almost taste the clean water.

I found my water bottle. I grabbed the filter and started pouring the water into it. I watched carefully to see that the water was, in fact, being cleaned and the resulting water in my bottle was clear and free of floating debris.

IT WAS!!!!!

Just to prove this actually happened, below is the real setup: