I am never at a loss for words. Never. I always have something to say. However, given the assignment of writing a short recap of the trip that my colleagues and I took to Uganda and Kenya, I find myself struggling to do justice to the experience given the limitations of words. We spent nearly five weeks visiting completed and future H2O for Life projects. We were witness to the impact of the work that our U.S. students have on the lives of students who now have ready access to clean water at school along with new, clean and private latrines and education to learn the importance of hand washing and safe hygiene practices.
We visited nearly 30 different schools and we were treated like royalty by gracioius children at each location. We heard wonderful testimony of the impact of new latrines and clean water and participated in ribbon cutting ceremonies, dances, songs and enjoyed the smiles and enthusiasm of thousands of children. Like our American students, they are curious, happy and enjoy attending school.
We also witnessed devastation. Kenya is going through a two year drought and the land is very dry. Girls are being released from school at noon so that they have enough time to fetch water for home before dark. They must find and carry water to school each morning. Water tanks sit empty not only because of the lack of rain but also due to an inadequate number of tanks to store water during such dry times. Many latrines are full, lack doors or are non-existent.
We hope your school or organization will be interested in joining us in a rewarding and educational service-learning project. We must remind you that there is much work to be done to bring WASH projects to schools. (water, sanitation and hygiene education) Students will see the impact that they can make through the smiles on the faces of their fellow students around the world. At every location we visited we were reminded of a constant theme, "Water is Life." Maybe those are the words that do justice to describe our trip. Water is Life!
Val Johnson
We invite YOU to share a story or comment for our blog. Submit your blog to info@h2oforlifeschools.org Pictures to accompany the story are welcome!
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