The Miracle of Water
This morning I woke up extra early to a slight stomach ache. Day 3 of my water fast. I admit that I have allowed myself a cup of coffee, as I haven’t been sleeping well and I think I need a bit of caffeine to function. And yesterday I had a small glass of tomato juice (70 calories). This is not easy. But what I’m thinking about even more so than the lack of food is the access to water. We have access to cool clean water to help keep us hydrated during this time and help fill our stomachs. But when I was at the refugee camps, I saw women lining up all day to wait for water rations that would fill their single jerry cans.
I know in Rwanda a family uses at least 2 jerry cans a day for drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning. But in Darfur and Eastern Chad, where finding water is already almost an impossible task, they also have to deal with the intense sun and heat – temperatures that frequently climb above 100 or even 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Not to mention, in the refugee camps I visited there were few sources of shade. The only choices were some spiky trees, sitting in your tiny and sweltering UNHCR tent, or gathering under a lattice roof made of twigs. How do they manage not to get so dehydrated! What is happening to their access to water now?
And why can’t the US or UN initiate an air drop of food rations? How could we get them water from the air?
Dear Gretchen,
1I admire your efforts you are investing, together with your team, to make this world a better place. I have seen the movie The Devil came on Horseback, you and your brother are an amazing people to have so much courage and compassion. I was wondering if there would be an opportunity to help refugees have self sustainable life. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is drilling water sources all over Africa, maybe they would be able to do that for the refugees. If there was water available, people could grow their own vegetable and fruit gardens arround dwellings.There are wild fruit trees in Chad and it would take only local transportation fees and good will of volunteers to geather the fruits from Mother Nature and bring them to refugee camps. Even few wild fruits rich in nutrients , fresh coconut water, that can nurish the life. Is there any chance something like that would be possible?