THEY GREETED US WITH SONG AND DANCE AND WERE SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE US VISIT THEM.
[DRUMMERS] IN THIS FARMING VILLAGE IN UGANDA, WOMEN AND VILLAGES SPENT MOST OF THEIR DAY COLLECTING WATER, WALKING A MILE OR MORE, OFTEN ALONE, BACK-AND-FORTH TO A
SHALLOW POND.
IF IT DRIES UP THEY WALKED EVEN FURTHER.
>> THEY COULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL.
THEY COULDN'T GO TO WORK.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO SPEND ALL OF THEIR TIME JUST GETTING WATER.
IT WAS CLOUDY, DIRTY, GRAY, IT SMELLED BAD.
WE SAW A FROG, A DEAD FROG.
I MEAN, IT JUST, IT WAS HORRIFIC.
>> I GUESS IF WE SAW A POND IN THE MIDDLE OF A COW FIELD THAT WAS FILLED WITH ALGAE AND LILY PADS, WE WOULD NEVER THINK TO DIP OUR WATER BOTTLE IN AND TAKE A SIP.
AND THERE, THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE FORCED TO DEAL WITH.
>> BIG YOU WITH WATERBORNE DISEASES AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND YOU CAN SEE IT.
YOU CAN SEAT IN THE CHILDREN, THEY ALL HAVE SWOLLEN STOMACHS AND THEY'RE GETTING SICK.
I THINK ABOUT THEM EVERYDAY.
IN THE BACKGROUND OF MY PHONE IS THE LITTLE KIDS, IT'S JUST, HORRIBLE.
HOPING TO CHANGE LIVES WITH CLEAN WATER, HEIDI LEMIEUX, THE FOUNDER OF ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS, HAS A NEW PROJECT.
>> WE BROUGHT SAFETY GLASSES FOR DRILLING.
>> THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS ORGANIZING TRIPS TO UGANDA TO DIG WELLS FOR THE VILLAGES.
>> THEY CAME OUT AND PRESENTED THIS TO US AS A GIFT.
>> HIGH CHEESE COLLIE, HYDROGEOLOGI LILY CORNWALL, EMBARKS ON THE AFRICAN TRIP.
BON VOYAGE.
HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF FUN.
IT MAY BE BORING.
YOU'RE AMAZING PEOPLE DOING AMAZING WORK.
>> ALSO ON THE TRAVELING TEAM, PORTSMOUTH'S CIVIL ENGINEER AND SCIENTIST HEATHER BALLESTEROS.
AFTER TO YOUR FUNDRAISING EFFORT TO PAY FOR THE DRILLING, ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS HOPE TO INSTALL WELLS IN THREE VILLAGES.
>> TENSIONS ARE HIGH.
YOU NEVER KNOW IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO FAIL OR IF WE ARE GOING TO HIT IT.
OR IF WE DO HIT WATER, IS IT GOING TO BE ENOUGH?
>> THERE WERE SEVERAL LOCATIONS WHERE WE SAID, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND, THIS IS LIFE-CHANGING.
THERE WERE GRANDMOTHERS IN THE VILLAGE OF NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD SEE THE DAY THAT THEIR GRANDCHILDREN AND THE CHILDREN WOULD HAVE THIS CLEAN WATER TO DRINK.
IT IS SO AMAZING.
THE IMPACT IS REALLY HUGE.
[DRILLING SOUNDS] >> THE FIRST TIME THEY HEARD THE DRILL RIG, THEY SPRINTED AWAY.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
>> EVENTUALLY THEY CAME BACK AND GATHERED AROUND THE DRILL, WHEN PATIENTLY FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.
AND FINALLY, IT DID.
[SCREAMING] SEEING THAT WATER COMING OUT OF THE GROUND WAS SO EMOTIONAL.
I COULDN'T STOP CRYING.
AND TO SEE THE WOMEN AM A THEIR RESPONSE IN THE VILLAGE TO FINDING WATER, IT WAS AMAZING.
[DRUMMERS] IF A WOMAN IS HAPPY, SHE WILL DANCE.
SHE WILL MOVE HER HIPS AND THAT IS HOW SHE SHOWS HER JOY.
AND THE SCREAMING, AND THE DANCING, AND IT IS, EVERYONE IS EMOTIONAL.
WHAT THEY'RE DANCING FOR AN CELEBRATING IS A NEW LIFE.
THEY'VE NEVER HAD ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER BEFORE AND THEY ARE JUST SO EXCITED AND SO HAPPY.
AND IT WAS REALLY COOL TO BE A PART OF THAT.
♪ >> WHILE ON SITE, THE TEAM MADE ALTERATIONS TO THE WAY THEY DRESS.
>> ALL OF THE WOMEN'S IN THE VILLAGE WHERE SKIRTS.
IT'S THEIR CULTURE SO WE WANTED TO BLEND IN AND DID WANT TO OFFEND ANYBODY, SO WE WORE SKIRTS EVERY DAY, WHICH IS QUITE A SIGHT AT ADDRESS SITE, I MUST SAY.
WHEN YOU DRILL IN AMERICA, IT IS IN SAFETY TOED BOOTS AND SAFETY PANTS, BUT HERE IT WAS IN SKIRTS.
WE GET CHICKENS AND A ROOSTER, AND A TURKEY, I THINK.
AGAIN AS FAR AS THE CULTURAL, IT WOULD BE SO RUDE OF US NOT TO ACCEPT THE GIFT.
BUT IT IS ALSO HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE THEY DON'T EAT CHICKEN OFTEN AND THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THEM.
>> IT'S A SIGN OF RESPECT THERE AND PEOPLE GET ON THEIR KNEES AND SHAKE YOUR HAND.
WE WERE SURROUNDED BY A GROUP OF OLDER WOMEN, ALL ON THE KNEES, SHAKING OUR HANDS WITH LITTLE BABIES ON THEIR BACKS.
AND I WAS JUST REALLY EMOTIONAL AN HEARTBROKEN, BUT ALSO FELT REALLY FORTUNATE TO BE A PART OF IT.
DURING THEIR VISIT, ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS HELD TRAINING SESSIONS ON WELL MAINTENANCE.
UGANDANS ARE EXPECTED TO PERFORM UPKEEP AND PAY FOR 5% OF THE PROJECT.
>> WE S UP WATER-USER COMMITTEES AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING FEES FROM PEOPLE WHO YOUR ARE USI THE WELLS.
ALSO DOING MONTH MAINTENANCE, TIGHTENING BOLTS, MAKING SURE THE CONCRETE PAD DOESN'T HAVE CRACKS SO THERE IS NO SOURCE OF CONTENT NATION DIRECTLY ABOVE THE WELL.
AND THEY DID SO MUCH, THEY HELPED BRING THE FENCI -- THEY HELPED BUILD THE FENCING, THEY HELPED BUILD THE PAD.
SO THEY DON'T SEE THIS AS A CHARITY CASE.
THEY WANT TO REALLY TAKE IT ON AND MAKE THEIR OWN -- AND MAKE IT THEIR OWN AND CHANGE THEIR LIVES.
THE FIRST DAY I GOT BACK WE READ A SITE IN THE SNOW AND IT WAS ME AND TO DRILLERS AND ARRAYED IN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT.
SO I SENT HEIDI AN TEXT SAYING, WHERE IS EVERYBODY DANCING?
WHERE ARE ALL MY FRIENDS?
>> SINCE THEIR RETURN THE TEAM MEMBERS CAN'T STOP THINKING OF THOSE THEY HELPED.
THE TEAM IS MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO RAISE THE FUNDS TO BRING CLEAN WATER TO ANOTHER SIX VILLAGES IN NEED.
IT IS REALLY MOTIVATING.
AND IS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE HAS SOMETHING -- SEE HOW SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS DRILLING A WELL CAN MAKE SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
♪ ERIN: TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS NEW HAMPSHIR
No comments:
Post a Comment