I hope you enjoyed your shower this morning

Round 2: Day 4. No Water.

Funny, when we were at Chikankata, we rarely had running water in our house. Maybe Nairobi lulled me into a fall sense of community. In April we had running water all month. In May, we have had a total of 7 days WITH water. Quite a challenge for a house of 4 (2 small children) and steady stream (no pun intended) of visitors.  However, it is difficult to complain too much when you read reports like;

“Kenya's water shortage also means that a large population of women and children spend up to one-third of their day fetching water in the hot sun from the nearest fresh water source. This backbreaking work leaves roughly half of the country's inhabitants vulnerable to serious dangers. In addition to exposure to the elements and risk of attack by predators, the primary water gatherers are also the most susceptible to water-borne diseases.”

                                                                                                            The Water Project (NGO)

A UN Report also highlights that Kenya’s people are one of the most struggling populations in the world.  Estimates indicate that only one third of Kenya’s 36.6million (and growing!) population has access to clean running water and appropriate sanitation facilities. Many people collect contaminated water from shallow wells or surface sources. Pit latrines are common, however, the water table is high and some latrines overflow often when it rains. There are very few open areas to dump waste from full latrines. Large influxes of people into the cities, particularly Nairobi, have created some of the largest slum areas in the world that have some of the worst living conditions and most polluted water. Add to this the frequent extremes of flooding and drought and we have a real problem. The current water conditions have caused a number of issues including many diseases, lack of food security, hunger and tribal conflicts over the remaining water resources.

So that puts our water problems well and truly into perspective! And do you hear the Kenya people complain? No. However that does not make it right.

On a global level, the WHO and other groups are predicting that severe water shortages affecting at least 400 million people today will affect four billion people – half the world- by 2050. This a frightening thought.

So what can we possibly do? In the words of one missionary, Debbie Meroff; “We can either shrug off such realities because they don’t intrude in our own lives, or we can choose to follow the directions of Christ” Matthew writes “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward”

Whilst I accept that I might be taking this verse a bit too literally, it is certainly a clear direction on the part of the Big Man.  Water was important in his ministry. Water is important in our ministry. That’s why I am so impressed with the initiatives of The Salvation Army. We have benefited in the past from the UK SA’s Watershed Project whilst at Chikankata. In Kenya, I am responsible for overseeing a large water project designed to upgrade the water and sanitation facilities and offer hygiene training in 40 rural SA schools, sponsored by the Switzerland SA and the Sweden and Latvia SA. 

Children at a SA school in Kilome District rush to use the water taps - the first time the schools has had running water!

 All of these projects highlight the work of The SA help the communities around the developing world. They epitomise The Salvation Army's brotherly love and concern for those in need. That’s why I am again writing a firsthand testament that these projects will make a difference; the different between life and death, between joy and misery, between defeat and hope for so many people. That's why I'm impressed with the Big Man for his continue provision. Psalm 41 v1a! If you live in the developed world, you are very fortunate. I really do hope you enjoyed your shower this morning.