I awoke a few days ago at 4:30AM Ghana time to the sounds of the woman in the apartment downstairs doing her dishes, the ever present rooster crowing, dogs barking, and there was a new sound of distant thunder. It was still dark outside but as I looked out the window I could see lightening in the distance. I lay in bed wondering if it was worth it going back to sleep. The temperature began to drop in my room. I got up, closed the windows, got back into bed and snuggled under my sheet a little more, and watched Cindy and Laurene close the kitchen windows. The rain began to fall, softly at first then increasing in intensity. Somewhere in time I fell back to sleep only to wake with a drip drip drip on the floor in my room…yes the ceiling leaks.
This morning started with water and as the day progressed I thought more and more about water. We all know of the water crisis in many countries around the globe, we know not to drink the water in Third World Countries, we know that hundreds of thousands of people die every year because of water borne illness. I came close to being one of those statistics. But, today I looked at water in a different way. DEALING with unclean water on a daily basis from morning to night. Think about it. What do you have to DO in the US to make the water clean for use? Think about the water you use every day, what you might use it for, where you might use it, how do fetch it, where does it come from, where does it go, how much do you waste? Let me take you on my daily journey with water from Kumas and Kyekyewere, Ghana.
Look at the chemical properties of water. "Two hydrogen's and one oxygen bound together by covalent bonds. Water may exist as a liquid, a solid or a gas. Water covers 70.9% of the surface of the earth and is vital for all known forms of life. On earth, water is found mostly in oceans and other large water bodies, with 1.6% of water below ground in aquafers and 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of solid and liquid water particles suspended in air), and precipitation. Oceans hold 97% of surface water, glaciers and polar ice caps 2.4%, and other land surface water such as rivers, lakes and ponds 0.6%. A very small amount of the earth's water is contained within biological bodies and manufactured products. Water on earth moves continually through a cycle of evaporation or transpiration (evapotranspiration), precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the sea. Over land, evaporation and transpiration contribute to the precipitation over land." That information was from Wikipedia, I don't remember all that from Pharmacy School or Chemistry but I think you get the gist, we are here by the Grace of God and water.
Remember the morning started snuggled under my sheet listening to the rain fall outside then the gentle dripping from the ceiling onto the floor inside. When in Kumasi, I am most fortunate to stay with two Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They live in a three bedroom 2 bathroom apartment, with a washing machine. Pretty nice digs for Ghana. (This you need to know because my daily dealings with water are no where near my friends in the Village of Kyekyewere where the Health Clinic is being built.) I crawled out of bed, through the ceiling drips on the floor. There is a toilet with running water. It works funny and is in a separate room from the sink and the shower, but it is a 'regular' toilet. The toilet room is one place I don't have to worry much about water but am grateful for it being there. I go next door to wash my hands with soap and water from the tap. I go back to my room, get my toothbrush, toothpaste and a bottle of water. I wet my toothbrush with the water from the bottled water, put some toothpaste on the brush, brush, then rinse my mouth out with water from the bottle. Next, I rinse my toothbrush with water from the bottle. No using the tap here…why, because I have no clue where the tap water comes from other than it comes from a large tank outside the apartment building. Once the water goes down the drain, I don't know where the water goes after toilet, sink, or shower. Needless to say MSD (for those of you not from St. Louis that is Missouri Water/Sewer District) doesn't have a branch here.
Next into the kitchen to make coffee. I grab a cup, and a bottle of water from the fridge. Fill the cup with the bottled fridge water. This water has been boiled the day before and purified overnight, then the water bottles filled during the day. I set the microwave (hey, we do have some comforts) for about 2 minutes, get my boiling water out, add my two teaspoons of instant coffee and sit down to chat with Laurene and Cindy. Then off to the shower. Now the shower isn't too bad, just that I can't shave because that is how I almost died last year. Bummer! Last year we had to take bucket baths because the water was not working out of the tap in the house. I turn on the tap for the shower. Remember it is a chilly morning for Ghana. There is one temperature and it isn't hot. Nothing like starting your morning off with some real gusto. After the shower back to the microwave to warm up my coffee to take the chill off.
After dressing I prepare for my morning in the village for an initial meeting with Nana and the Elders. I make sure to have about a liter of water with me that is drinkable for the morning. By now it is getting hot and I begin drinking a lot of water. On the way to the village there is a 'creek'. After the rain this morning, the creek is now approaching river stage. The road is not paved, the dirt has a red tinge to it, and the land is getting washed out around the creek. Edward had to put the car in 4WD to get through the mud. This creek is important in the lives of the villagers in the area. It is used as a bathing facility,a place to wash clothes, a gathering place for the women to chat as they do some of their daily work, and probably a source of water for cooking and drinking.
The content of this day is not important for this discussion so let us fast forward to later in the afternoon. Cindy fixes dinner and I help. Usually at home, I clean and wash dishes as I cook, but Cindy will rinse the dishes, then saves them until dinner is cooking to wash. All this time a huge pot of water is on the stove heating to a boil. Once that water is boiling, some is used for washing and rinsing the preparation dishes, the rest will be used for washing the dinner dishes and pans. We have dinner and tonite it is my turn to wash dishes. I scrape and rinse all the dishes, putting the garbage in the pail and stacking the dishes to be washed. To the stove for some of the boiling water, and enough tap or cool water to comfortably put my hands in, and some dish soap. Dishes are done as normal but the rinse water. Again, boiling water from the stove and some cool from the tap although this time I leave the rinse water a little hotter and let the dishes soak to get rid of the bacteria. A rinse and dry then finish up.
To bed, well the same tooth brush routine at in the morning.
And your water? Did you have to brush your teeth and use a bottle of water for rinsing? Were you able to have a hot shower in the morning? Were you able to rinse your dishes in hot water if you washed them by hand, or maybe use a dish washer? How much did you waste today, letting it run while you brushed your teeth, or make a trip to the fridge while cooking? What about your laundry? Did you gather it in a basket on your head, walk two or more miles to the overflowing creek to wash by hand?
This entry may be a little long, maybe even a little too much detail for you. But getting clean water is a long and detailed process in Ghana. I am blessed to be staying in a wonderful home where the water details are small. I think of the Village of Kyekyewere and what the residents do there for clean water. The residents don't have a tap to turn on in their homes for water. It is carried from the well or the creek. That water is not boiled before use, it is not clean (I have a sample if you want to see sometime), it is used for cooking, washing, laundry, drinking, what ever you use water for. You or the children must carry it from the creek or well, on your head. I guess having the water bottle in the bathroom to clean my toothbrush isn't that much of an inconvenience, and I can live without a hot shower for a while. Every time I use water, get thirsty, see water, see laundry being done, dishes being done, ANYTHING that has to do with water, makes me think about where the water comes from, reminds me not to waste, and makes me grateful for clean water.
Did you ever once today think of where your CLEAN water comes from? All you have to do is to turn on the tap. I don't think of it either much when in the US. But in Ghana….it is a different story. Every single time I use water, yes, every single time I use water here, I think of where it comes from, is it clean, where does it go afterward, will I have water where I am traveling to, will I have a toilet with water where I am going to. Water….think about it.
This morning started with water and as the day progressed I thought more and more about water. We all know of the water crisis in many countries around the globe, we know not to drink the water in Third World Countries, we know that hundreds of thousands of people die every year because of water borne illness. I came close to being one of those statistics. But, today I looked at water in a different way. DEALING with unclean water on a daily basis from morning to night. Think about it. What do you have to DO in the US to make the water clean for use? Think about the water you use every day, what you might use it for, where you might use it, how do fetch it, where does it come from, where does it go, how much do you waste? Let me take you on my daily journey with water from Kumas and Kyekyewere, Ghana.
Look at the chemical properties of water. "Two hydrogen's and one oxygen bound together by covalent bonds. Water may exist as a liquid, a solid or a gas. Water covers 70.9% of the surface of the earth and is vital for all known forms of life. On earth, water is found mostly in oceans and other large water bodies, with 1.6% of water below ground in aquafers and 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of solid and liquid water particles suspended in air), and precipitation. Oceans hold 97% of surface water, glaciers and polar ice caps 2.4%, and other land surface water such as rivers, lakes and ponds 0.6%. A very small amount of the earth's water is contained within biological bodies and manufactured products. Water on earth moves continually through a cycle of evaporation or transpiration (evapotranspiration), precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the sea. Over land, evaporation and transpiration contribute to the precipitation over land." That information was from Wikipedia, I don't remember all that from Pharmacy School or Chemistry but I think you get the gist, we are here by the Grace of God and water.
Remember the morning started snuggled under my sheet listening to the rain fall outside then the gentle dripping from the ceiling onto the floor inside. When in Kumasi, I am most fortunate to stay with two Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They live in a three bedroom 2 bathroom apartment, with a washing machine. Pretty nice digs for Ghana. (This you need to know because my daily dealings with water are no where near my friends in the Village of Kyekyewere where the Health Clinic is being built.) I crawled out of bed, through the ceiling drips on the floor. There is a toilet with running water. It works funny and is in a separate room from the sink and the shower, but it is a 'regular' toilet. The toilet room is one place I don't have to worry much about water but am grateful for it being there. I go next door to wash my hands with soap and water from the tap. I go back to my room, get my toothbrush, toothpaste and a bottle of water. I wet my toothbrush with the water from the bottled water, put some toothpaste on the brush, brush, then rinse my mouth out with water from the bottle. Next, I rinse my toothbrush with water from the bottle. No using the tap here…why, because I have no clue where the tap water comes from other than it comes from a large tank outside the apartment building. Once the water goes down the drain, I don't know where the water goes after toilet, sink, or shower. Needless to say MSD (for those of you not from St. Louis that is Missouri Water/Sewer District) doesn't have a branch here.
Next into the kitchen to make coffee. I grab a cup, and a bottle of water from the fridge. Fill the cup with the bottled fridge water. This water has been boiled the day before and purified overnight, then the water bottles filled during the day. I set the microwave (hey, we do have some comforts) for about 2 minutes, get my boiling water out, add my two teaspoons of instant coffee and sit down to chat with Laurene and Cindy. Then off to the shower. Now the shower isn't too bad, just that I can't shave because that is how I almost died last year. Bummer! Last year we had to take bucket baths because the water was not working out of the tap in the house. I turn on the tap for the shower. Remember it is a chilly morning for Ghana. There is one temperature and it isn't hot. Nothing like starting your morning off with some real gusto. After the shower back to the microwave to warm up my coffee to take the chill off.
After dressing I prepare for my morning in the village for an initial meeting with Nana and the Elders. I make sure to have about a liter of water with me that is drinkable for the morning. By now it is getting hot and I begin drinking a lot of water. On the way to the village there is a 'creek'. After the rain this morning, the creek is now approaching river stage. The road is not paved, the dirt has a red tinge to it, and the land is getting washed out around the creek. Edward had to put the car in 4WD to get through the mud. This creek is important in the lives of the villagers in the area. It is used as a bathing facility,a place to wash clothes, a gathering place for the women to chat as they do some of their daily work, and probably a source of water for cooking and drinking.
The content of this day is not important for this discussion so let us fast forward to later in the afternoon. Cindy fixes dinner and I help. Usually at home, I clean and wash dishes as I cook, but Cindy will rinse the dishes, then saves them until dinner is cooking to wash. All this time a huge pot of water is on the stove heating to a boil. Once that water is boiling, some is used for washing and rinsing the preparation dishes, the rest will be used for washing the dinner dishes and pans. We have dinner and tonite it is my turn to wash dishes. I scrape and rinse all the dishes, putting the garbage in the pail and stacking the dishes to be washed. To the stove for some of the boiling water, and enough tap or cool water to comfortably put my hands in, and some dish soap. Dishes are done as normal but the rinse water. Again, boiling water from the stove and some cool from the tap although this time I leave the rinse water a little hotter and let the dishes soak to get rid of the bacteria. A rinse and dry then finish up.
To bed, well the same tooth brush routine at in the morning.
And your water? Did you have to brush your teeth and use a bottle of water for rinsing? Were you able to have a hot shower in the morning? Were you able to rinse your dishes in hot water if you washed them by hand, or maybe use a dish washer? How much did you waste today, letting it run while you brushed your teeth, or make a trip to the fridge while cooking? What about your laundry? Did you gather it in a basket on your head, walk two or more miles to the overflowing creek to wash by hand?
This entry may be a little long, maybe even a little too much detail for you. But getting clean water is a long and detailed process in Ghana. I am blessed to be staying in a wonderful home where the water details are small. I think of the Village of Kyekyewere and what the residents do there for clean water. The residents don't have a tap to turn on in their homes for water. It is carried from the well or the creek. That water is not boiled before use, it is not clean (I have a sample if you want to see sometime), it is used for cooking, washing, laundry, drinking, what ever you use water for. You or the children must carry it from the creek or well, on your head. I guess having the water bottle in the bathroom to clean my toothbrush isn't that much of an inconvenience, and I can live without a hot shower for a while. Every time I use water, get thirsty, see water, see laundry being done, dishes being done, ANYTHING that has to do with water, makes me think about where the water comes from, reminds me not to waste, and makes me grateful for clean water.
Did you ever once today think of where your CLEAN water comes from? All you have to do is to turn on the tap. I don't think of it either much when in the US. But in Ghana….it is a different story. Every single time I use water, yes, every single time I use water here, I think of where it comes from, is it clean, where does it go afterward, will I have water where I am traveling to, will I have a toilet with water where I am going to. Water….think about it.
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