“The people are desperate for water”
Ouadardou is in the south west of Burkina Faso. Some of the Myra’s Wells trustees paid a visit to the village recently and said “The people are desperate for water!” We have made arrangements to help them if we can. Please pray for success in the next two or three weeks!
Here is the situation
Unfortunately, it is not an unusual story. When you go into the village, you can see a well there. It is a good looking one – time has taken the gloss off the pump, but it produces good clean water. But as you get closer, you can see that there is a problem.
The well is at a school. When the well was drilled, perhaps it was not deep enough. Whatever the reason, the well is now only available for use for the children at the school. Otherwise it would run dry.
So it has been padlocked. It must be galling to be able to see a well and not be able to use it. As we have said, this in not an unusual story. It happens in many places.
What do you do in these circumstances?
The women (it is nearly always the women) have a choice. They could go to another well which is a long way away. Or they can walk the much shorter distance – 2km – to here. It is a river. Except at this time of year it is not a river. It has dried up and will not become a river again until it starts raining in June.
Plan B
This picture begins to show how desperate for water people can be. You still go to where the river was but dig holes in the “river” bed, like these, to see if they can find a bit of water. It might work for a short time. But we can only imagine what the water would be like. So the next option is Plan C.
Plan C
And this really shows how desperate for water these two boys are. This is a pond by where the river was. It is probably the last little pocket of water left. You have to be pretty desperate to even step into the pond. Imagine the mosquitos! Who knows what else is in there. Who knows what has been left by the animals who have been here for water as well.
When you have filled the containers and buckets, what do you then do?
Drink this water and all the guaranteed bugs and germs. These are people who are desperate for water – any water.
Water is needed for other purposes. Imagine how much good is being done by this lady washing clothes in the water. The clothes are probably more dirty when they come out then when they were put into the water.
Plan D
Myra’s Wells will try to give them a proper well. Please join with us in prayer for the drilling at this village. We have started to make arrangements. Let’s ask the Lord to bless the work. In due course, we will post what has happened.
We hope and pray that the village will no longer be desperate for water. We pray that they will have water from a pump – not just water, but clean water.
