It is almost 7pm, the night has come to our little village of Bouassa. The darkness covers the small square in the center of the neighborhood, in the middle of which stands a beautiful hand pump. The lady that watches over the hand pump begins to put her little bundles of raw peanuts away. She sold some today and with the small salary she receives for the maintenance of the hand pump area she is content. The meal tonight will be good.
Raw Peanuts
Aminata is the last one in line at the water pump this evening, she struggles with the pump and she is alone to pump the water. Everyone else has gone home. She almost needs to jump on the lever to bring it down to get clean water to fill the old yellow jugs. From time to time she stops to drink this precious liquid from the palm of her hand. She smiles. She is happy that the pump greatly reduces the daily stress of pumping water. Before, she had to walk 3 kilometers (almost 2 miles) to fill her watering cans. Every day from 6 am until the evening, she would be fetching water.
She loads little rickety cart with two 25-liter watering cans (about 7 gallons each). She pays her dues to the water lady, then goes back home. Until tomorrow… She returns home through narrow streets and roads rutted by dripping rain, the night is dark. In the courtyard of the house, her little brothers are having fun near a small blaze. Her mother finishes to pound the millet for porridge for the next day. An old blackened pot continues to simmer on the fire. It is time for evening meal. Everyone has had enough, it’s her turn to eat a little. Like every day, a little boiled rice.
Aminata washes her plastic bowl and then goes into her little cubicle in their adobe home. The small lamp can only illuminate the tiny dark room. On the floor the mats have been unrolled and set out for the night. This is where she sleeps, with her little brothers and her mother. The father has his own small room, but he is often absent. Right now, he has gone to “the village” to work in the fields.
African night
Aminata doesn’t go to school. It’s too late for her. So she does everything she can so that her little brothers get there. She will get up very early tomorrow morning, like every day, along with the hoarse roster that crows, even before the dawn will break. She will sweep the yard, then take her cart and her two water jugs, to go to the pump, if possible before everyone so she doesn’t have to wait in line too long.
Aminata has a dream. She would like to be part of the group of women who will one day be selected to be trained in gardening. A small vegetable garden will be created next to the water pump. So, if Aminata is chosen, she can grow her red tomatoes and large zucchini and sell them at the village market. Until then she fetches water with her water jugs. The sun appears, a little lazy on the horizon, dark clouds are gathering to the west. It might rain today she said. And she continues to dream about the garden that soon will be …
…and we still adamantly believe…
THE SOLUTION:
ONE WELL PER VILLAGE:
We believe people, not water, can change everything! When you sponsor Well Drilling Project in Burkina Faso, Africa you’ll unlock the potential of an entire community! #Burkina
Bouassa’s goals:
1. Promote access to water for the local population
2. Help families and children in distress
3. Develop economic activities in line with access to water
4. Participate actively in the city’s “Community Development Plan”
5. Raise awareness in economic management of water and sanitation
6. Accompany children for better personal hygiene, reducing sickness