Roots
Starting with water
By Marfi Jara
QUELIMANE, Mozambique–Water is a tricky thing. It has the power to give life, suffering and death.
But we take it for granted most of the time, especially those of us who are fortunate to have the convenience of having access to it at the twist of a tap at home.
On a road trip to Milange, a town on the western side bordering Malawi, two weekends ago, I saw women bathing their toddlers and washing clothes in rainwater that has been collected on the side of the dirt road. I couldn’t help thinking of my hometown San Fabian where there are even areas with communal sources from which the water just flows profusely 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Lining up for water. (Photo by Johan van Duijn)
Here, this natural resource remains a big challenge. In many areas, people still need to walk or bike for kilometers to get their household supply. Aside from the physical struggle of course, this also has an impact on the educational opportunities among the young, especially the girls, who have to spend a good part of everyday just collecting water. A vast majority of the farm areas do not have irrigation and so are dependent on rainfall. And when there is too much rain — not just within the country but also in neighboring Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe which has tributaries to the Zambezi River — flooding becomes a major crisis. The double impact, for example, of little rainfall in the first part of the fourth quarter last year (which meant low harvests) then heavy rains at the latter part until the start of this year (which meant flooding) has raised alarm bells for a food emergency situation. International agencies are bringing relief but they are hard-pressed. Emergency response is definitely indispensable at times like these but more long-term solutions are what’s really needed – primarily better infrastructure like dams, drainage, irrigation and water supply systems.
And so it was with great delight, and an accompanying great expectation, to hear of new US President Barack Obama’s inaugural promise to developing countries: “To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”
Water, vital and delicate as it is, could very well be the best starting point.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
