World Water Week

Water is essential to life ... it is estimated that 50-60% of our bodies are water.  Never have I been more conscious of the need for water than when I moved to Niger on the edge of the Sahara Desert.  I neglect my water consumption and at best I have a roaring headache!  

According to the World Health Organization, here are a few key facts surrounding access to potable water:

• In 2017, 71% of the global population (5.3 billion people) used a safely managed
  drinking-water service – that is, one located on premises, available when needed,
  and free from contamination.
• 90% of the global population (6.8 billion people) used at least a basic service. A
  basic service is an improved drinking-water source within a round trip of 30 minutes
  to collect water.
• 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million
  people who are dependent on surface water.
• Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated
  with faeces.
• Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery,
  typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000
  diarrhoeal deaths each year.

As I work in the Fulani villages a few of the key points from WHO strike me as pertinent to the lives of the villagers: "located on premises" ... "basic service = round trip of 30 minutes to collect water" ... "contaminated with faeces."

Over the last number of years, we have partnered with a number of village sites in digging or drilling wells in their fields: water for both them and for their animals.  Some of these village sites live close to nearby wells; however, as these wells are on the lands of other people groups, they either need to pay for water or their children are beaten by the other children when they go for water.  Most of these villagers however are 3+ km from a water source ... and some spend up to seven hours getting water each day!

In honour of World Water Week - I thought to share a three-part series on villages which now have wells.  Today is part-one ...

This small village area is one that spent up to seven hours fetching the water for the day ... water for their cooking and washing and water for all their animals.

Loading up the donkey cart with 25 litre containers for to head out for their water:

We parternered with this village to have a well dug ... we provide the cement and rebar plus pay for the well diggers and the villagers contribute by bringing in cartfuls of sand and gravel, plus water throughout the process to construct cement rings - and feed the well diggers for the weeks that they work in the village.  On average, digging a well takes 4-6 weeks!  

The well digging team is 4-5 guys who rotate their turns in the ground and above: the guy below is lowered down on a rope with a pickaxe and shovel.  Once he has dug enough rock or clay to fill a bucket, this is brought to the surface by those up top and the bucket is sent back down again.  After one metre has been dug, a cement ring is formed in the ground to stabilize that metre and left to dry.  The next day, they continue to dig down to the next metre level ... once they hit rock, it can take days to dig through that metre.  It is hard and hot work - especially given they dig during hot season so that the water table is found at its lowest level to guarantee water throughout the year.

The day I took this picture below - the well was already 14 metres deep: these guys are way more comfortable with heights than I to be lounging so care-free at the edge!  To each their own: at one village site where we dug a well, the guys learned that I was scared of heights (yeah - I edge to the well and get on my hands and knees to check it out!) - yet the villager expressed his surprise that I was scared of heights and yet had no problem getting in my truck to drive around!!  Apparently he is scared of riding in my truck and bush taxis, but he hides it well!  

This is the deepest well yet that we have dug ... our maximum, for the safety of the diggers, is to not go below 30 metres; however, at this depth and still no water, the diggers were proclaiming that we were close.  Given the sand coming up at this point was wet and moist, I trusted their word and indicated that we would dig two more metres and then would have to stop.  And I prayed!  

Water!!

We struck water at 31.5 metres!!  And this family group now has water available and "located on premises" - not even a 30 minute round trip!

The World Health Organization also writes:  

“ 

When water comes from improved and more accessible sources, people spend less time and effort physically collecting it, meaning they can be productive in other ways. This can also result in greater personal safety by reducing the need to make long or risky journeys to collect water. Better water sources also mean less expenditure on health, as people are less likely to fall ill and incur medical costs, and are better able to remain economically productive.

With children particularly at risk from water-related diseases, access to improved sources of water can result in better health, and therefore better school attendance, with positive longer-term consequences for their lives.   

”

Step one for this well was a "more accessible source ... less time and effort physically collecting [water]."  Stay tuned for the next installment to see how we tackle the aspect of "better water sources" and the risk of contamination!

Tree Planting Day

August 3 :  This is the Day of Independence for Niger ... August 3, 1960 marking the nation's independence from France.  Since 1975, Niger commemorates its independence by planting trees in a fight against desertification.  

Desertification is a reality that I see evident in the fields of Kongou, the village where I work.  For when I sit in the village during cold season, when the strong winds blow, I watch the sand and soil drift away in the winds.  The chief of the village says that when he was a child, the village lands were a "jungle;" and that elephants, lions, and giraffes roamed their lands.  Since that time, as the Fulani roamed less with their cattle and became semi-nomadic, these trees were chopped down to make fields in which to grow millet - the staple of the Fulani diet (aside from milk from their cows).

In one village area this year - we celebrated Independence Day by planting trees!  We planted two types of trees which each have multiple benefits beyond that of aiding against soil erosion.  

neem trees: These trees provide great shade (so one was planted in the centre of a village site to provide shade for meetings) ... butt, more importantly, the oil from its fruit is used to prevent worms from eating the millet and also in a water formula to spray on gardens to deter lizards from eating the growing vegetables.

acacia trees: These trees replenish the field soil with nitrogens which promote better growth of the millet.  Its seeds can also be ground into a flour to eat as a staple in the place of millet or corn during times when the millet harvest is not plentiful ... this flour is also used in a weaning mush for infants that promotes good health and growth.  Finally, the villagers state that if you eat the leaves of this tree - it settles an upset stomach.

In one of the fields of this village - there still remains some acacia trees in a line ... and the rate of growth of this field far exceeds that of the fields around it!  

field with no acacia trees      

   

field with acacia trees

As the national partner and I pointed this out, Mahamadou (the village representative) said: "Oh, we had no idea these trees were good for the fields - we have cut many of these down!" ... Notwithstanding my teaching this for 4 years, and this being our third attempt at tree planting: having a visual for them during the rainy season, when they can see the verity of my words in action, has had a huge impact.

The first year we attempted tree planting by teaching them to start nursery sacs of both trees in each village site ... these trees fell victim to the lizards who ate every tree which sprouted to life!  As an agricultural agent from Burkina Faso, who came to this village area to assist with brainstorming on garden and tree ideas, said: "Truly this is the desert ... no wonder the lizards eat everything ... there is no other greenery for them to eat!"

The second year - we planted trees that were already started in tree nurseries in the city.  I suspect that many were eaten by goats (they eat everything - including trees, like the neem, which reportedly no goat will eat ... again, because it is the desert and they have little else to scavenge between rainy seasons).  However, one of these trees in this village survived:

So here we are now ... Tree Planting Day ~ Take 3!!

There are three family groupings of huts out here in this village, 14 households and just over 100 people - each group of huts contains the father, head of the family, his sons and their families and as a family they work their fields together.  The trees we planted were divided and spread between each of the three large shared fields.

First order of business - some holes needed to be dug, as not all had been dug prior to our arrival. 

The acacia trees will be planted in multiple lines spreading horizontally through their fields to best spread the nitrogen replenishment throughout all their field land.  The neem trees will be planted on the edge of the fields - as they do not contribute to the soil properties, but will also act as wind barrier to soil erosion.  

This area here is the edge of Mahamadou's fields ... the land is arid and dry and has never been planted

but with the help of both these trees and planting millet by zai holes (see future posts on our experimental field) ... this land can be reclaimed and become arable again!

Yeah ... let's dig a hole out here too!

Bringing in the trees
Once the holes were all dug and ready for trees - the men brought in the trees from my truck.  

This goat was tied up near where we deposited the trees ... 

....  and as I mentioned, goats eat any and everything!   This guy perked right up thinking he'd 'died and gone to heaven' to have such a smorgasbord of lush green trees deposited right next to him!

Thankfully he was attached - but, I couldn't resist the opportunity to tell him "NO!!"  Just to make sure he understood!






























At this point in rainy season, their animals are tied up to not eat their millet, beans, okra and hibiscus plants (the leaves of which go in sauce and the flowers to make a juice) growing in the fields.  However, once rainy season is finished - these trees will need to be protected, most being encircled by thorn bush plantings or perhaps metal fencing.

The first tree to go in is a neem tree - planted in the middle of a grouping of huts.

Christophe, our national training partner, takes the time to teach the men how to plant the trees.

This neem tree makes me happy ... for we hold many meetings out in this village and having a tree to provide a large compass of shade will be welcome!

Grow little tree, grow!!

We then move on to plant an acacia tree - the start of one line through the fields of Mahamadou:

Finally, the villagers begin to plant their own trees ... Mahamadou planting his first acacia tree.  

Through the teaching of Christophe, as he works alongside them, these men are learning how to increase their livelihood in their agricultural methods and to better provide for their families.  It brings me joy to see the villagers pride and their joy in the work!

I left the men to continue on with the planting, as there were 52 trees in total to go in:  36 acacia trees and 16 neem trees!!




Note:  This day was extra special as my team niece, Elise, came to the village with me - needing pictures for a school project.   

And she took pictures of me as well, which is rare as I am often out alone!  Any pic labelled " E  " ... all photo creds go to her!


While the holes for the trees were being dug, we had fun playing with the village kids!:

And ... that's a wrap!