Water Crisis

It all started one morning. I was standing in the classroom and I asked my students to brainstorm their ideas about the word 'water'.

"Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink."

Then, I told them my 'little story'; that my parents grew up in an oasis where I spent every summer holiday, and where I understood that water is a LUXURY!
During my summer holidays in the oasis, we used to walk three to five times a day to the seguia to carry water back home. I used to carry the bucket on my head in a clumsy way :) and I can still feel the water drain down my shoulders and neck. The sun was extremely hot as we walk to the seguia. In the heat of the afternoons, before the daily wind and dust arrive, we try to carry as much water as we can.
I was born in Niger (Niamey) and I grew up in Niger and I understood that water is indeed a luxury!

So, I told my students that a water pump would be needed to send water to the highest spot in a village. This village was not far from the capital (Cotonou). I told them that other girls spend hours of their day walking to fetch water for the family while the boys go to school.

I told them that millions of people die each year from waterborne illness. In the villages in Benin, women walk barefoot on harsh terrains for hours each day to carry water for their families. Because these women spend so much time collecting water, they miss out on the opportunities to attend school.

Therefore, we needed to collect money for ending water poverty.
Our fundraising events for the water pump started! We made bracelets which we sold to the fathers the week before Valentine. Some students were selling flowers after school. We had a huge water bottle in front of the classroom. Every time they finished reading a book, their reading sponsor will give them money to put inside the empty bottle. We sold e-cards made with African fabrics.
Then, we put on a water cycle play. We had a lot of fun preparing it and showing to the parents that their children are really talented! The students told me that they enjoyed the performance because they think that it sent an important message to not waste water.

Through the enthusiasm and goodwill of the students and the great help of my husband, we were able to bring clean running water to the village. He had to travel every weekend to the village (2 hours from Cotonou ) to supervise the engineers' work. Finally, the water pump was installed. The students were able to visit the village before the end of school and they were able to operate the water pump. In the village, we met the children and the teachers and the parents. We got a warm and peaceful welcome from the rural community.

Our water project had an immediate life-changing impact for children and women.

A year after installing the water pump, I have asked some students about this learning experience and what they have learnt. I had these following answers: I learned not to take long showers; I learned not to leave water while I'm brushing my teeth, not to do small loads of laundry, not to flush the toilet every time I use it, turning water off when I'm done...