25 years of democracy hasn’t brought much change to my village. Winter is brutal here as water is a scarce resource and women have to queue for hours with their buckets at the local springs to collect water.
My mother’s house is equiped with 6 Jojo tanks for rain water harvesting but when the water pump is broken, she’s no different from the neighbors who have to fetch water from the rivers and springs. Having a flushing toilet means that her water needs are even greater.
Yesterday I thought I would pitch in by carrying a 25L bucket of water on my head from our other property next door. I was excited that I can still balance it on my head but I can never do this on a daily basis. I salute and admire the village girls and women, who do this up to 10 times a day, walking up to 3km each time.
My family is fortunate that they can replace the broken water pump and enjoy running water again: use a washing machine, take warm showers and enjoy flushing lavatories but one has to wonder if the rest of the village will ever get to enjoy the basic necessities of running water. Will my village ever enjoy tarred roads, libraries, swimming pools, quality education… What good is the right to vote if it doesn’t transform your life in any way?
