Nicaragua: Can't live it twice
Logging into social media this morning, I learned that today is World Water Day. Everybody from non-governmental organizations to celebrities are promoting the conservation of water, encouraging people to donate to various water initiatives, and listing off statistics such as:
-1 child dies every 21 seconds from a water-related disease.
-900 million people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water.
So that's pretty neat. Or not. Perhaps thanks to the heightened awareness of water issues in the world, today is the day that people in the developed world take a shortened shower and feel proud for conserving water. Shortly thereafter they forget about the world problems caused by lack of clean water since they are not directly affected. I don't blame them. I was once in the same situation.
Times are different now. How does it feel to be living on the other side of the situation, you wonder? Where I live rain falls from the sky ten months out of the year. Muddy puddles form on the dirt roads, countless pairs of shoes become ruined, and washed clothes take three days to dry. Leaving home without an umbrella is simply a bad idea. We collect rain water in barrels to use for washing clothes/dishes and bathing, we filter rain water for drinking, and we boil rain water for cooking.
-1 child dies every 21 seconds from a water-related disease.
-900 million people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water.
So that's pretty neat. Or not. Perhaps thanks to the heightened awareness of water issues in the world, today is the day that people in the developed world take a shortened shower and feel proud for conserving water. Shortly thereafter they forget about the world problems caused by lack of clean water since they are not directly affected. I don't blame them. I was once in the same situation.
Times are different now. How does it feel to be living on the other side of the situation, you wonder? Where I live rain falls from the sky ten months out of the year. Muddy puddles form on the dirt roads, countless pairs of shoes become ruined, and washed clothes take three days to dry. Leaving home without an umbrella is simply a bad idea. We collect rain water in barrels to use for washing clothes/dishes and bathing, we filter rain water for drinking, and we boil rain water for cooking.
Then there are the other two months in which the humidity remains, the heat increases, and the rain is non-existent. We are currently at the beginning of this time of year, and it has been pretty uncomfortable so far. During this period of no rainfall the wells dry up, and people head to the river to bathe and wash clothing. The rivers are nice and contaminated, as you can imagine, but the kids all hop in with their floaties regardless. My case is on the more fortunate side since my host family has a private well. As long as that doesn't run dry, I shouldn't have to head to the river.
The great irony of this place is that we have cable TV, decent cell phone service and Internet access, yet most people live without a reliable source of water. Running water is a luxury that the majority of people do not have. I keep hearing rumors that the local government is planning to construct a running water system in town, or at least an improved well system, but who knows if and when that project will actually happen. The water situation in this town is bad, and it puzzles me that not much is happening in order to improve it. I don't know where the missing link fell.
Take your shortened shower today, if you so choose. You won't save the world, but you will still feel much more clean and refreshed than I do, guaranteed.
Take your shortened shower today, if you so choose. You won't save the world, but you will still feel much more clean and refreshed than I do, guaranteed.
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