Project ACWA Day 14

FROM SANGU
Today was an eventful day. Most of the villagers had gone to the farm, so a lot of the people we went to see to pick up the water samples weren't home. In fact, Agyementi looked deserted and we had to go from household to household desperately looking for people to interview.
Even though we ended up interviewing only three of four people today, one of the interviews was very very exciting. We interviewed an elder in the village. He was a really interesting person, and he was extremely knowledgeable. He had 9 children with his first wife, and now has 5 children with his second wife. He had a large compound with about four turkeys, and some goats and sheep so I guess he is poor (versus very poor). He mentioned that he is the caretaker of the Chief's palace. We discussed his life and his thoughts on water, sanitation, health and education.
He disclosed that without question health problems in Agyementi stem from the dirty surroundings, and from the water as well as lack of good food. Most people asked for a hospital or a library or some physical asset when I asked them what Agyementi needed, but he insisted that the best thing Agyementi needed was first class education for its children so that the children would learn all what I'm telling him in school and I wouldnt need to travel all the way from America to come and tell him. He said he wanted the students in Agyementi to study abroad in the US and come back to develop their communities.
When we started talking about water, and we gave him the water test tubes, he motioned for me to sit down and explained to me that it was quite ridiculous for anyone to contend that the water was dangerous to him because his forefathers had survived with this water for centuries. He argued that in fact it was modernity that brought all the problems facing Agyementi. He pointed to a gash on his foot and said that he had to get a tetanus shot, but during the times of his father and grandfather, they would have put some herbs on it, and it would have been cured in 3 days. He then said that it was the chemicals used in agriculture in Agyementi that polluted the water and made it unsafe to drink.
Darryl and I then responded that it is true that the adults have been able to survive for centuries with the water, but it is not the adults that have the problem. It is the children who dont survive, and die. It is the high infant mortality rates that are directly related to the deplorable state of the water. To this, he conceded and agreed with us that it was the children who were indeed affected the most, and he agreed to participate in the water test.
Darryl took some samples of the borehole and then we left, a little disappointed that the harvesting season had resulted in us reaching only 50% of our target interviews.

FROM DARRYL
I finally figured out the issue with the northern borehole positives! All of the samples we received back today that had been taken directly from the borehole in good weather were negative. All samples taken in the rain were positive. I also noticed that any tests taken without using a new sample bag and a sterile pipette came back positive. In the end, I grossly underestimated the power of contamination. Whether its rain, my hands, or a sample bag, anything can contaminate drinking water. I guess this goes to show how difficult is to keep clean water clean in the villages. Now that I have that taken care of, I really need to figure out how to get these mosquitoes to leave me alone. I come back with literally a hundred new ones everyday. Just in case anyone else is ever in this predicament, a little advice: Never put insect repellent on mosquito bites you have been scratching. Pain = A lot
We continued with our household surveys for the rest of the day. As always, the conversations said a lot about Agyementi culture. After talking with an elderly man for a while, he began to tell us his true thoughts. “I have always drunk this water,” he told us, “and my forefathers drank this water. I am fine. They were fine. Why is it that now, the water is dirty all of the sudden and will hurt us?” He had clearly spoken to others in the village that had gotten back positive samples from their household water tests as we have never told him his water was dirty. From there, I tried to explain to him that the water was not “dirty all of the sudden” and had always been this way. I asked him why he had electricity in his home and why he used medicines when his forefathers did not. He said they make life easier. I then asked him what he thought would happen if I gave him dirty water to drink and he said he would probably get sick for a little while and then he would be ok. Then I asked him what would happen if I gave dirty water to an infant and he got the point. He seemed to understand that although having dirty water seems to not have that great of an affect on the village, it does. However the ones who could attest to its influence usually don’t make it to an age where they can speak. As he has never know life without diarrhea and other waterborne sicknesses which most people attribute to “bad blood” and other causes, it is difficult for him to see the need for change.
This mentality will be one of our biggest challenges. People always think, “I have been doing this my whole life and I’m fine.” Hopefully by allowing them to discover these things for themselves and then seeing the benefits, we will be able to help bring about some sustainable, positive change.