They don’t have fences either…
They get their water from about 15 different wells (more like holes in the ground) and have to carry it back to their house. The women usually make about three trips per day, each trip taking 5-30 minutes depending on how far away the well is. During the dry season they wake up at 4 am to go to the well to get water before it dries up. This can take hours because all the women are there at the same time trying to get water.
I remember how annoying it was to have to bring water in from outside to take my showers while living with my second host family…I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to have to spend some much time and effort just to perform the most basic tasks that we take for granted in so many countries of the world.At the urging of a Rotary Club from Minnesota that visited Buena Vista for a medical brigade last year, Agua Pura installed water filters in the community. Yet, even though it is great that the community now has the ability to purify their water, they often don’t have any water to purify. Therefore the same Minnesota Rotary Club is hoping to fund the installation of a water system in the community to provide everyone with running water. Katie (my site mate who works as a Water & Sanitation Peace Corps Volunteer), the Agua Pura team and I all went to Buena Vista for the week to do our various parts. Katie worked with the men in the community to collect data for the water system, I went door-to-door conducting a needs assessment for the application to Rotary International for the funding for the water system and Agua Pura did monitoring of the filters already installed. Living in Santa Barbara, the “big city”, I sometimes get very frustrated with the snobbery and laziness of the people. Therefore, it was refreshing to be in the campo because the people are so humble and kind. Everyone thanked me for coming to visit them and I had people to help find each house and talk to the people the entire time I was there. Besy and her 3 year old son helped me out the first day and they were amazing. While I wore my big hiking boots and still slipped around in the mud, she wore flip flops and her son wore dress shoes. He was amazing! He didn’t complain once and walked the whole way with us. By the end of the day I was absolutely exhausted because the community is spread out all up and down mountains, so I was very impressed by him. She was incredible, she worked so hard and was so willing to help me out.
Besy is a very strong woman who works hard and understands the importance of serving her community. She even withstands the challenges and criticism that sometimes comes along pushing the boundaries. For example, she had to ask her husband for permission to attend the Community Agents training. He was reluctant at first but then conceded. Also, she has to brush off the comments that some community members make about her for leaving the community to work on projects. They suspect her to be a “bad woman” if she is leaving and sleeping somewhere else for a night or two. Through all of this is was wonderful to hear that she has confidence that she knows she is doing what is right and doesn’t care what others say about her. She is thankful to have a filter and is excited to see a water system come to Buena Vista. Here she recounts her daily routine during the dry season: “I wake up at 4 am to bring water because early in the morning there is water, in the day there is no water. We have to wake up early to bring water for the entire day. The women and children go in groups of 5 or 6. I can’t carry water in buckets because I wasn’t born here, the women that we born here can, I carry water in smaller containers. I go 3 or 4 times in the morning so I don’t have to go when there is sun. From 4-6 am I bring water. I only bring water for the kitchen. To bath and wash clothes I have to leave again.”
We didn’t see much of her husband or older son because they were out working. Humberto, her husband was with Katie, doing the study for the system and her 8 year old son was working in the field all day.
Although Buena Vista is far away and difficult to get to, I now realize how much help they need and what wonderful people they are.
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