Monday, January 9, 2012

Here in the US always get TV commercials about how to help Africans to get clean water. How is the water situation where you are?

Yes, there are definitely many commercials telling you to call a phone number and donate money. Although I can only speak from my experience, I believe the water situation is okay compared to other countries on the continent.


The center I work for has one pump it uses when the water from the tap is turned off (happens a few times a month). The pump was installed by UNICEF which deals a lot with water projects throughout Africa.


As I said, the center runs off of mainly water from the tap which we pay for. The boys drink that water without any problems. At my house, I don't drink the water, but I do brush my teeth with it and I've never had a problem.


This, of course, is strictly my experience and it is also in Kigali, the capital. I would imagine that water problem are much more prevalent in the provinces than in the city. As you drive in the countryside, it's common to see little children carrying yellow cans of water back home from the river where they collected it and I can imagine that many of those water sources are breeding grounds for water-born diseases.


Overall, I think Rwanda is better off than many countries in Africa due to the heavy rainfall. After all, Rwanda does house the source of the Nile!

No comments: