Day 276

Out in the middle of Burundi, is a sign with the name of the church!

The water committees of the water point decorated it with flowers for our arrival! Father Emmanuel (left) is the top guy in COPED, and Edward (right) is the water engineer who helps design the intricate spring capture structure that then channels water to cisterns, and eventually, to water points, such as this one.

A sign such as this one is posted on each of the water-collection cisterns in the project.

This cute lady and I washed hands under the cool clean water coming out of the water point. She iis the head of the water committee in her community. She is very serious about her position, and has already started collecting small fees from the villagers to use for future repairs of the system. She directed the construction of the fence around the water point...complete with thorns and stickers!

These long water "ramps" allow many children to wash their hands at the same time. This school of 1800 has only 4 doors to the latrine (seen behind the palm tree), one of which is dedicated solely for the teaching staff. You do the math - it's not a good situation ... it's basically like having the same number of toilets that we have in our house in GB to serve the needs of an entire school. We are working with COPED to add on a latrine project to their contract. Sadly, this is a very common set-up. That's why we are happy to be in the business of "Latrine Queen and King"!

I don't have skills. In my defense, these ladies all have "cheaters" on their heads (a donut-shaped roll of fabric to help with the whole balancing thing).

Lest you think Dad is all work and no play, realize that he has challenged the leader of COPED (also the priest of the Catholic church), to a game of one-on-one. Challenging him wasn't enough - no, he also wagered a bet on the game. Dad is confident that he will win, and told the father that he will owe Dad a lunch, and that his office worker, Esperance, will have to do a traditional dance for him. Father Emmanuel countered, telling Dad that HE would win, and that Dad would have to buy him a lunch, and that he was looking forward to seeing Sister Wilkes dance her traditional dance (hula). Oh brother. They are both out of control.

This man donated the land that the spring capture is built upon. His granchildren and others will benefit from the clean water that is now available.

Dad told these children that, with the new constant flowing clean water, they should be the cleanest children in all of Rwanda.