Five for Water

Interview with Julia

2009-01-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Interview with Campbell

2009-01-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

Interview with Katie

2009-01-28T11:14:00.000-08:00

Interview with Chloe

2009-01-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

About Hand-Dug Wells

2009-01-28T05:08:00.000-08:00

There are three types of water solutions that charity: water typically implements in Ethiopia – hand dug wells, shallow boreholes and spring protections. Our partners who build water solutions will always determine the best solution based on the specific situation. Most of the solutions in Ethiopia are hand dug wells that can go as deep as about 25-30 meters (about 100 feet). They are generally the most inexpensive solution so whenever there is sufficient water near the surface a hand dug well is the best solution. This will describe how our partner in northern Ethiopia – REST – builds hand dug wells.
A REST hydrologist will identify the site for the well and the local community will start digging the hole for the well. They will dig down to about three meters depth on their own. At that point local workers will be trained and managed by a REST technician. A tripod is placed over the hole that is used to raise and lower equipment into the well. In general, one laborer will be in the hole breaking up the dirt and rock; another will load the dirt and rock into a bucket; the third laborer will raise the bucket, dump the contents and send it back down. When they reach rock that can’t be broken with a pickaxe the REST technician will use dynamite to loosen the rock.
Frequently, the hole will have layers of soil and rock that helps to keep the walls of the hole stable and prevent any collapse. In this case the laborers may build the interior wall of the well out of stone as they dig. This means that they are building the wall from the top down. If the hole is mostly unstable soil, then a stronger wall is needed. REST will bring forms to the site to make concrete cylinders. They will then use cement that they have brought to the site combined with local gravel to make the cylinders. The cylinders are then stacked in the hole to make the wall. As the hole is dug the cylinders will descend and new cylinders are stacked on top. Each cylinder takes two weeks to harden after it is made and there are generally two molds on site so the site is limited to about six feet of progress every two weeks. The concrete cylinders or the stone wall will continue until the hole reaches solid rock at which point the diameter of the hole will narrow and digging will continue. There will be gaps in the wall to allow water into the well.
At some point water will start to seep into the hole. The point of the well is to get water and the deeper the hole is the more reliable the water supply will be. However, during construction the water creates a problem so a pump connected to a generator is used to pump the water out of the hole during construction. By this point it’s pretty messy work in the hole with water sloshing around mixing with soil and bits of rock to make a chunky mud. When the hole reaches it’s final depth, gravel is placed between the walls of the well and walls of the hole to filter soil out of the water seeping into the well. Gravel is also put at the bottom of the well for the same reason.
When the hole is completed a slab of reinforced concrete is placed over the top. The concrete holds the pump and seals the well from contaminants. A pipe is run from the pump down to near the bottom of the well. A drain is built into the concrete slab to take away overflow water. Finally a barrier – usually a stone wall – is built around the well to keep out animals. At this point the well is ready for use.
On our first day we saw a well that had just been completed. The water did not look completely clean. As the well gets used all of that soil will eventually get flushed out and the water will look and be safe. No filtration system is necessary because the soil effectively filters out contaminants as the water seeps down.
In general, REST will provide the technology necessary to site and build the well. That includes the generator and pump, the cement, the hand pump and the technicians. They will also pay local laborers about 15-20 Birr (about $2.00) per day to do the laborer. They may also pay a local mason up to 30 Birr ($3.00) per day to carve the stones necessary for walls. The local community will provide the labor to start the digging, they will often have to carry supplies in form the nearest road – often a considerable distance – or they will build a road so that trucks can get in. The local community will also provide all of the stones necessary for walls and the gravel for making concrete.
After the well is built REST will provide training for well maintenance and ensure that there is a well committee to manage a monitor the well. Most communities will pay a well manager to manage the well including locking it when it is not in use. A carefully maintained well will last for a long time - charity: water estimates twenty years, but it can be much longer. In Ethiopia the typical cost of a hand dug well is about $3,000 - $4,000 dollars and is intended to serve about 400 people – a cost of about $10 per person.

We're back

2009-01-28T05:03:00.000-08:00

I appologize for the lack of blog posts over the past week. We had difficulty getting content out of Ethiopia for a few days. We all left Ethiopia last Thursday.

Campbell and Rick headed off to New York for a few days. Chloe and Luke headed back home to England. Julia, Katie and I headed to London for two days before continuing on to Chicago on Saturday. The girls are back in school and adjusting. I will have both of them post some closing thoughts.

We have a lot of content to work through and I will try to organize it in some fashion and get it uploaded over the next week or so.

2009-01-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Dancing

2009-01-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

Bob goes to Kindergarten

2009-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

Spring Protections

2009-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Today we visited four spring protections. I was thankful that the people did not know we were coming so they did not prepare a celebration and we had the time to visit more villages. The spring protections were pretty cool because pipes ran to get clean water for a shower, cattle trough, a station to wash clothes, and a place with four spouts to fill up jerry cans. It was solving a big problem because the spring was clean water but the mud it ran into and the cattle contaminated it in seconds. Women would fight for the closest spot to the clean water, and that meant that people got very little clean water and almost all dirty water.

The people in these villages were wealthier and cleaner than the ones in Tigray. That is because ORDA has created a flag system. The red flag is the best, then the green flag, and then yellow. To get a red flag the family had to have a clean and enclosed pit latrine, a clean water washing station, house organization (separate rooms), animals living in different space than humans, and a dry waste composting. The family also had to keep their clothes clean, take showers, and keep the water they drink clean and not put their hands or cups into the jerry can. I thought this system was very good because it really kept the village cleaner and healthier.

Today we also visited a school. We visited the elementary school so they all had on purple uniforms. There were three thousand kids in the school and about eighty of them would be crammed into one classroom. All of the kids were very excited to see us and some made speeches in English asking for desks and chairs, they were either sitting on the dirt or small wooden poles that were elevated just above the ground. Scott got another traditional outfit (his third on this trip) but he is sick in Addis so my dad will have to deliver it to him.

Our cultures are so different in every way and when I get home I am really going to appreciate our excellent food and restaurants. In the villages they feed us bread that is usually injera which I hate, goopy honey which is actually quite good but you get sick of it, popcorn ☺, Sewa beer ☹, and today we got beans. Every night we go to the best restaurant in town, which is really never that good. I am also missing the nice bathrooms and beds. I am amazed at how the people live, but they must get very used to that lifestyle. Overall the people here are very friendly and if you wave to them they will smile and wave back. This hotel has huge pool but it looks kind ‘a murky.

- hi to the people at home and in Chicago who are reading this!
- Mom, say hi to mars and tell him to eat his food but not socks

water is life!

2009-01-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

bread and honey - and a popcorn hat!

2009-01-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

water in schools.

2009-01-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

In taking a tour of a school, Campbell was surprised to learn they both studied the same subjects.

Without water, girls often have to walk long distances carrying heavy water. It takes away from homework. Here I met a girl carrying a lot of water yesterday evening.

The number one reason that girls drop out of school is because they don't have clean water or bathrooms.

Camels and Convoys

2009-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

Travel Day

2009-01-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

We have to travel today and we are going back to Addis. We are all so tired and are just trying to stay awake this morning. Mr. Scott got sick last night and is still being CRAZY! Yesterday I made a friend in the first village and I gave out some crosses that we made out of grass. We had so much fun. I also gave out one of my bracelets but we had to walk really far to get to the well. We got to see a few villages yesterday and one of them had a lot of flies there. Kids had flies all over their faces, it was so disgusting it made my stomach turn because I felt so bad for them. I hate flies!

I did get to hold two roosters at one of the villages. I named them Brock and Crow. The villagers gave them to Scott but he didn’t take them with him. We stayed at the Castle Hotel the last 2 nights and the hot water tank was boiling HOT! I did get to talk to my Mom last night but we only got to talk for three minutes.
At the village with all the flies, they gave us the traditional clothes with a fighting stick and we are bringing them home with us.
We are delayed one hour for our flight.
Bye -

The Church

2009-01-19T07:07:00.000-08:00

Today we took a plane to a different region of Ethiopia. We went on two boats across the lake that is the source of the Nile. My dad and Mr. Rick got soaked on the ride, so Mr.Rick stayed behind while we went to see the church. He stayed with Julia and Campbell so he could dry off and they could climb on the rocks. The rest of us headed off to the church and on the way saw a pack of monkeys, and some cool coffee beans. When we got to the church there were tons of people because it was epiphany. They had a very gross and bloody goat slaughtering place and you could see them roasting the meat and bones in the fire. We had to pay to go into the church so we paid and a guide showed us around. He told us stories about the paintings one of which was about a man who ate seventy eight people and then got to go to heaven because he gave a man a drop of water in Saint Mary’s name. Another was a set of pictures of a saint being killed in at least twenty different ways. The guide explained to us that to pray out of services people could go into the outer ring. While they were in service they could go into the second ring, but only monks and priests could go into the inner circle with big doors that is the Arch of the Covenant. It was a very pretty church and had very interesting paintings. I had never seen a circular church like that!

The car

2009-01-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

Bump. Ouch. Bump. Ouch. Bump. Ouch. Bump. Ouch. That’s the rhythm of this car ride. OW! That was a huge bump. SORRY! I keep crashing into Campbell. These roads are terrible and I’m trying to stay still, but to no avail I must say. We are pretty much riding over rocks. Actually we are. This Mac keeps falling off my lap onto Campbell. I AM RIDING OVER A ROCK RIGHT NOW! Oh yah, and over in the mountains yesterday? We almost fell out the windows! We were riding in the back, I mean the back back. And, oops sorry! And, so its realllllly bbuumpy bbaack theerrrrre, andddd wweeee havvvveee tooo ttake motion sickness piiillllss. UH! My fingers aare literallllly bbounncing on the keys! OH! I feel like I’m about to fall of a cliff. We get so close to the edge when we are rounding the cliffs that CAREFUL! We almost run off them. Our driver is really good and makes the turns, and we have not run off a cliff. Yet. Also its amazing that our driver can see through the dust. I can barely see this computer screen sometimes. Okay….. sorry bout the extra letters here. Oh, I meant to type an (a) there. THAT IS A HUGE CACTUS. All my apologies for that one saw a cactus about as big as an apartment! And yes Campbell, I know I have only 22% percent battery on this, I thought you already typed something. And okay I’ll take a break. BUMP! OOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Byuey, I mean bye.

Yesterday

2009-01-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

On our journey yesterday, I was amazed by all the houses. I was disappointed because we had to stay at the same stupid hotel two nights in a row. It was gross. We went to the well that was sponsored by the Budde Family which helped the villages and the school. They gave them these interesting gifts that they had made by hand. We got to take pictures of the children and with the children. They had very warm smiles and then it was cool to see the water shoot up from the ground.

The way we reached our sponsored well was in a pick-up truck because we couldn’t make it in the Land Rovers. It was too bumpy to get there in the Land Rovers. When we got to our sponsored well, we had no idea it was our family well. I was really happy and I wasn’t feeling very good but it made me feel better. When we left Mr. Scott told us that they had to make a road for us to get there and they called it Severance Way. We are not sure if he was kidding. The trip is a challenge as we have to go to the bathroom outside a lot and the food is disgusting.

I miss my family and I love you.

Mirror, mirror on the wall.

2009-01-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

After a reasonably long drive we arrived at Berties Well – we were given a traditional welcome of music, dancing and popcorn! We moved onto the Well where along with the priest and other local important people we were asked to cut the ribbon and open the new well. From the new well we moved to the old water source which was filthy and we learned that it was a source of lots of health problems and that the clinic was over two hours walk away.

Later when I was taking pictures of the children at the well, Gebre was telling me that the people did not really understand what camera’s and photographs were. When I showed the children the photo I took of them on the camera display screen, they looked very confused. Gebre told me a story that he took a picture of 3 boys, and showed one of the boys and asked him who was in the picture. The boy said well they are my two friends, but I don’t know who he is (pointing at himself). Of course he would not know what he looks like, as they do not have mirrors, to me I could not understand this, because of course I look in the mirror before I leave the house, to check I do not have toothpaste or breakfast down me. But here that probably would not worry them, but not knowing how you look! Its just so different here its like a separate world.

The Budde Family Borehole

2009-01-16T09:51:00.001-08:00

Today we got to visit the Borehole that we sponsored for a school. I was completely surprised because we walked out of the car and people were holding signs that said ‘we love Budde family’ and ‘Budde family is the way of development in Ethiopia’ along with the reoccurring ‘water is life’ sign. It was so nice to se all of the kids we would be helping. The village gave my family a basket and a wooden statue of a lady carrying a bucket of water. Then they gave us all limes which made our hands smell really good and were fun to try to eat. We got to see the rig digging which was really cool, and every three meters they pulled out a soil sample so we got to see how the soil got darker and moister as the drill went down up to sixty meters or one hundred and eighty feet. The people there were very kind and grateful to the charity and my family and it made me feel good to know that we were helping all those people.

Budde Well

2009-01-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Well, dad didn’t tell us the well we had visited was sponsored by our family. Sooo...when I walked towards the school and I saw signs that said things like WE LOVE FOR BUDDE FAMILY and WATR CHARTY MUCH VARY THANKS, well you can see I was pretty shocked, I think they meant to say THANKS VERY MUCH CHARITY WATER, but hey, English is not their first language. It was actually really good English. Anyways, I figured out we had sponsored a well for a school, so the English teacher might have written the signs ( they do have English teachers), and the land was so dry I was amazed that REST found a spot that had water! We got to see them drilling the well, and so they were just drilling like they had been for the past 5 minutes. I was sitting on the cracked and sandy ground talking with Carle, Campbell and Katie when BLOSSHHHH! They hit water, I get wet, and we start drilling through rock. That was like, really loud. The school kids started laughing at us because we got wet, but in a nice way.

Then we had to pose for about 20 more photos with the well, the kids, the drills, the scenery, and with the adults. It was really annoying because I was still suffering from major motion sickness, and standing still in the hot sun dying for Katie to pass the water bottle, but the Ethiopians have it worse. Later they made the speeches. I stood through those but right after I felt terrible. I had not eaten lunch or dinner yesterday, or breakfast today. Its funny, the more I do not eat the less I want to. So I ate some limes that the villagers gave me. I eat limes and lemons just like apples, and we do not get anything other than bread or a tiny bit of meat here, because one the fruit is to expensive because they don’t get any except for cactus fruit once a year for a month. That was a long sentence. Anyways, I was surprised I got the limes. They must have done so much work to get the fruit! Dad forced me to eat, but I still stayed in the car when everyone went to see the school. So, the fan club formed. I could not wait for them to get back to the car ( I don’t mean the fan club). When we left we received really nice gifts. We got a statue, a dove of peace, and other stuff they made. It was really awesome. And so nice. Even though I left sick, I was pretty happy.

The people at the Campbell Well

2009-01-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

At Campbell’s well, I was really super sick. Motion sick. So the thought of standing in the hot sun, hiking, and really getting out of shade made me even more sick. So while the celebration went on I was sitting on the top of the car with dad, and drinking Pepsi. The Pepsi was a surprise! Eventually everyone went to see the well. We were still sitting in the car, so all the kids surrounded our car and tried to open the windows. Then Dad started reading something aloud. I looked over. It was a note from someone who was standing near the car looking at us anxiously, waiting for us to finish. The note said about this: I want to talk to you but I am to shy because my English is not very good. It also said his name, I think he was 21, but I’m not sure. So when dad finished the note, well we couldn’t just ignore him. So we said hello. And we chatted. And chatted, and chatted, and chatted. Eventually we learned to talk a little Amharic. A little. By the time we were done we had about 60 people watching us curiously but also chanting with us. So I think I have a video. I’m sure I do. They were laughing and pushing each other into the back of the truck.

Too tired to talk

2009-01-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

We had to wake up at 6:30am and I was still tired. Mr. Bob got sick and we found out he had to take and IV. It was so cool to see those friendly faces and smiles. We got to see the water well we are sponsoring and it was amazing cool. We had so much fun with the villagers. We also had to walk a little bit to get to the well under construction. When we got to the last village it felt like we stayed 2-3 hours and they forced Katie and I to eat the honey bread. It was an exhausting day!

Goodbye Note

2009-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Carley left at 7 a.m. to go back to New York. She left this note for the other girls:

“Dear 4 for 5 and Scott. Although you are now 3 for 4, now our thoughts and prayers will be with you for the duration. Thank you for a truly unforgettable experience, and we will be checking the blog daily. Also, thanks for being so supportive during my parasite day. We will miss you.
With love, Carley and Bobby"

The amazing celebration

2009-01-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, today was spectacular! We visited another village today twice the size of the first! I think there was about 2000 people. It was a very different experience than the first. When I walked out of the car I saw a girl smiling at me, she took my hand and walked around fast, I felt very special. Once I walked a few feet there was about 500 people, clapping and cheering. Women made high pitch screaming and threw popcorn at us. All of us, the 4 dads 5 daughters walked through the crowd of people. I felt very weird, everyone was staring at me, I don’t think they ever saw a white person before. We walked down to their new well and Scott, Chloe, and Luke cut the ribbon to the new well. They made a bread cake that said “Welcome charity water.”

Later a few people had to make a speech, an Ethiopian man, an Ethiopian women an Ethiopian girl and us, 4 dads 5 daughters. I felt a little nervous about this but I knew if I did it yesterday I could do it again. I said “thank you” in my own way, and when I ended I made a big smile and two thumbs up. Some people laughed. Now it was my dads time to talk he said “thank you” in his own way and then said he would love to make a well in a school there. When it was translated everyone in the crowd started to clap so much! The women started making the high pitch screaming again.

It was a great day! When I was leaving all the kids gathered around my car and gave two big thumbs up! They were so cute, I felt really good. I left happy, but very sleepy after my long day. I feel strongly about the children’s education and if girls get to school at noon because they must get water, than they will not learn as much as they should. Some schools have water but some don’t. Hopefully in a few years all the schools can have clean safe drinking water at school.

The Children of the Village

2009-01-15T12:00:00.001-08:00

Today we had an entourage of about fifty boys and one girl. I estimated that they were ages three to fourteen. They formed when Julia, Campbell, Carley, Qlo, and I stayed with the driver while the dads took a walk to another well we funded for the community. We didn’t want to walk because we were feeling lightheaded from the walk we had to take to a different well down a rocky slope and back up. All of the boys stared at us like we were green space aliens while we sat on the roof of the car under a tree to get some much needed shade and air. When we drove over to go inside a house, they all ran full speed after our car and actually managed to keep up. When we left the house they were there waiting for us. When we left in the car to go to the celebration they ran after our car the whole way without slowing down. They grinned a ton when we got our gifts (tank tops and buckets of honey) and some ran after us when we drove out of the village.

Gherelta Lodge

2009-01-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well, okay. I am really super thankful for the lodge last night. Sitting here in tonight’s hotel. The bathrooms in some places are called 5 star because they actually have holes in the ground. Really, Carley turns on the tap and what comes out? Bugs I repeat: you turn on the water to wash your hands and BUGS come out. So now I’m really thankful to yesterdays hotel. At Gherelta they have bathrooms with running water and the toilet seats are actually attached to the seat. Shocker. Here you pick off the toilet seat, I mean it used to be attached! Gherelta really sticks to the African theme while keeping nice facilities, meals and without turning me gray because of the dust of construction or donkeys kicking you. The view was absolutely beautiful for I actually rose at 5 in the morning to see the sunset. That’s a real shocker for you, seriously. Also I really liked the rock climbing there. Boulders just layed around there, but one was a serious mountain that I climbed with Scott and Carley. It was pretty scary because it was so steep and we didn’t have ropes, especially getting down because you kinda slide down holding your feet down on the cliff hoping you don’t slide to far and tumble off the cliff. Here’s a story for you. I walk out the door of my hut and a donkey is bellowing 10 feet away. I walk up the path a little and a horse is grazing right off the pathway. A few more feet I get water from a well and I realize I’m sharing it with a herd of goats. Weird. The goats go baaaaing away though when I move which is sad because they’re so fun to pet. Along the way I saw a couple camels (which I call camales and they seem to get really mad), a ton of cattle, sheeps and goats, and many super-cute stray dogs. There were also many celebrations and BIG crowds of people, but other blogs talk about that.

So, bye,
JULIA

Crazy day!

2009-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

Today was crazy! It took a few hours but we were hanging in there as long as we could. We took on some HUGE bumps.

I was so exited to see all those people there just for us.

It was kind of weird to have all those people around us. They through popcorn at us and everyone was clapping and smiling.

Later we went to go see the new well, Chloe, Luke and Scott cut the ribbon for the new well. I was amazed at how far they had to walk to get to the well and that this was better than before. Our dads went on a walk after that to another new well fairly close to where we were. When they went on the walk we went to see how people live in Ethiopia. It was very strange seeing how people live, because they do not live like us. It made me feel amazed and curious as to how they all lived in the same room with animals outside. I loved their warm smiles and that they let us come to their villages and shared food with us. We enjoyed hiking up the mountain but the car rides we tough as I kept feeling very sick. I really want the school to have more supplies and clean water so that they will grow to be strong. The African boys found us very interesting and now we are at the hotel with no hot water and no toilet paper again. Good thing we brought some with us this time.

Having dinner now with my new friends is fun!

TTYL - Campbell

Photos from our first day.

2009-01-15T07:01:00.001-08:00

I LOVE ETHOPIA

2009-01-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Hey it is Rick –

I will let Campbell tell you the story of today and the challenges we faced but by tonight we were back with the living and giving it our best. The Country is so amazing and I can’t wait for you all to see the pictures, the land the poverty and the need and need being met ever today!

Campbell –

My first day was unforgettable. I was at a presentation and I had some orange crush soda. This will come back later I promise. I saw presentations of hand dug wells and at the end I really had to go to the bathroom – however not only did this bathroom not have TP like the others I was locked in yelling for help. Help came, but my trouble was just beginning. After that we rode up the mountain to see another well (about a 2 hour drive) on the way up, I didn’t feel so good. When we got to the celebration, I threw up! NOT FUN in front of all those people. I felt a little better and went to the well ceremony for a while but that did not last long. I was sick for about 2-4 hours and my Dad came back with my I LOVE ETHOPIA scarf they presented. I felt a little better but not much. We decided to travel back to our hotel early. I took a bath (which I really needed) and then went to bed for a while. When I got up we went to dinner and I felt much better. That was the worst first day so it has to get better!

More to come - Campbell

This is a trip of a lifetime, I will never forget it.

2009-01-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today was a unbelievable, full of surprises day…

We traveled for three hours in the car. I felt great, it was so beautiful, with giant mountains.

“We are here.” About 500 people we saw dancing! I felt a little nervous, I didn’t know what to expect. When I walked out of the car everyone was cheering. They danced and sang for 10 minutes. There was so many children. No one spoke both languages except translators. Men and women talked and said thank you in there own way. Everyone was so grateful, they were all so friendly. The people that spoke invited us to see there school. Before we left Scott cut the ribbon to the new well. I got to pump it. I danced in a circle with the other Ethiopian children. I felt more relaxed, but not completely calm.

We went to a well that was being built. Julia got to put two wires together and made a little bomb so that the well could get deeper. I felt a little nervous, I still wasn’t used to being here it was something I would never forget.

We visited a school. It was so poor… It was very sad… It made me think how fortunate I am. Most classrooms didn’t have desks, They sat on rocks instead. There was a chalkboard with holes in it…

I went to the library there was about 20 books. Some were story books, but lots of them were about HIV-AIDS.

There were some many animals everywhere, Cows, Goats, and Donkeys.

And I say again this is a trip of a lifetime, I will never forget it.

A Day That I will NEVER forget

2009-01-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

So the day started out in my last blog, or in the airport waiting at 2:00 in the morning. We landed at Mekelle around 7:00 and after passing through a TINY airport, we got to the Castle. The castle is not a castle, it looks like a castle. We are staying there for the last night but we wanted to have breakfast there.

After breakfast we got into our cool vans with our own drivers, the cars are really good on just the plain terrain and bad roads. The cars drove us to a place called REST, which helps with developing cities and towns, gives clean water and food, and does a million things ( Charity: Water is a part of REST). We had a big presentation from the people who were helping and then we talked about it for a while, so it was kinda like a conference, in fact it was. At the meeting I had my first “makiato”. A makiato is a mix of expresso, milk and sugar. YUMMY!!!

After the meeting we got in the cars again. Then we traveled a couple hours across the country to get to a village that Charity: Water had built a well in. On the way there we had to stop many times, here are the reasons: 1- Animals 2- getting stuck 3- People!!!

I’ll explain the people. So, a space alien walks into the room, or rather drives down your street. You’re gonna stare. Well, we are like the space aliens to the people. They have never really seen Caucasian people before. Even weirder the space aliens starts waving and asking you questions. Don’t get me wrong the people are friendly. They wave and yell hello and chase our car.

Once we were around the village I COULD TELL!!!! People were screaming hello, beating drums and rushing towards our cars. I thought we were going to run over them. The children danced in circles until the chief said to please sit down. Around 1,000 people crowded around us. The chief and the people talked and made speeches about how the well was helping, meanwhile I was turning into mosquito injera. Injera is the bread that they eat in Ethiopia. Then they gave us gifts and Scott cut the ribbon to the well and the people filled their cans with water. Scott is the founder of charity: water.

Then they fed us lunch. They pretty much forced us to eat more. When we got back cking out. Even then a couple kids chased us down the road, calling us to come back. After that we went to a school. It was sad. They have about 5 classrooms. The classroom floors are stones piled up onto one another, or just scattered around the floor. That’s where they sit. I’m not going to type anymore because its dinner and I’ve been typing with one arm the whole time and I think its going to fall off. There are photos and videos below…

The First Village

2009-01-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Okay. I don’t think anything could top what I experienced today. First, I have got to get used to the people staring at me. When we were driving in the Jeeps, all heads turned to see the Caucasian people with sunglasses and blonde hair whiz past. It was like that the whole ride and you can’t even begin to understand what world they are living in. From all the houses I have seen, I would say the average size is about the size of my bedroom without the turret, and some people live in tiny straw and clay huts about the size of my bathroom. Ethiopia is such a beautiful country with it’s greenery, plateaus, and never ending mountains, but it is so sad to look at because it is stricken with poverty.

The way I knew we had arrived at the village was from all the whooping, drums, dancing, chanting, and over-all noise. Masses of tightly packed people rushed to greet us. After we had gotten down to the borehole, everyone settled down to listen to the speeches of the villagers. One thing that really touched my heart, was when a girl just a little older than I, made a speech thanking us and saying how what we have done will change their lives so much. After the speeches they shoved traditional bread, barley, and expresso down our throats. If I tried to refuse more the women would look so stricken and hurt that I would take an extra large serving. Next, I danced in a circle with the village girls and all five of us foreign girls made a short speech. Last but not least, they gave us all handmade scarves that say I LOVE ETHIOPIA, although mine is extra special and says I LOVE ETHOPIA. These are some the kindest, most sincere people I have ever met.

Flying

2009-01-14T13:24:00.000-08:00

We were two hours out of O’Hare – it is winter in Chicago after all. No matter because we have four hours to transfer at Heathrow. We did, however, have to go from the brand spanking new Terminal 5 to the beat down Terminal 1 for our connection. The good news is that we got our seats moved to the back of the plane where we could spread out a bit. It looked to be a long flight as there was a woman on the plane with her two sons. From what we could tell she was being deported from the UK back to Ethiopia. She was alternately crying, screaming and arguing. As much as I was not looking forward to hearing her for the next ten hours, It reminded me of how fortunate we are to be born in a country where we have so much opportunity. Fortunately she settled down after the flight took off and the three of us were able to spread out over six seats. Katie and Julia were sleeping curled up on their seats with their heads sharing the middle seat. Even better, after people got off in Damascus we each got our own seats. Pulled into Addis right on time and about as well rested as we can expect to be.

In the Airport at Addis

2009-01-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

I have never been in an airport like this in my whole life. There is no toilet paper in any of the bathroom stalls in all three bathrooms and I used that up. Julia and Campbell had to use baby wipes☺! When the plane I stepped out and started to feel very sick. While dad was trying to hurry through customs, I was trying not to faint. Everything went black and my sister heroically shoved a Luna bar in my mouth. That helped tide me through five minutes (Along with one and a half more luna bars) until we could get through customs and buys a bottle of water. Now I am sitting at this place called the Yellow Spot, with my homework staring me in the face. Only ONE more flight!

Two Dads being very patient.

2009-01-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

Very interesting as the girls are smiling, full of energy and everyone seems to find them fascinating. Prayers were answered as the trip went very well (with the exception of a few lost electronics already). I was very impressed with the way Campbell traveled and she is so excited to experience what this trip has in store over the next week.

Too early for me

2009-01-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

We got up at 3:30 am. Then I went back to bed. I never thought I would be at a café with my new friends IN AFRICA! Love you MOM and friends – Later!

Airport

2009-01-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

It is 4:05 in the MORNING!!! Really, we got into Addis Ababa at 2:30 AM. I slept on the plane from about 12:00-2:00, but still, I’m about to meet the other girls, I have already met Campbell! (she is helping me write this). We took some videos of the airport, and now are just waiting for people and for a plane. All of this constant plane catching is making me dizzy, first to London, then Addis, then wherever we are going now. I’m really tired and can’t remember. Maybe that’s why I keep on messing up and putting question marks on everything. Then I have to erase once I realize that “I’m about to meet the girls” is not a question. I got to go and lay my head down. Byyyyeeeeee…

2009-01-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

In NY on a delay and still have a smile on my face. Looking forward to my first trip to London and then to Africa! Having a blast with my DAD. The Moon as we landed in NY was UNREAL, it was orange and red and all the lights made us feel like they were starting the trip off right. I can't wait to meet all the GIRLS!

Hey it is Rick - This has been a good start to our adventure and we appreciate all of the well wishes, calls and prayers already. We were able to share the story of charity: water twice already with the the Folks at TSA :) They LOVED the
plaques we are bringing through fro those who have sponsored fresh water wells.

By the way - 7 rounds of UNO and I am up 4 to 3 games!

Traveling

2009-01-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

Wow. The lounge definitely beats the terminal. The chairs are really comfy and I am about to finish my second canada dry. I really should be doing school work right now, but I'll have lot's of time to finish it later (at least that's what I'm telling myself). I am kind of glad our flight got delayed so I can stay in here longer! Anyways, after the seven hour flight to London we have a four hour layover where there will be no lounge because we are flying BMI. Then we have an eight hour flight to Addis Ababa. After that we meet up with everyone and take a one hour flight to Mekele. That is sixteen hours of being bored on an airplane. Yay!

2009-01-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

Okay. I'm sitting in the airport lounge with my sister, and I just figured out you can use the computers without charge and free wifi. So, I'm updating the blog. Not much to say. Other than I'm like super tired and think I think I might need to tape my eyes open. This keyboard is loud enough though, to keep me awake. I am going to try and fall asleep on the plane to London, then magically awaken at London, then nap on the plane to Ethiopia. It's a ton of planning. And I'm getting kinda cold. See you in London, I think. I hope.

Why are we writing a blog?

2009-01-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

charity: water has had nearly fifty schools sign up to raise money to build wells in developing nations. One of the organization's initiatives for 2009 is to expand that program so that we can build awareness of the 1.1 billion people without access to clean and safe drinking water. One way we hope to do that is by providing the perspective of children on the lives of children in those countries. We hope our five daughters can, through this blog and the videos they will take, help connect other children to those in Ethiopia.

We hope that children at those fifty schools along with those at our daughters' schools will benefit from reading this blog. We also hope that other adults and children who want to understand more about a part of the world that is very different from our own will also benefit. Please feel free to pass this address on to anyone who you think might benefit.

Right before the trip

2009-01-12T08:29:00.001-08:00

I'm just about packed and ready, but theres all those odds and ends. First I had to say goodbye to the dog, Mars. Me and Katie made loads of pictures to take on the trip. Next, we had to say bye to Mom. I just took one of my three malaria pills and will need to pack those. There is clothes from the laundry, power bars, liquids, pills, homework to pack. I also need to do some homework in a minute. We will have around 42 hours of traveling, without a bed. So I also need to pack some travel pillows. Katie just got back, so all that last minute packing gets done now.

Some Basic Info

2009-01-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Our general itinerary has everybody arriving into Ethiopia on Tuesday night (1/13) or very early Wednesday morning. We will then head immediately to the northern regions of Tigray and Amhara. We'll be in the country for about a week.

As I learned in my previous trip to Ethiopia the topography is not at all what I had imagined. The country is mountainous and the terrain we saw was truly stunning. In my first trip our elevation never dropped much below 5,000 feet and we crested one highway pass at 10,000 feet. As a result the weather is not as hot as one might expect. In fact it should be pretty cool at night.

I was there in the rainy season, so things were lush. However the rainy season is brief so it should be very dry now. It will be interesting for me to see the contrast. From a water perspective though, I should point out that there is generally plenty of water available below the surface. Even in the rainy season, river beds were frequently dry. I think that technically makes them washes (i.e. "the dry bed of an intermittent stream"). Much of the challenge for Ethiopian agriculture given the short rainy season and the hilly terrain is to capture as much water as possible when it comes.

2009-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

hi there everyone - sorry we're late to the party! Qlo and i have been getting all our last minute bits and pieces together.. we're both really looking forward to the trip - not the type of traveling that I particularly used to but it will be great to see some of the projects.

Hey! I'm Chloe but my mates call me Qlo. I'm 14, 15 this May. I live in Northamptonshire England and go to Northampton High School for Girls, I am currently doing my GSCE's at school and I think this trip will be helpful to many of my subjects from Geography to Art. I have two dogs, Minstrel (chocolate labrador) and Twiglet (Jack Russell). My hobby is horse riding which i have done for 10 years, my horse is called Dylan. I'm very excited about the Ethiopia trip and seeing things that will stay with me for life, and helping people less fortunate people than me. I think this trip will make me realise how lucky we are in the western world. I am also looking forward to meeting the other girls and dads who will share this experience with me.

Getting Ready

2009-01-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Traveling to Ethiopia is not simple matter. For one, there's the shots. Last summer I got six for my first trip. The girls fared a little better this time because of their normal vaccinations. Nonetheless neither of them was fond of the shots they got a few weeks ago. Secondly, there's the matter of getting there. Our best option is a flight from Chicago to London, followed by a flight from London through Damascus to Addis Ababa. That itinerary takes a full 10 hours less than other alternatives. On the downside, we'll be getting into Addis at 2:30 AM and taking a 6:30 AM flight out to Mekele. We then have a full schedule in and around Mekele before we hit the hotel that evening. My math says we'll have about 48 hours without a bed. If we survive that in good spirits I think we'll be good.

Water in My House

2009-01-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

I took some videos of different ways that we use water in my house and my dad turned them into this video.

Campbell's Wild Adventure

2009-01-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

My name is Campbell Severance and I am 9 years old and in the 4th grade. I like drawing, gymnastics and softball. I live in Destin Florida and my family travels a lot with my dad, so instead of going to a regular elementary school, My sister and I have a homeschool tutor. We live near the beach and I like to surf and swim when I can. I am very excited about going to Ethiopia but I am also a little nervous because I have never traveled that far in an airplane and I am not sure what to expect during our trip. I am going to bring my ipod, my DS, my Bible and my American Girl book. I am looking foward to maybe seeing some animals and meeting some kids my age. I think this trip is important because I want to see how other people live, and help them get clean water.

I AM................ JULIA!!!!!!!

2009-01-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Julia Budde. I am nine years old and live in Evanston, Illinois. I go to school at Dewey Elementary, am in the fourth grade, and am sisters with Katie. My favorite hobbies are swimming, reading, and laying on my bed. I also like to hang out with my friends. I am very excited to go to Ethiopia for many reasons. One is that it will be my first trip to Africa, and it will be totally new to me. I'm also excited about helping the people in Africa. I think it will be cool to see how they live and I can not wait until monday.

Here's a video of me at swim practice.

Who I Am

2009-01-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

My name is Katie. I am twelve years old and go to Nichols middle school in Evanston, Illinois. I love my goldendoodle puppy, Mars, my house and city, and milk chocolate truffles. I dive five days a week and am currently trying to go to nationals in five meter platform and one meter springboard, but first I have to do regionals in March. I am very excited to go to Ethiopia and help the people there who do not have access to clean water by turning on a faucet, and have to walk two miles to a well every morning for DIRTY water. I know it will be an amazing experience, and one I will remember my whole life. I also know that I will be bringing along six books and an i-pod for the plane ride.

I've included a picture and video of me diving off 5M platform.

Where do we get our water?

2009-01-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

"Where do we get our water" is such a simple question for us that it seems silly to ask. Water shortages in the U.S. mean that we're asked to water our lawns less frequently or to forgo washing our car for a few weeks. I don't believe that I have ever woke up in the morning and wondered "where will I go to get water today?"

We live in Chicago and that means we get our water from Lake Michigan, less than a mile from our house. If you walk along the shore of the lake in Chicago you will see brick buildings about two miles out that seem to float on the water. These buildings were first built in the mid-1800's. As Chicago grew, so did the amount of waste created. The region around Chicago built several canals and reversed the flow of the Chicago River so that sewage would flow away from the Lake. Starting in the 1970's a project nicknamed "Deep Tunnel" was started to handle high volumes of waste during rainstorms or snow melts. The project cost $4 billion.

The water I use every day is the result of a large body of natural water, more than 150 years of engineering, hundreds of miles of tunnels and pipes, a network of treatment plants and massive investment. All I have to do is turn on the tap.

Introduction

2009-01-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

In the Fall of 2008 a major donor to charity: water mentioned that he wanted to take his nine year-old daughter on a trip to Africa. I offered to join them along with my nine-year old daughter, Julia. As so often happens with Scott Harrison, the founder of charity: water, the plan got bigger. Within a few weeks we were looking at a trip with five girls and their five fathers. Unfortunately, the original donor had to drop out of the trip and I added my older daughter, Katie. So now five girls, four dads and Scott are heading off to Ethiopia next week. We've armed the girls with four Flip cameras so they can tell us about themselves, can share their journey and can share the stories of the people they meet.

As you might expect internet access is pretty limited in rural Ethiopia, so I'll do my best to keep this updated. Thanks for reading.

- Shawn