#ShareNiger Day 1 : Part 1 Digging for water
Our day kicked off with a road trip to the World Vision clinic in Komobagau. The roads are bumpy, the scenery a backdrop of deep red. Buildings, roads all made from the one thing in abundance here... sand.
We crossed lush green banks with full flowing rivers.
But as we drove closer to our destination the flowing rivers were replaced by this...
Sand and lots of it.
But the people living near the river still need water and so they have resorted to digging 6ft deep holes into the ground to find the water table.
To collect the water they use small plastic bowls to carefully scoop it out of the hole before filling their water containers to carry back home. It's back breaking work in searing heat. The water containers are heavy. Really heavy.
This family told us that they need to collect five containers of water every day. Each morning they have to re-dig the hole because the sand has covered the water table once again.
Back to the village...
No, the water that they have collected isn't boiled or treated in any way before they drink it. Yes, it is gritty from the sand.
Yes, it's shocking seeing people with no choice but to drink dirty water.
Yes, you should think about this next time you turn your tap on.
Follow my trip via the #ShareNiger tag on Twitter.