Stephanie Ng's Visit- May 2012
We arrived at the well to find an older girl and younger school boy at the well. They had brought three big jerry cans with them and in no time they filled two of them while we were with them. Realizing that these children would not be able to answer most of our questions, we headed back to town in search of the Head Master of the primary school, Fred Papaa Lemeleny. On our way to the school, we actually ran into him! He had heard we were in town and had gone out looking for us. Even before I could ask any questions, he immediately conveyed his thanks and appreciation for the good work that we had done. Because of this well and the easy access to clean, safe drinking water, children are now performing much better in school and many more are passing each year.
He informed me that before this well, adults and children used to walk five kilometers or three hours each way to find water. The water that they brought home originated from shallow hand dug holes which meant that the water was dirty and contaminated. Children and teachers would get very ill from water-borne disease which prevented them from really excelling in their studies or jobs.
The well is one kilometer from the school which is about a 20 to 30 minute walk. Now that they have a safe water source that is clean and nearby, teachers now have time to thoroughly cover the syllabus. They no longer have to worry about getting water before and after school and instead can use this time to look over their lessons and be prepared for next day’s class. This has led to far better and effective performances on the part of the teachers. Likewise, students use this saved time to focus on their studies.
Not only are students doing better in their studies but more children are now able to go to school. Whereas before there was only 350 students enrolled at the primary school, since the well was placed in this community, there are 480 students!!! Almost 40% of the students are girls. I hope with each well visit this number only continues to rise as more families will be able to send their children to school.
In addition to the students, the community at large (more than 1,000) takes water from this well despite having a community borehole. Fred told me that the reason for this is because the water from the borehole is very salty whereas the water from the well is very fresh and pure.
Each well visit opens my eyes to just how water truly is a catalyst for so many opportunities. With water, people become educated. And education is the key to their future. Furthermore, despite all the challenges we face on the ground, seeing Sere Olipi Primary School Well and how it has changed the future of so many school children despite the rocky beginning (referring to the initial dry well), renews my hope and faith that nothing can prevent us from continuing our work and impacting lives for the better