Living
Waters Newsletter
Life on Rusinga
July 2007 Update
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The woman’s
screams pierced not only my ears but my heart.
They continued for hours coming from the small
whitewashed building they call Tom Mboya Medical
Clinic. I could hardly bear continuing my work
on the water system that was only 100 feet away.
Were they having to do surgery without anesthesia,
was she going through a difficult child birth
or had she just lost a child to one of many
of the diseases that end life so soon in Kaswanga?
I will never know.
How do you respond
to the question of “what do I do”
when a mother says, “I have no food for
my children, no house, no blanket and I am dying”!
Or, What about the women who says, “I
could not stand the crying of my hungry children
anymore during the night and so this morning
I did the only thing I knew I could do to get
them food, I submitted to one of the local fisherman,
who most likely carries the deadly AIDS virus”.
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How
do you explain how your heart weeps as you look
at so many children who have no home to live in,
and only receive 5 meals a week that you are able
to provide? And knowing there are 152 more that
desperately need your help.
Come
along with us, and experience what life in Kaswanga
is like. It is typical of many small villages
along the shores of Lake Victoria where the poorest
of 43 Kenyan tribes, the Luo live.
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Kaswanga
is isolated from virtually all services
and economic help. The wind mill that use
to pump contaminated well water to the village
had been in disrepair for 7 years. The long
rains came only last year after a 5 year
drought. It is a hot, humid, dry island
that brushes the western edge of Kenya.
There is a desperate need for suitable housing
for many, medical care, food, clean water
and basic education.
So
were does one begin if one is so inclined
to help. This was the question posed to
Daryl and Mary Jo Oft of Diversified Solutions
in August 2005 after returning from a mission
trip to this area. Once a commitment to
help was made they developed presentations
that they have given in Rotary and civic
clubs, churches and international television
interviews. They raised funds to help meet
the needs of this small community half way
around the world.
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They
started Living Waters International, a non-profit
organization developed for the sole purpose of
meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those
in third world countries.
July
27th the returned from their 5th trip to Kaswanga
in two years. In two years they have refurbished
the water infrastructure including repairing the
wind operated water pumping system and trenching
and laying over one half mile of galvanized 2”
water line to bring water directly into the village
center. Four water tanks were purchased and installed
while other tanks were refurbished providing almost
13,000 gallons of stored water capacity. Water
valves were replaced and a water intake system
was designed, built and installed to bring water
directly out of Lake Victoria.
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The
night before the water intake was to be
installed was one of anxiety and fitful
rest. How would I get a ton of steel 150
feet out into the lake with nothing but
2 canoes, a rope and some plastic cans?
Would a local villager get his foot caught
in the rope as the ton of steal descended
to the bottom of the lake and would I have
caused the death of this man? We only had
one chance to make this attempt. Would the
treaded pipe joints hold or would I end
up with just
a lot of very expensive
pipe and
valves laying in a crumpled mess on the
floor of Lake Victoria? What would be the
outcome tomorrow, after 2 years of work,
with only one chance to get it installed?
It all came down to this critical day, would
we succeed?
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After
daybreak prayer session, we started the unknown.
Everything must be completed before 11 am when
the winds would come and we would experience 3
foot waves crashing on the shore. Imagine working
with over twenty local villagers, all having their
own opinion on how to get this monster into the
lake and very few of them speaking English. But
today would be God’s day. Today He would
be glorified in holding back the winds, in allowing
clear communication of what needed to be done
and in keeping all of the worker safe. By days
end we were connecting the final pipes that connected
the entire water system for Kaswanga.
One
the day before we left Kaswanga the wind operated
water system was drawing water through a four
inch pipe that extends 150 feet into the lake
and pumping it almost two miles with 6 major water
distribution points.
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For
the first time ever water was flowing in
two areas that service the community, one
being right in the center of the village,
the other about one mile away where a church
stands and where a new orphan feeding center
is about to be constructed by Living Waters
International.
The
exuberance and joy of the villagers can
not be told in words. The ladies were dancing
and chanting. The water cans came by the
dozens to be filled. The women chattered
in joy and happiness as they filled their
jugs and placed them on their head as they
headed home.
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Our
sense of accomplishment was driven by the overwhelming
understanding that this was not about us, but
how God had provided and intervened in so many
circumstances in allowing us this moment.
The
following is the experience of former Payson resident
Sandra Thompson-Lambert who joined us for her
first hand glimpse of Africa and life in Kaswanga.
Out
of Africa - Almost:
When
Daryl asked me to write about my experience in
Kenya, the thought was overwhelming. Where does
one begin to explain an almost indescribable experience?
Here is my attempt to let others know what the
trip meant to me.
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quick mental picture – |
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The
hammerbill bird that wakes us with its loud,
“scolding” call. |
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Soft
blue skies dotted with clouds and dusted with
peach and gold at sunrise and sunset. |
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Prolific
violet flowers and lush vegetation. |
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Beautiful
and exotic birds. |
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Bumpy,
dusty roads. |
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Sunlight
glittering off the gray, blue and green waters
of Lake Victoria. |
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Hot
sun and cool shade. |
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The
biggest “bee” I ever saw. |
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The
“grassy” smell of the dung fires. |
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Many
people walking. A few riding bicycles, “piki-pikis”
(motorcycles), an occasional car, truck or van
spewing gas fumes. |
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The
people – slow easy gait, baskets and packages
on the women’s heads and back of bicycles,
soft throaty laughter, wide smiles, accepting
and pleasing, pride in appearance, old look
in the eyes. |
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As
I read about the island of Rusinga, I found it
has a very colorful and long history. For social
scientists, it is rich in historical significance
since it is where Mary Leakey did much of her
field work. The island, just off the shores of
Lake Victoria appears to be inhabited for many
years. The Luo, the second largest tribe in Kenya
inhabit the island and have been there since the
15th century. Kaswanga, the village where Living
Waters is concentrating its efforts is almost
to the edge of the island. To get there, we had
to travel about 4-5 miles through Mbita, a larger
village, and cross over a causeway on very bumpy
dirt roads that are subject to being washed out
during heavy rain. Most of the people do not have
transportation, so they walk these roads day and
night.
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The
village is the poorest place I have ever
been with no electricity or water. It consists
of a small cluster of about 10 “shops”
on each side of a wide area. In the middle
are cows and goats who chew on the vegetation.
The shops for the most part, consist of
planks of wood set up to hold items for
sale, or “lean-tos” with an
open front. Items for sale consisted mostly
of vegetables such as maize, lentils, tomatoes
and field greens. We did not ever see any
customers.
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The
medical center is a small cluster of buildings
that we in America would not send our pets to.
It is kept as clean as it possibly can be considering
there has been no source of readily available
water. There is little medicine and not much staff.
The day we visited we saw mothers with small children,
men and women waiting patiently for whatever help
they could get. The most common diseases are malaria,
AIDS, tuberculosis, typhoid and other diseases
related to polluted water. One thing I will never
forget is the sight of very thin children racked
with fits of coughing as their mothers held and
comforted them. The mothers were not in much better
shape than their children.
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This
is brief description of the setting where
Living Waters has concentrated its humanitarian
efforts. The needs here are very basic with
most of the inhabitants of Kaswanga leading
desperate lives. Illness, lack of clean water,
food, and adequate housing head the list.
There are over 200 orphans who live here.
They live with grandparents, others who have
taken them in, or by themselves.
As
a counselor and a sociologist, I am very interested
in women’s issues, so Mary Jo and I
spent some time finding out about the women.
The women shared their stories through a translator
in individual “counseling sessions”
and group meetings. As I talked to the women
I heard many stories of suffering. The women
told me stories of despair - they did not
know where their next meal was coming from,
they were cold at night because they had no
blankets, |
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they
were battling life threatening illnesses, some
had no house or their house were falling down,
their children could not attend school because
they had no money for uniforms or fees, and some
of the widows were ejected out of housing when
their husbands had died.
There
is a custom of “wife inheritance”
which when a man dies, his widow then must submit
sexually to the male(s) in the husband’s
family. If she does not, she is “kicked
out”. Since many men have died of AIDS,
the women are naturally afraid of this, so their
choice is submit and risk AIDS or leave and be
homeless. This could include her children as well.
Since women tend to be the primary caregiver of
children, this custom does not just affect the
women, but many of the children as well. If we
look at the women in any culture and how they
are treated, we will also be able to determine
the well- being of the children. There is a great
need in Kaswanga to address the unique needs of
these women and their children.
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Despite
all the death, illnesses and hardships the
people endure; they have such a spirit of
generosity, kindness, gentleness and thankfulness.
I saw people giving to others out of the
little they had. They do not complain or
rail against the unfairness of life. Nothing
goes to waste. They can find a use for almost
anything so there is not a lot of garbage
or throw away items. Our first evening of
the meetings that Daryl and Mary Jo spoke
at, one woman put a shawl around my shoulders
since the evening was chilly. She insisted
their guests must be taken care of. This
brought tears to my eyes as I sat in warmth
while others were shivering around me.
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During
this trip Daryl concentrated most of his efforts
on getting the water system set up. It was such
a rewarding scene when water was pumped for the
first time out of Lake Victoria to the four different
sites – the school, the church, the medical
center and the village. At the church, there was
a gathering of 25-30 women who burst into song,
singing “Joy, joy, Living Waters, God is
so good to us!” What a sight! What a feeling
of accomplishment after two years of planning,
fundraising, digging trenches, solving problems.
And what an outpouring of happiness and gratefulness
by the villagers! By the time we were ready to
leave, water was flowing.
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There
is still much more work to be done. The
water needs to be purified, food provided
for the most desperate women and children,
medical attention, houses fixed or built,
education for the children and adults to
name only the most crucial. The need is
so overwhelming, but it is not impossible.
It can be done. Help is arriving for the
people thanks to all the support given to
Living Waters and the hard work of Mary
Jo and Daryl. They have given so much of
themselves and have risked their own health
and material well-being to bring hope to
such a desperate place. How can we allow
others to suffer when we can do something
to help?
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I
heard it said that going to Africa would change
my life. It has. I will not forget what I saw,
the people I met, the poignancy of life and death
halfway around the world. I will never take for
granted the life of abundance I have compared
to the harsh reality of most of Africa. I will
never see such beauty - in the people and country
- as Africa holds as well. I thought I would never
go again to Africa after this “once in a
lifetime” trip - but God willing, I will
return.
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Sandra
Thompson-Lambert
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We
held 2 different evangelistic campaigns
while on this trip. In the village of Mbita
on the shores of Lake Victoria we had an
average attendance of about 2000 per night.
Thirty nine gave their hearts to Jesus and
chose to be baptized.
In
the Wanyama district at Kibada we were blessed
to have our meetings in an area that was
cleared by hand and was at the base of a
mountain about 2 miles from
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the
lake. The local members had cleared a trail to
make a road that went almost a mile to the site.
Our average attendance was around 500 per night
and 67 people gave their hearts to Jesus.
I
would be neglect if I did not share at least one
story about that experience. One the last evening
we were having meetings a man came to me and said
you must hear this story. He escorted me to a
very old lady that could not speak a word of English.
This is her story.
When
she was a young mother about 51 years ago she
lived on the exact spot that we were holding the
meetings. She had a dream one night and in her
dream she heard the voice of a mzungu (white man)
echoing off the very mountain that rose above
the area we were at. The voice was spreading the
Good News of Jesus and just kept echoing.
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On
the first night of the meetings she heard
an mzungu voice that she recognized echoing
of the mountain. Our PA systems had enough
power that my voice echoed for several miles.
When she heard the voice she said she must
go to the meetings because that was the
exact voice she heard 51 years ago. I guess
it isn’t any wonder that I am 51 years
old and that God has a plan and purpose
for us even before we are born.
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That
story was a direct affirmation to me that God
is leading me to be and do exactly what he has
in mind for me. It is incredible that God continues
to search out his children and is patient even
when we go in other directions. This story is
also testimony that God has a plan and does not
give up on us even when we have given up on Him.
What
is next in store for Kaswanga? Living Waters is
in the process of building a feeding center for
the orphans and very old widows. Once completed
our goal is to provide 2 meals a day, 7 days a
week to all 200 children and approximately 15
widows who are unable to care for themselves.
We
would like to thank the warm hearts of all of
you who sponsor Living Waters. My next trip is
planned for February when I will purchase a 40
storage container and supplies for the feeding
center. We have the funds for the container but
still need to raise the money to get it transported.
That will cost approximately $2200. This must
be in place to secure the building materials.
We hope to start with the foundation and concrete
slab at that time.
Please
continue to pray for Living Waters and for the
resources to help those in such a desperate need.
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sure to view our gallery
pages.
You can reach us at (928) 472-3388.
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