“The spirit, I think, is a stream, a fountain, and must be continually poured out, for only if it is poured out will more and clearer streams come.”
Brenda Ueland
The water well is the fountain of life for the village people of Ambatozavavy. Located uphill, it is a witness for almost everything happening around the village. From being a chatting corner for the women to being children’s playground, to where the water is being used for taking a bath, the water is even used for cooking food as well as drinking, as well as washing laundry.
Life definitely revolves around the water well. Every morning, ladies fill their empty buckets with fresh water from the water well and while getting them filled up, this is their most favorite time to chat with each other, we might call this the quick get together to catch up with life. This is how the day starts. The children, being the helpful kids they are (that is before they play with the other children), they help their parents out by filtering the rice and removing the excess, with the excess being fed to the chickens roaming around them. After helping their moms, they go on to meet their with their friends and their moms will start cooking breakfast for the whole family. Rice is the essential food not just in Nosy Be but in the whole country of Madagascar. Many families eat rice three times a day if they can financially afford it, and most of it is homegrown. The water well has the biggest impact on rice production in the village as it fully supports and helps grow the rice. The permanent presence of water on rice fields also generates water percolation and groundwater recharge, which are often beneficial for other water uses. As the sun sets, one can hear the chanting voices of the children who are playing pebbles and hopscotch by the water well and their parents meet up to sing together. The water from the well runs down and feeds the whole village, everyone is benefiting from it day in and day out.
Having said that, we know that from their early years of life in Nosy Be, throughout childhood and into adulthood, water is their common beneficial factor determining the quality of life and the possibilities of their future.
With everyone in the village strongly relying on the water being provided by the well, our work takes on a higher sense of commitment to ensure the people of Ambatozavavy get access to clean, safe and fresh water supply. One of our staff members is assigned on a weekly task to clean the water well. Without this clean water, it would not be possible for the villagers to feed each and every one in their families.
Access to safe, clean water opens up a world of possibilities for community development. Without water, the most basic element of life, all other development efforts will hit a brick wall. As the demand for water increases and climate change places stress on water availability, finding ways to effectively manage water systems has never been more urgent. By working together, we can enable the entire village of Ambatozavavy to unlock their potential, break free from the cycle of poverty and change their lives for good.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
