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The purpose of this blog is to offer visitors a more personal look at the people and themes behind SPOUT.
Blog Entry #3- Life after working in Mozambique
November 25, 2009
It has been four weeks since my first field study in the Niassa province of Mozambique. While I am still processing this life-changing experience, I am finally ready to write about the personal side of it.
Here are some of the most memorable aspects my trip:
1. The people work incredibly hard just to survive. A good example of this are the hundreds of women who walk out miles away from the village to collect wood. They return carrying about 80 lbs. of wood on their head, often with a baby wrapped around their strong backs, often not wearing shoes. I could not imagine myself carrying this much wood for 3 meters, let alone 3 miles. It was unbelievable.
2. The women are incredibly strong. I followed a woman who was fetching a bucket of water at a spring one day. The spring was about half a mile down a winding trail. She filled a bucket to the very brim, place it perfectly on her head, and walked back up the trail at hiking pace without spilling a drop. A few days later, I tried doing this myself. By the time I reached the top of the hill, my legs were burning and I was soaking wet. Some of the guys had a good laugh at me, but they know how hard it is, and they appreciated the effort.
3. The people are extremely resourceful. The community I was in was made mostly of mud clay and grass. With those materials, a few scraps of wood, a plastic bucket, and some simple farming tools, the people find a way to survive. Coming from a world of such complexity and material excess, it was almost refreshing to see some aspects of life in Niassa. However, there were also many dangers and risks associated with this simple life, and the daily work was grueling.
4. The water generally looked clean, but it was not safe. Most people had shallow wells or at least could walk to a spring to get water that was fairly clear to the eye. But my tests and those performed by other researchers confirm that the water is contaminated with human waste and pathogens. Amazingly, the community seems to have a sense of the contamination, because every rainy season, they all get terribly ill. As this corresponds with their wells being filled, people can quickly make the connection between the water and the diseases they endure. Unfortunately, there seem to be very few active water treatment programs in the area. SPOUT and MGK look forward to changing this.
5. I have read that 20% of the children in Niassa die by age 5. These are children I have seen, children I have played futbol with, some of whom cried when they saw me- the scary white man- but then laughed and stared at me. These are children who are no different than any child in the world. They love to play. They get into trouble. They are eager to learn. They are loved by their parents. They just grow up in drastically different circumstances than most of the people who will ever read this blog.
Since being back in the States, I have been struggling with what some might call reverse culture shock. I don't understand how our world can be so polarized. The most common thing that people have said to me since being back is, "It sure makes you appreciate our life here, doesn't it?" I usually nod, but inside, I am thinking, "No! It mostly just makes me want to vomit!" While I certainly appreciate life here- food, shelter, education, healthcare, and entertainment- I can never be comfortable here, knowing that "here" is not reality for most people in our world. And in many ways, I found riches in Niassa that are harder to find in places like the US. Such riches included simplicity, harmony with nature, and gratitude for the simple blessings in life. In many ways, things need to change "here" too. Maybe we can start by not thinking of our planet as "here" and "there." Maybe we can start by realizing we are all connected, and we have much to learn from one another.
Blog Entry #2
December 4, 2008
There are over 1 billion people on our planet who lack access to an improved water source. That is about 1 in 6 people. Children are dying by the minute from waterborne diseases. There is so much work to be done, and too little attention being paid to the issue.
These challenges are daunting, but great efforts are being made, and SPOUT will contribute signficantly to these efforts in unique ways that will truly change lives.
The SPOUT vision and organization is progressing... stay tuned and get the word out. We can do this.
Blog Entry #1
September 17, 2008
Today my mind is on the future. I have been working hard on my PhD for longer than I can clearly remember. I endure the challenging work with gratitude and joy as I look towards a not-so-distant future that is the SPOUT Institute. While the road ahead will certainly be challenging, I feel prepared to hit it running. There is much work to be done- planning the programs, establishing vital partnerships, building the website, constructing the office and laboratory, assembling a passionate board of directors, securing funding for the start-phase, and filing paperwork to become a certified non-profit 501(3)(c) organization. With that said, I should get to work. Thanks for visiting, and don't be a stranger. Join SPOUT on this critical venture by staying tuned in to the website that will be updated frequently, and please encourage your friends to do the same.
Peace,
Martin
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