This past week and a half I have been in Uganda, Africa! I am currently helping with a SLAM mission trip we are hosting on our campus in Uganda. SLAM is a week long mission trip that helps youth to have a facilitated time of service in various demographics, worship, and messages given based on a theme.
This week I have had the opportunity to help with certain projects such as making a rocket stove which is a alternative stove that channels the smoke from the fire out of peoples eyes and lungs, making a shower spot, and replacing a roof of a small kitchen. Through these projects I’ve gained a small perspective of the daily life of someone who is in poverty and the amazing resilience they have. The rocket stove projects required a lot of water in order to combine the clay mixture to seal the bricks. A common way people get water is carrying a 20 liter jerrycan to and from either a well or a pump. Typically this role of getting water for the family is done by small children or women. Often times wells or pumps are not often very accessible and people have to walk miles everyday just to get water. For my service project there was fortunately a pump down the road to get water. By the time both of the 20 liter jerrycans were filled with water my arms were aching. I had to use all of my arm and back muscles to carry them just down the road. I was floored.
I couldn’t imagine being a five year old kid bringing water to their family walking miles to pump or draw water just to have to drag the cans back. A task that i can simply turn on a faucet and a surplus of water comes out compared to being limited to the amount of water you can carry. The more time I spend abroad the more my eyes are opened and the small things I take for granted for in my daily life will not be looked over again.