The Pommern Water Project's impact on the community continues to grow. It has increased students
wanting to come to the Secondary School because they will have water access
while other schools do not have water and students still must leave class to
retrieve water in buckets.
Apparently, because
Pommern is seen as progressing due to the access of water, the government has
built a school for the disabled to attend.
We were able to tour the school and meet the student body. Most of the students are deaf or have serious
physical disabilities. We know that a
"separate" school for disabled is not our way but it is progress for TZ just to
have a school for disabled to learn whereas before they received no formal
education supported by government schools.
Water
access or "tap" water has also permitted the growth of new more substantial
quality buildings since water is needed to make bricks and cement. This allows people to improve their homes and
other structures. We were able to
observe more brick homes of increased quality rather than mud-clay structures.
This also enabled the new government school for the disabled to be built.
We were informed another and surprising impact of the
water project by a long time member of the community and former now retired
Headmaster of the Primary School who now is sort of a Teacher/Counselor
Emeritus at the Secondary School (Barnabas Chavala). He informed us that the water project is
helping to bring equality between men and women. We asked how could that be? He explained that traditional men would never
go and fetch water from the river or other source but only women and children. We were very aware of this. Yet, he explained with the water access
simply outside the home, now the men will go and fetch water at the water tap
while the wife may continue doing some other home task. Ahhh!!!
Yes, this seems so minor and such a small thing for us in the USA but in
Pommern this is progress for women and men in their relationships. Small steps lead to bigger progress on
personal levels.
