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On October 7, 2003 the city of
Korostyshiv turned off the water all day to most of the city for repair
work on the disintegrating pipes. Most of the time this shut down is just for about 6
hours after lunch. I had enough water for one flush and to wash up. No
more. That usually is enough, but the next morning, the 8th, brought
torrential rain and no tap water so I, like every other citizen, had to
make the trek to the nearest spring or well. I had made the trek once in
the summer for a few liters and it was really a pleasant walk. Not the
morning of October 8.
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I begin my trip east to the spring from
the front door of my apartment block. I didn't lighten this picture up
much because I wanted you to see how dark and wet it was. I'm not a good
enough photographer to show how hard it was raining.
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I turn left at the end of the block
and pavement disappears so I walk the gauntlet of deep puddles and soft
mud.
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The road curves and begins its
downhill course. This road of granite cobblestone is still drivable at
this point, but very few people--the young--have cars.
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At the end of the curve the road ends
and the path is downhill with the goal in sight where the abandoned pole
stands at the end. This path was too slick to walk with rain water. Can
you imagine what it is like in ice and snow?
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Here two women
hold an umbrella for each other as they fill up their containers.
This spring is one of four that have been refurbished by the LEAP office
in accordance with the millennium goals. The solid steps and a wooden
handrail are part of the improvement. Once their bottles are filled,
they will make the return trip all uphill now.
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Here is Delilah earlier at the spring.
The spring, whose water is very safe to drink has been stoned in and
flows through a stainless steel pipe instead of being open where trash
can be thrown in and containers lowered into the well. Also the water
continues its flow to the river thus maintaining much better the water
cycle and water to the wetlands which used to abound in this area, but
which have been heavily damaged by granite quarries
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Here they are--the last two bottles I
carried up. There sit 12 liters of spring water. The other 24 are in
pans and buckets. When tomorrow comes I may make another three trips to
the spring. I, however, have my health, am physically strong. I see
women and men using canes; their backs hunched with arthritis; feet
swollen and often shoved into ill fitting shoes making this trek to get
1 or 2 liters of the source of life. The millennium goal is 2020. I hope
that the world reaches it much sooner.
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