We all know the importance of water. Water gives people life. It is an essential element without which man cannot live. In fact life without water is non-existent. Perhaps we, in our own country, have not experienced difficult situations and we have never lacked water. But there are people on our planet who lack this precious element. As Christians, we know that God used water on many occasions, especially during creation, when He created the heavens and the earth, thus showing that water was an essential element in God’s creations that would live in this beautiful world. Of course, the issue becomes complicated when we ask the question of whether water is available everywhere and even whether where water exists it is accessible to all. Here in Africa, things are different. We often see scenes that shock us. In many areas, we see everything from children to young boys and girls, women and men, carrying on their heads jerry cans heavy with water from distances of many kilometres, either to cook or to wash and scrub. This phenomenon certainly raises questions and queries for those of us who have it in our daily lives and taste its priceless value: How do these people waste their so precious time to bring water into their homes?
When I was visiting an elementary school, I saw the children forming a whole line and carrying water on their heads, walking up and down to the place where there was a river. I was worried and asked the principal and the answer he gave me was that “yes, here in our school there is no running, drinking water”. When, out of curiosity, I wanted to see what kind of water the children were carrying, I found that it was so dirty that I immediately thought that it was definitely transmitting so many germs and diseases to them that I wondered if they were better off living without it. The manager, who read this question, gave me the answer: “This is what we have, this is what we use. We have no choice.” Of course, after this incident, the Holy Metropolis of Kenya became interested so that this phenomenon was abandoned and the appropriate solution was provided. We piped clean water from the mountain spring so that these children could drink and bathe in clean water, free of germs and diseases. Thus, their suffering ended once and for all. Now they enjoy it and enjoy it without fear.
In the 1970s, when I first travelled to the neighbouring country of Uganda, I was informed that I had to bring water, one or two bottles of water, with me on my journey.. I asked if it was for drinking or other use and was informed that I would use this water for drinking and washing. But is it possible that there is a place where they can’t give me some water! I thought. I carried a bottle with me and from the first moment I realized that I had to keep it for all the days of my stay there, either for drinking or for brushing my teeth. So this bottle was my salvation, because on this trip I really appreciated the value of water. Since then, it has always accompanied me on my various tours of the remote and arid regions of Kenya.
The Kenyan Macarius
