Day 1 - A day in the life of

Our first full day in Zambia saw us visiting the rural village of Haboombe in the south-west of Zambia.  After a very early start from our base in Monze, we had a three hour, mainly off-road drive - including crossing two rivers - to reach the village.  Seven 4x4 vehicles arriving at the village must have looked quite a sight!

Greeted by lots of singing and dancing

The greeting we received from the village was amazing. There was music, singing, dancing and an air of general excitement.  Everyone was so pleased to see us and were so welcoming.

After a formal greeting and introduction by the Chief of the village we went in pairs to spend the day with different families so that we could experience 'a day in the life of' and try to understand more fully the problems that they face in their day-to-day lives without access to safe water or sanitation facilities.

My colleague Grant and I spent the day with Onesmas, his wife Imelda and their family.  They have five children ranging in age from 15 to three years old.  The eldest daughter, Caroline, didn't live with them, but with her grand-mother in a different village so that she was able to go to school.

We were able to find out what the family does in a typical day. This included collecting water, preparing food, looking after their animals and tending the crops in their field.

Imelda pounding roots to make a sweet beer


In the dry season the families from Haboombe have to walk over 9km to collect water.  Imelda told us that she would rise at 3am so that she could start this essential daily journey.  She also told us that they have to use water very sparingly at this time of year because it is such a precious resource.  Some families even move away from the village during this time of year so that they can be closer to a water supply.

During the rainy season (which it was when we visited) there is a stream a few hundred metres from their household.  Although this is more convenient as they can collect water a number of times a day, the water in the stream is not clean and safe.  The stream is used for a variety of activities - washing clothes, washing pots and pans as well as bathing.  However, animals also use the stream and other pollutants wash into it when it rains.

As a result of having to use dirty water the family, and in particular the children are often ill with diarrhoea and other water borne diseases.  When they are ill the nearest health clinic is also a 9km walk, so it is difficult to get proper medical assistance.

During our visit I needed to go to the toilet so I asked Imelda where I could go.  She seemed embarrassed when she told me that I would have to go to the bushes just behind their household as there were no toilets in the village.  When I returned Imelda told me that she didn't like doing this as it wasn't safe or hygienic.

Onesmas ready for lunch

Later in the afternoon I walked with Imelda to collect water from the stream.  It is quite a steep, unstable path down to the stream and once there we had to wade across to the opposite side.  Imelda dug a hole in the sandy bank and waited for water to begin filling the hole.  Then we used a shallow bowl to scoop the water up and pour it into a 20 litre container.  I tried lifting the container but struggled to move it more than a couple of metres.  Yet Imelda, who is a very petite woman, lifted the container onto her head and carried it back up the steep slope to her home.

WaterAid is beginning to work with the households in Haboombe village to understand in more detail the problems that they face and to begin the education process that provides health and hygiene messages.  It is hoped that within the next few years there will be a water point in the village and latrines for every household.