Other Uses of Water

by Peter Yurich, Ha Khayensti, Lesotho

In my area water is hard to get, so there aren't any water games and people do not go swimming. Sometimes, when the river has a lot of water, there are a couple of men and boys who fish.

One day I had to go to the next village to get some water. When I reached the tap at the village there were five or six small children, about four to seven years old, getting small buckets of water. Some had empty one-liter oil bottles and they were putting their containers in a line in front of the tap. There was no pushing or trying to get first in line. They were very orderly and correct as to who would get the water. Of course they insisted that I should go ahead of the line, but I waited my turn and was fascinated by the children. As each container was filled, they would put it on their head and walk back to their village without spilling a drop.

by Claire Hilger, Christ the King Mission, Qacha's Nek, Lesotho

Some people know how to swim and will play in the river or even fish, but most are afraid of the water. Most games here involve stones, not water, because stones are abundant.