The empty clay water pot

‘There is no water anywhere!’ my grandmother exclaimed.

No one was really responding as we are all still struggling to open our eyes as it was still the wee hours of the morning.

‘I thought the children went to the stream yesterday evening’? she continued.

‘But we soaked the cassava for the garri processing, remember’? That was my mother’s voice responding to my grandmother. The soaking of cassava harvested from our farm which is finally processed into Garri (one of our local dishes also known as Eba) often consumes a lot of water. So the water which I collected in the company of my siblings and cousins where nowhere enough.

It was 4.30am in the morning and all my grandmother wanted to do was quietly prepare for her usual morning devotion in church. It was not the first time we are experiencing scarcity of water for household use but most times there is always room for the children to embark on what could be the fifth water trip for the day. On this very day, my grandmother insisted we go to the stream irrespective of the time and the scary village tales because in her words. ‘No empty pot can stop her from her morning devotion’.

Then we set out for a water trip that I will never forget.

In my village, Akwu Inyi, we are surrounded by over 5 streams but only one is perceived by the people as drinkable — and which recent discovery has shown it is not — and they are quite a distance from the village. As a village situated on a hill, the walk to and fro the stream is usually excruciating and most times we return with a half spilled buckets/gallons as a result of a fall or leakage. There is no single borehole anywhere in the village and every household depends on the little water the children and women fetches daily.

Meanwhile, the episode of being waked up at 4.30am to embark on a journey to the stream triggered something in me and I can remember swearing to my mother that I will be so rich that I will gift the community with a borehole at the village square.

It was at this point that my journey towards becoming more and interest in sustainable grew.

For an element that covers 71% of the earth’s surface, it will be assumed that availability should never be a bone of contention, but that is not always the case. Water is one of the most important needs of man, crucial to human and societal growth, development and sustainability. This is evident in sovereign countries that are landlocked as they often faces setbacks in terms of development and economic growth with exception to few.

Most villages and rural towns just like mine in different regions of the world especially in Africa whether landlocked or not faces tremendous challenges as regards to water availability, clean and portable water and several reliable water sources. For decades past, societies have evolved and expansion is inevitable. However, certain human issues remain the same or are even aggravated as a result of increased population and stress on the environment and water is absolutely one of them. Many families, mine inclusive, depend on the trips to the village streams made by the children and women which are often not enough for household consumption.

And while I walked down the track road to the stream in the company of my grandmother and four of my siblings, I envisioned the tomorrow I wish to see. I dreamt of a village which will be known not just for its serenity, tall trees and beautiful landscape but also for the convenience of its inhabitant to access clean and drinkable water. I pictured myself in a modern toilet like I have seen in the television, being able to comfortably press the flush button without fear of numerous trips back to the stream. I also envisioned a well-lit community –as at the time we have no electricity- and as such no one can be subjected to such darkness as the one that enveloped us as we walked to the stream that morning, even if the person wishes to go on a morning stroll.

While a lot has happened and changed as the time of the empty pot incidence, there is still no borehole in my village and many families still travel the long distance for water. To this effect, I started an advocacy on the need for improved water system for everyone especially people living in the slum areas, villages and rural towns. My engagement in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) advocacy mostly as it affect the menstrual health of women and girls which I embark on through my organization Impact Her World Foundation (IHWF), has equally broaden the scope of water needs and the future that must be achieved. More so, I have continued to lend my voice to the sustainability issues with greater focus on water through research. I believe, that problems people know about, they will fight to get solutions for. Hence, one way of solving the water problems is by providing evidence based information on the different challenges that people faces in terms of water availability, not just in my village but in several rural communities across Africa and the world. Thankfully, my role as a researcher for 4Revs Ecosystem sustainability project by Next Leaders Initiative for Sustainability (NELIS) has promoted my works and given wings to my dream of a world where every home has enough water for their daily consumption without stress on its source and its constant availability.

Furthermore, my involvement in 4Revs project has greatly inspired my work in the area of water management, water source and availability. Through more in-depth research and case studies, I have come to the realization that the water issue is a global issue and thus the need to tackle them by lending my writing pen and voice globally and encouraging local innovations capable of solving the problems. It is not in doubt that through my works I have become a part of several sustainability based networks like the NELIS community, the WASH campaign community and many more. These networks has created a true sense of belonging in me as I get to understand that I was never alone even when I never knew it.

On this I totally believe, that I am just getting started. The little girl who with heavy eyes, walking down the stream at 4.30am, tripped and fall severally as a result of the thick darkness that covered the clouds and my inability to see from the faint light from my grandmother’s torchlight and my knees covered in blood, will continue to offer to the world my evidence based researches and cases, and championing innovative means of improving water availability to rural homes by launching a ‘No More Empty Pot’ campaign.