Ray Fowell and
his team went to one of the hottest, driest parts of India,
Rajasthan, at one of the hottest times of the year: May. Despite
temperatures reaching 50C, they worked full days to ensure a
water-retention structure got built. Here is Ray's perspective.
Rajasthan,
Udaipur, Bargatua Kella, May 2016.
Unless you have
been there, unless you have experienced the heat and seen the dry
arid land, it is hard to imagine how the village farmers exist in
Rajasthan. Having been there and seen it, I still find it hard to
imagine.
They
rely on one precious source provided by Mother Nature, but only if
she feels like it. Rajasthan sits at the tail end of the monsoons.
They race up from the south sometimes causing havoc on their way, but
as they get further north they curl to the west over the parched
lands of Rajasthan depositing the remnants of a once powerful storm.
In
2014, there was very little rainfall, followed by a very poor 2015.
Not enough to re-charge the wells that support the villages and
irrigate the land. The life source depended on by the farmers is
currently in short supply while they hope for a better result in
2016.
When the rain comes, it rushes across the land so fast
there is no time for the water to seep into the earth and reach down
to replenish the water table and the wells. This is where a
sub-surface dam comes into its own, holding back the water long
enough for it to be of use to villagers and farmers alike.
Having
had the privilege of working alongside the local people of Bargatua
Kella, with a team of volunteers from DWC, having seen the smiles and
laughter, the anticipation and hope that this dam will bring them the
water they so need and deserve, after all the hard work that has been
put into this project, I have no doubt this was the trip to be part
of.
If
not only for the fantastic hospitality, the many laughs created
through a non-common language, the songs, the dance, the many visits
to villagers homes to meet their family to drink their chai and eat
their snacks, the smiling faces, the colour of the women's saris, the
hard work put in by everyone in the village to reach a common goal,
if not only for that, then the fact that these beautiful people may
have a better year after the monsoon, water for their wells and crops
in their fields, all because a team of international volunteers
appeared in their village, willing to pitch in and help them build a
dream.
And
what do the volunteers gain from this experience? Unimaginable
memories, new friends, a greater understanding of life outside their
comfort zone, the chance to travel to parts of the world tourists
will never see, and some they will. To be part of the change, to try
something new, gain experience, develop skills, improve their career
prospects, build confidence. The list is endless and the only way to
find out what it will do for you is to go do it.
Thank
you Developing World Connections for allowing me to be part of it.
Ray Fowell
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