Living in the Bush Without Water

This is another blog written for the Archdiocese while we were in Kitui, Kenya.

The sun beats down from directly overhead, burning the skin after a very short while; but the breeze does provide some relief, especially in the shade. It is the end of the dry season and there is little vegetation on the ground. Many of the trees are bare, though some trees stubbornly stay green. The ground is hard. The washboard dirt roads have numerous ruts and washouts … driving 15-20 kilometers can take an hour or more. This is the Bush in Miambani, Kitui, Kenya.

Outside of the mountain ranges to the north and to the south within the county of Kitui (like a US state), water is the everyday issue. The majority of the people do not have electricity, do not have water, do not have sanitary facilities, do not have vehicles and make what little they have by subsistence farming. They grow and sell fruits and vegetables during the rainy season. There are basically two seasons in Kitui … rainy and dry. Because it is the end of the dry season, the fields have been made ready for the rains. As soon as the rain comes, the fields and gardens will be planted and the area will transform into a lush green vista.

The water has been gone from the rivers for quite some time now and all of the watering holes are dry. People must walk to a watering station in a nearby village, if there is one. Or it is not uncommon to see someone in the dry riverbed digging a hole 3-4 feet deep to reach enough water to fill their water buckets. Four-to-six 15-gallon water buckets are placed on their donkey to be brought back to meet all their needs … cooking and cleaning and drinking.

Their families are strong; they live in tight-knit communities of help and support; the elders are respected; the young are encouraged; they are joyful and friendly, kind and generous, practical and resourceful. It is eye-opening to see how unrelated wealth and joy are.

The church in Miambani is filled to overflowing where dancing and joyous praises fill the often two-plus hour-long Masses. It is a common sight to see people, well dressed in bright colors, walking to church, sometimes walking for several hours. The uplifting singing of chant and answer, clapping and waving of hands, the interspersed high-pitched yodel of a woman, the steady beat of the bongo drums and tambourine -- all glorify our God with their entire bodies. The Mass is the same as those celebrated here in St. Paul and Minneapolis, but the cultural difference is something to behold. We share the same Eucharist … but we certainly can learn from our Kitui brethren about the “Joy” in the liturgy.