What do you do when you don’t have water in America?

That was the question that my friend asked me when I was trying unsuccessfully to fetch water. When I told my friend that I had never experienced a time in my life in America when I didn’t have water in my house, he laughed at me and thought I was lying. After explaining to him that most Americans have water in their houses, he understood me but then continued to ask what we did when there are water shortages. Before I could respond a light bulb went off in my friends head and he told me that all Americans have cars so they fetch water with their cars. I tried to further explain to him that fetching water was not an activity that existed in America. The concept that fetching water is not a daily activity in America is such a foreign idea to my villagers it was hard for him to grasp, and I think it was hard for him to walk away believing that fetching water doesn’t exist in some places.

Fetching water is a daily activity and a part of everyone’s lives in Rwanda. For most women, girls and young boys in Rwandan fetching water is a daily chore. Children start at a young age fetching water; sometimes I see little boys and girls that are carrying a jerry can of water that is larger then themselves on their heads. I feel very inadequate when old women and young children can carry more water than me. Culturally it is expected for someone with a job or some sort of income to pay a child or someone with no money to fetch water on a daily basis. Normally I do not fetch my own water; I have water in the compound that I live in that works sometimes. I also have a girl that lives and works at my neighbors that I pay to help me start the fire to cook, wash my clothes and fetches water for me. But sometimes I attempt the task, and find that it is not the quickest or easiest household chore.