燕姿刚果日记 用帮浦打水 重到爆 

2月19日

在台湾、在新加坡，我们习惯一开水龙头就有干净水，很难想象非洲，要每天排队、提水，水还浊得不能喝。

今天要看刚果的水井。先到受助童Albertine家，院子里一个小小的洞就是浅水井井口，放水桶下到十公尺处汲取地下水，抽上来的水是浊白色的。这个井供50户用水，一年前深水井未挖好前，大家就喝这样的水，现在转为洗澡、洗衣。

我知道这样打水不容易，但亲身尝试后才发现，哇靠，重到爆！一桶水大概有10多公斤吧，线愈长就愈重，难怪这里的妇人都要轮流打水，实在太费力了。好吧，我在非洲没机会运动，就当作是运动吧。

我们再去看深水井。远远地看到许多小孩、妇女顶着水桶，水井周围像市场一样热闹。井深45公尺，前面排了长长的黄色水桶，打上来的水很清澈。我上前去尝试打水，用尽全身力气、几乎发抖，好不容易打上一桶水，全村都为我鼓掌。

听到一名妇女说，每天要走两公里来提水，总共要提10桶水供家里七人用，但排队的人太多，有时要排一个晚上。这口井要供500户使用，挖一座井大约10到20万台币，不便宜，但有干净的水，可以减少许多疾病。

今天还去探访19岁的班哲明，他是台湾第一批资助童，先前我们在刚果展望会办公室看到他的画和卡片，大为惊叹，今天到了他的画室—其实是没有屋顶、盖到一半就废弃的砖房，终于见到他本人。

班哲明高中毕业，许多画作已被当地美术馆收藏，并通过国家考试，但家里有11个孩子，没钱供他到首都金夏沙上艺术大学，只好等下去。我和经纪人小蓉各买了他一幅画，尽一点点力量。

班妈妈办了一场「盛宴」，玉米粉做的Shima、蔬菜泥、鱼干、碎牛肉及西红柿泥。我试做两大球Shi-ma，有人吓我做多少就要全吃下去！虽然这里的水不尽干净，我们在外面跑一天，手也脏，但班妈妈的盛情难却，大家尽管担心拉肚子，仍装了一盘子。

老实说，很好吃，但我的肚子10分钟后咕噜咕噜叫，胃膨胀得好痛，更惨的是，回到饭店不小心从湿滑的楼梯跌下来，全饭店的黑人都跑来关心，我好像乌青了好几个地方。展望会资助专线：（02）25856300，邮政划拨01022760，或上网站www.worldvision.org.tw

In Africa, everyone has to queue up for water, even when they are muddy/dirty to be consumed. Today, they went to one of the child’s place. In the courtyard, there are small little holes and to retrieve the water, one has to release a pail right up to 10m deep down. Yet, the water is cloudy. This ‘well’ served as water for about 50  families. When water was much cleaner before, it’s used for drinking. Now, it’s only for washing of clothes and bathing.

yz decided to try retrieving water herself and realise that it was not an easy task! one pail of water  weighs at least about 10kg and the longer the rope, the heavier it is. It’s no wonder the ladies here took turns to  ‘hit’ the water. It really consumed lots of energy. “ok lah, in africa i don’t have time for exercise, just take this as exercising.”, expressed yz. They continued to explore the deep well. The area around the well is very crowded, and kids and women were carrying buckets of water. yz also went to try, using all her energy and finally managed to  retrieve one bucket of water. Everyone in the village started cheering for her!

Yz understand from a women that everyday they have to walk 2km here for water, to get 10 pails of water for the family of seven. This well serves about 500 families. Sometimes the waiting time is so long that they have to spend one whole night waiting. A well like this will cost about 10k to 20k taiwan dollars. But it provided clean water, iwhich reduces the spread of illnesses / viruses.

Today they went to visit a 19 year old boy - benjamin. Previously they have seen his paintings and cards. Today they finally met him. It was shocking to realise that his drawing room has no roof and the room is make of bricks which will collapsed any moment. Benjamin has graduated from high school, however due to financial problem, he couldn’t make it to the university. yz and her manager each bought a piece of his painting to help him.

‘ban ma-ma’ held a feast and prepared food. one of which is called shima. It’s made of corn flour.  yz tried and make two big balls of it. Someone scared her by saying she’s gotta finish whatever she made. Even though the water isn’t clean, their hands were dirty, they still eat a plate of the food so as not to disappoint the host. “Seriously speaking, it’s very nice”, expressed yz. However, 10 minutes later she started to feel hungry. and her stomach aches later. The worst thing is that she fell down from the slippery stairs in the hotel, and suffered some blue blacks.

world vision website : http://www.worldvision.org.tw/

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