We are working with a village that is close to the playground that we have been working on all summer. I have mentioned it several times before, the village without water or bathrooms. One morning half of the team stayed home to prepare presentations for that village about clean water and proper child care. I went with a few of the other volunteers to help "move" some equipment. It ended up that we just watched the Thai people do their thing! It wasn't that we weren't willing to help, they were just so much better at doing it that we were in the way. :)
While they were busy moving stuff I was "SUPER" busy trying on some handmade Thai outfits :)
We had a great two hour Outreach with that village that afternoon. We taught them the importance of drinking clean water and how to make it clean! A woman that we work with ALOT on the obstacle course did a little demonstration with the village of a water purification method. Several years ago Bangkok had some serious flooding. Because of the floods they didn't have clean water at all. I'm not exactly sure on this detail, but some how they got a water purification program that helped them get their water clean so they could drink it! At first all the people in Bangkok were skeptical to drink it so in front a large group of people the Prince of Thailand took a big glass full of the water and drank it to prove to the people that they could drink it too!
This woman whose name in English means "Fat" put in a packet of the purifying stuff into some pretty nasty water. At first they brought her some water that looked fairly clean but she told them to go and find some water that was even dirtier so she could prove to them that this would work! It was amazing how clean it got the water!
Here she is starting the process!
It looks pretty nasty doesn't it!
The purifying stuff had to sit for 30 minuets so while that was purifying we taught them the importance of drinking clean water and some other topics. Here is part of our captivating crowd :)
Our two trusty Country Directors! Jordan (the one holding the pictures) was showing them pictures of parasites and stuff that is in the water if it isn't purified. His goal was to scare them into wanting to drink clean water! From the looks on their faces as he was talking I think he did the job :)
More of the crowd!
We gave them all bleach to clean their water along with some soap and brushes to clean out their oil containers that they use for their drinking water. I think I have mentioned it before, but right now they just use to buckets to store water for other needs besides drinking water. Once the smell goes away then they use the bucket for drinking water.
Kind of an awkward picture but it was the only one someone had of me "in action" at the outreach!
Look at how clear that water is!?
Safely drinking CLEAN water!
I am in love with this village! There is just something about them that I feel connected to! I am excited to start working with them a lot to help them improve their situation! We are going to help them build a pavilion so they have a place to go to school in that village, dig them a toilet, and help them get clean water!! Time is QUICKLY coming to a close here in Thailand so I am excited to be involved with them a lot before I leave!
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