The Burden of Thirst | National Geographic

the working story for this project was

the working story for this project was water slavers really I just went out to

water slavers really I just went out to

water slavers really I just went out to look for pictures of women carrying

look for pictures of women carrying

look for pictures of women carrying water I mean it was that simple

water I mean it was that simple

water I mean it was that simple specifically we went to Ethiopia

specifically we went to Ethiopia

specifically we went to Ethiopia Tanzania and Kenya every woman I met was

Tanzania and Kenya every woman I met was

Tanzania and Kenya every woman I met was a beast of burden and she knew it

how many women said to me this is my

how many women said to me this is my life we are powerless to change you know

life we are powerless to change you know

life we are powerless to change you know they get up in the morning to a claw put

they get up in the morning to a claw put

they get up in the morning to a claw put the empty jerry cans on their back grab

the empty jerry cans on their back grab

the empty jerry cans on their back grab their kids and start a five hour walk to

their kids and start a five hour walk to

their kids and start a five hour walk to the water source well I wouldn’t call it

the water source well I wouldn’t call it

the water source well I wouldn’t call it a well it was sort of like a muddy

a well it was sort of like a muddy

a well it was sort of like a muddy indentation in the sand and in that

indentation in the sand and in that

indentation in the sand and in that indentation the water sort of seeps up

when you gather water like this it takes

when you gather water like this it takes hours to fill a jerrican and this tank

hours to fill a jerrican and this tank

hours to fill a jerrican and this tank McKenna serves about eight hundred

McKenna serves about eight hundred

McKenna serves about eight hundred families so this is in the early morning

families so this is in the early morning

families so this is in the early morning as the water is beginning to run out

as the water is beginning to run out

as the water is beginning to run out women are literally begging for the

women are literally begging for the

women are literally begging for the water now fill my bucket fill mine

because they know it would be two weeks

because they know it would be two weeks before another drop came their way look

before another drop came their way look

before another drop came their way look at those women and understand the

at those women and understand the

at those women and understand the struggle that they have to deal with

struggle that they have to deal with

struggle that they have to deal with every day

to get a cup of water not even clean

to get a cup of water not even clean water it’s muddy water it’s contaminated

water it’s muddy water it’s contaminated

water it’s muddy water it’s contaminated one what choice do they have

we can look at it here we can look at

we can look at it here we can look at the people who are suffering and not

the people who are suffering and not

the people who are suffering and not turn away then perhaps you can start to

turn away then perhaps you can start to

turn away then perhaps you can start to change things so it’s a fundamental

change things so it’s a fundamental

change things so it’s a fundamental requirement of moving to hope of moving

requirement of moving to hope of moving

requirement of moving to hope of moving to joy moving to progress