Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Hope and Water in Africa



Tonight, watching the movie "Running the Sahara" had such an impact on me, words cannot describe.  A true story documenting three men who ran and traveled over 4,300 miles (6,920 kilometers) in 111 days through 6 countries: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Egypt.  Part of their goal was to bring attention and support to the water crisis in Africa through H2O Africa.  As life goes, my feelings about this movie include a culmination of other personal experiences, about which I will briefly mention a few for context. 


Many years ago when visiting different countries, another emotional experience that has imprinted an incomprehensible and eternal memory on the character of my soul is feeling the tug of starving children on my leg and looking into their faces.  Repeated one asks, what is the difference between watching a TV commercial soliciting financial donations to feed a starving child and facing that child in person?  No one can describe, define, or measure it because it is completely different for every person.  What would I do if this was my child, or my sister’s child, or my neighbor’s child, and is not everyone my brother and neighbor no matter what nationality or where they live? 

My son, Matthew is currently on a full-time LDS mission in Africa (personal letters).  We have learned that electricity and clean drinking water are not a primary standard of the infrastructure of some cities in Africa, let alone rural suburbs.  Human sewage disposal is very limited, even when it might be provided by a secondary non-drinkable water source.  Where water is available filters are necessary.  Electricity and water services are shut-off without notice, and offered on a limited or conditional basis.  Google Earth provides a view of some cities in Africa with a few 8-12 story modern buildings across the street from shacks.  This is shocking and heart wrenching to me. 

From my Architecture Human Dimensions college-course here is another perspective.  Socially, we honor the enormous mansions and palaces of Greek, Roman and French architecture history.  The size of some of these castles or estates is a waste of resources contrary to common sense and practical good judgment; let alone the exploited taxation of malnourished lower class citizens.  Yet we perpetuate this social architectural behavior today in skyscrapers and massive multi-million dollar single-family houses and cabins while approximately 10 million children under the age of 5 die every year because of preventable diseases and starvation.  For a comparative analysis, we have already killed more children – from preventable causes – in the last decade than the 75 million people who died during one of the deadliest wars in history, the Holocaust. 

The movie Running the Sahara gave me hope because these three men accomplished something that had never been done before, and especially because it was previously believe to be impossible or thought to be impractical or useless.  Their experience reminded me of the first time I watched Joel Barker’s video the Business ofParadigms because it provided another forever memory with an indefatigable question, “What is impossible to do today in your business, but, if it could be done, would fundamentally change it for the better?”.  Now whenever someone says, “that is impossible” my heart is stirred to ask, but what if it could be done. 

Too many times we find ourselves being inspired by reading a book, inspired by listening to a person tell a true story, or inspired by any number of other experiences, only to find ourselves waking up the next day with no change of heart or motivation to do anything.  Once in a great while the sparks in our soul are fueled by a combination of events and experiences that ignite the flames of fire to positive change.  We look back on these “forks in the road” changes where we have been able to take the road less traveled – or in some cases never traveled or attempted – with a feeling of profound gratitude and joy for the good that we accomplished.  Despite the pain and suffering they caused us and others, we would never go back.  Upon further reflection, we wish and pray for more of these life changing experiences in order to overcome other personal and social challenges – some with deep burdens that feel overwhelming because of many years of failed attempts to solve. 

The culmination of my experiences plus the movie "Running the Sahara" gave me a feeling of renewed hope to make a personal change, despite the severe challenges we face in the world, personally, socially, economically, and culturally.  It was very good. 

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Michael Rybin~۩~
Architecture is a wonderful life
Copyright© 2013 Michael Rybin All Rights Reserved.