Where in the World - Kate Phillips

Wherever you go...

2010-09-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

There you are. I like it here so far. You can't beat my commute (I walk to work), the beach is close by (I can see it from my school), and I never have to do my hair (because it just curls, anyway). Santo Domingo is a lot like any major city in the world. But, instead of hip-hop blasting in the streets, it's reggaeton. Instead of hotdog vendors on the corner, we have various banana/plaintain related options. And I'm still getting used to the traffic here. I generally feel like I am playing a very calculated game of frogger when I cross Churchill (a major road near my apartment) every day. I've gotten pretty good at it, but sometimes the lights go out and the traffic is rerouted, making my strategy useless.

I can't complain, though. I live on an island. ;-)

My Birthday Wish

2009-11-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

The first time I understood that people go without clean water, I was seriously scandalized. It's still true. One in six human beings are without access to clean, safe, drinking water, and I am still horrified at that fact.

Let's do something about it. My birthday is usually accompanied by a lot of fanfare; this year I would like for it to carry a bit more meaning. I am requesting gifts of $27; one dollar for every year I have had clean water ;-). It will go to a community full of people who have not been born to that same right.

Make my wish come true.

Love always,

Kate

Second Block.

2009-05-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today I had the great pleasure of introducing students at Haverford High School to charity:water. They were worth the commute. The Global Issues Club there put together a fantastic panel - and by that I mean ME. Ha! It was great to share my experiences in the face of the water crisis, and to field their amazing questions. It got me excited for my time this July in Zambia with Water for the Oppressed!

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charity: in chelsea

2009-03-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night was a charity: event at Chelsea Market in New York City. Tegan and I took names, and coats, and time to check out the photo exhibit that will be up there through the end of May. Even the bathrooms contain a charity: message - the fact that we use more water to flush a toilet than most people in the developing world use for washing, cooking, cleaning, etc. in a day. The exhibit is an awesome way to bring a bit of perspective into the every day. See for yourself!

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And in Conclusion...

2009-02-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

My favorite little kid move is what I refer to affectionately as "the deadweight". It is that full body protest where one goes entirely limp, generally in a public place while the adult in your charge struggles to hold you up and get you moving again. Every time I think about my impending flight back to the States, this is the picture of struggle that comes to mind. Rwanda has been sewn into my heart for some time now, and I think that it will always be so. The thought of leaving this place is heartbreaking, but makes these last days even sweeter.

Friday was our last hygiene training in Ruhango, a little community off the beaten path, a couple hours south of the main city. Our hostess there, a woman who lost her entire family in the genocide, gave us a high compliment when we left... She had tears in her eyes. That is something. We drove out with a pile of singing kids (and Tegan) in the truck bed. I am honestly going to miss them, and hope for the day that I can visit again. May my Life bring me back to them soon.

The only thing that makes leaving ok, is the thought of being with y'all. Can't wait to see you. Get ready for some amazing coffee mixed with a little bit of culture shock. And stay tuned for the next adventure. It's coming soon...

www.waterkate.com

Three for Three.

2009-02-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Today I watched Living Water International Rwanda restore three pumps successfully in a province outside of Kigali. I wish you could have seen the expressions on their faces when water started pouring out of each rehabilitated well. If Heaven is close to anything in this life, I think it is like the feeling that hangs in the air when little hands are cupping fresh water to little lips, for the first time in a long time. Or when a little Rwandese boy who did not believe we were coming back to fix his broken pump, looks on as Rwandese men restore water to his community. Or when you are standing on a hillside hand in hand with this team, and these people thanking your God for another day, another breath, and water that is clean - against a sky stained by a massive rainbow. No joke. If Heaven is like anything in this life, today came pretty near to it. Maybe another way to say it, is that Heaven came pretty near to me, today.

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Living Water International.

Why I Love It Here.

2009-02-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

I abhor the long blog post... But I wrote this. I want you to read it. Love, Kate.

It is 2009, and all anyone can say to me as I am leaving for Kigali, Rwanda is some variation of, “Be safe; come home soon.” I find myself wondering at what point people stopped looking over their shoulder for the SS and Gestapo in Western Europe, and just enjoyed the landscape, the people, and my favorite – the food. Why is it so difficult to believe that not all of sub-Saharan Africa is a waking nightmare? Yes, Rwanda is only fifteen years removed from one of the most horrific ethnic cleansings in human history. Yes, there is extreme poverty here beyond what we even know to imagine. Yes, kids are drinking muddy water and are dying of diseases that are painfully preventable; those things should absolutely break your heart. The weight of this reality can crush you if you let it. But this place, like any, holds the same great potential for hope and joy as it has for pain and loss.

You can hear it here. Every night since I’ve been in Rwanda, I have woken up to this unabashed laughter coming from the golf course across the street. Like the laughter from your gut, generally reserved for little kids who may or may not know what they are laughing so hard about. The other night, four of us walked down to the club through the rain to investigate the source of it. The culprit was a guy named Julius and his friend Michele, a lawyer and a cellular service executive. We sat up until midnight finding out what was so funny. These guys call their spot the “19th hole”, and come sometimes just to hang out even if they are not golfing that day. Both grew up in countries that border Rwanda, and returned home in the wake of the genocide. That is true of a lot of people here in Kigali. This place is on the upswing.

You can feel it here. It is impossible to go a day in Rwanda without dancing. I asked my friend, Revinah for the translation of this Kinyarwanda song that was on the radio yesterday. She said that it basically means, “The women of Rwanda are so beautiful that when we come, you can just go”. Check them out. She taught me some traditional dance, and I showed her the robot. (Note: That is not my go-to dance move; we just happened to be listening to some 80s jams.) Today I was watching some Living Water International guys repairing a pump just east of the city for this wonderful, but intensely poor community. Kids came pouring in from all directions to see what was going on. My friend, Tegan and I rolled down the windows on our truck and cranked up the beats. You should have seen these little guys vibing. They put our meager palette of dance moves to shame. It is forever amazing me that they can grow up in material poverty, but retain this untouchable richness within.

You can see it here. This place is called the Land of a Thousand Hills for a reason. As an aquatic being, I was nervous about the withdrawal pains that may come with any significant time in a land-locked country. Thank God, Rwanda moves and overwhelms the soul just as satisfyingly as the sea, and I am thinking that this may be a fair trade. The weather reminds me of a little surfing town in California, every day a little closer to perfection than the last. Even the rain is magic. And this city at night is like the stars come down to earth. The view from anywhere will steal your breath, and then give it back long enough to take it away again. Rwanda’s light shines bright in this part of the continent – it exudes hope, even when it is asleep.

They say here, that God roams the earth by day, but comes back to rest in Rwanda at night. I do not know that the theology holds up, but I sure adore the sentiment. This place is in the midst of the kind of recovery that only He can orchestrate, and I wanted you to know about it. We should remember human tragedy, of course, and commemorate what the world lost in 1994. But we do not have to wade in the pain of it forever. The Rwandese people are not even doing that. No, this place is moving forward. It is opening up my mind to the depth of God’s ability to restore even the worst of situations. So be safe. And come here soon.

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Living Water International.

Happy Feet.

2009-01-24T00:34:00.000-08:00

I do realize that one must prioritize when it comes to sustainable development. Water is, of course, the first step. I am hoping the second is internet speed.

No, I am not trying to download music from iTunes, nor am I obsessively checking the Dow Jones Index online. I am wishing desperately that you were with me yesterday on the Rwandese hill that both broke and filled my heart. The next best thing to you being there would be uploaded footage of Phillip, our hygiene trainer showing a three year old boy that he can wash his dirt caked feet in the clean water Living Water International has drilled in his village. Eric (say it with an east African accent, it sounds cooler) told us in Kinyarwanda that the water from the pump does not hurt his belly the way the river water did.

I'll show you one day, when I'm not limited by my connection speed. But until then, I hope you can close your eyes and see it - hope. Hope for a little boy on a hill, whose parents have never had clean water, who will never know anything but.

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Living Water International.

African Accent 101: Annunciation

2009-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Today, as we walked toward the crowd waiting for an advanced hygiene lesson in a village outside of Kigali, I jokingly asked if I could go to the "party" instead. As in... the church meeting next door with the Rwandese people and African beats pouring out of it. Instead, I was escorted to a hole in the ground inside a little wooden structure. As in... the "potty". And now, I know. Thankfully, Phillip explained the misunderstanding, and the town leader knew that I wasn't just rejecting her hospitality. I'm not above it, just didn't need it at the time.

The lesson went well. The people had retained a lot from their previous lesson, and the review portion was a breeze. To build on their knowledge, we explained the oral re-hydration solution - a homemade remedy for diarrhea, a common cause of death in places like this. I am continuously honored that we can serve God and human beings in the simplest of ways. It's a wonderful adventure every day, even when some things are lost in translation (or pronunciation). Thank you for being in it with me.

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www.waterkate.com
Living Water International.

We Are Here!

2009-01-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

Before you think that Tegan and I are so selfless in this endeavor, you should know that it is in the mid-80s with a nice light breeze here in Kigali, Rwanda. We arrived in one piece, and have enjoyed getting to know the city, and the Living Water Staff we will be coming alongside in these weeks. Their program is positioned to take off in this country. Rick Warren's (Purpose Driven... Everything?) church has funded the next 50 well projects here. If all goes well, which it will, funding may come in for hundreds more. We have the privilege of assisting as LWI trains local hygiene trainers for those projects, who will stay in their villages year round. That's an impact that will last beyond our time here.

And that matters in Rwanda, even in Kigali. As many steps have been taken by the Rwandese to elevate themselves onto the national stage, we still drove past people retreiving water from runoff that flows through sewage and laundry water. And if you are not yet convinced that the hygiene program that LWI implements is worth the money and effort, you should have seen the women who were dipping their containers into a stagnant pond, rather than waiting in line for well water. Much of the hygiene team's job here is to help people realize that not all water is created equal. I'm excited to be a part of it all!

www.waterkate.com
Help me get there.
Living Water International.

Schooling.

2009-01-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

Over one hundred 6th grade students in New Jersey are turning their attention to the world water crisis. I had the privilege of sitting in with them as they brainstormed solutions to the issue at hand. They had ideas for funding wells, filtering ocean water, even shipping tree seeds so that there would be enough wood for people to boil their water.

Smart kids, with sweet hearts.

www.waterkate.com
Help me get there.
Living Water International.

The City.

2009-01-02T03:34:00.000-08:00

For someone who grew up a train ride away from New York City, I have rarely set foot on the island. So when the opportunity to spend an evening at the Metropolitan Pavilion arose, I jumped on it. The host was charity:water, and I was honored to be a part of their night. After a full day of set up, the event was a fantastic success. The guests drew a good deal of media attention to the world water crisis, and raised almost half a million dollars that will go to the implementers that charity: partners with. That includes Living Water International, and means that I will get to see what it all adds up to very soon. It's so amazing that a fun night in a great city can mean life for people half a world away.

www.waterkate.com
Help me get there.
Living Water International.

Back again.

2008-12-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

El Pinion, a little community in western El Salvador, has officially stolen my heart. I had the chance at the beginning of this December to spend one week working with one of Living Water International's hygiene coordinators in Central America. Now I feel even more prepared to teach the curriculum in East Africa in the New Year.

www.waterkate.com
Help me get there.
Living Water International.

Acajutla, El Salvador

2008-07-26T16:45:00.001-07:00

Seven days in El Salvador was enough to know I want to go back! Who knew pupusas could be so good? Check out www.water.cc to see more of what Living Water International does to bring water and the word to those without.