CWEF staff hard at work
Last week 25 high school students from Concordia International School Shanghai (CISS) traveled to Yunnan to implement a water project in a rural village. We spent the week digging trenches, living amongst the villagers, and serving them.
The water project we built will profoundly impact the villagers. No longer will the women have to make 6 to 7 trips a day hauling water; no longer will the farmers be limited in the number of livestock they can own because they can't provide water for them all; no longer will bathing and hygiene be limited due to a lack of water. The village now has fresh water! In partnership with our friends at CISS, CWEF has brought a sustainable fresh water system to another rural village in Yunnan.
Cute
A home in the village
Students digging trenches for the water project
Village girl - always smiling
How the village women carried water before the CWEF water system was built: a jar is filled with water and then carried in a basket on their back. Notice a rope is attached to the basket that applies the weight to her forehead.
Villager who helped us dig.
Rain rain GO AWAY! Ready to work in the rain.
The girls SOAKED after digging in the rain
The boys' makeshift laundry room - hanging their clothes to dry after working in the rain all morning
Elderly village women wear turbans. I sat and "chatted" (difficult because they speak a dialect) with these women for a few minutes. They were SO adorable and kept wanting to touching my arms and my hair. The woman who is covering her mouth in the picture kept reaching forward and pinching my cheeks. She would pinch both of my cheeks, then lean back and giggle. And then she would say something to her friends, and she would reach forward and touch my face again. So sweet.
Students with the family they interviewed
Boys observing the foreigners
Ready for action! Got my hat, my gloves, the first aid kit and my friendship watch.
The service team was so generous to donate books and toys to the village children. This little girl was so excited to get her very own copy of the Berenstain Bears in Chinese!
The villages always have beautiful scenery
High school students making balloon animals for the village children. Such a hit!
Grandpa holding the baby and smoking his pipe.
Playing with their new balloons
Village woman also enjoying her pipe
Service team washing dishes after dinner
The village leader's daughter was married while we were in the village. Presenting the bride with a gift.
Just keep digging...
Boys posing for the camera
...and more digging
Presenting our government partners with a tie
Teaching how to tie a tie. Priceless.
Official goodbye with our government partners
