Water

Water ... has an enormous range of meanings for us as human beings. Our bodies are mostly water, and our thirst reminds us to replenish that water. We are born from the waters of the womb, and something about a pool draws us to plunge back into it and covers ourselves. But if we stay under for too long, it means death. Coming up to the surface and breathing again is almost like being reborn. ... Water washes us clean and makes us feel fresh and new again. Baptism takes - and adds to - all these meanings.

- Hoyt L. Hickman

Water is a precious commodity in Cochabamba.

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In 2000, the oft divided people of Cochabamba united in a revolt against the Bechtel Corp. and won. You can read about it at The Democracy Center.

Photos of the water revolt in Cochabamba taken by Tom Kruse.

"The Right to Water - Fulfilling the Promise" A chapter by Jim Shultz from the forthcoming book, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Latin America: From Theory to Practice. A look at the larger issue of access to water across the world and the Bolivian water revolt in the context of the struggle to secure water as a human right.

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The lack of water has a direct affect on the people in the barrio around the Center. Of course, lack of fresh, safe water leads to dehydration and illness. But something we don't often think about is the fact that no water means no toilets, no sinks. Simple tasks like washing dishes or doing laundry become enormous productions and require a trip to the river (if it isn't dried up) or a visit to the public, outdoor sinks. And forget about washing your hands after using the bathroom (i.e. squatting in the designated corner of the yard), because that's a luxury!

Some of the people can afford the few dollars it costs to buy water from the water trucks that come around. They drive through the barrio, pouring their precious cargo into each household's open, rusty, metal 55 gallon drums, from which the people scoop it out for washing or for cooking.

Any water is better than no water.

Even the wealthy people have to deal with the lack of water in Cochabamba. I lived with an upper class family, and we were always cautious not to use too much water. Just doing the dishes or taking a quick shower could use up the water supply. At which point, we'd have to run out back, turn on a pump, and wait 20 minutes for more water to pump into the pipes.

It is such a beautiful thing to give someone a glass of cool water, in the midst of the dust and the dryness, and share with them about the living water that can eternally take away their thirst.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.
But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.
It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

John 4:13