Like this:

Today I’m about to spit the dummy – I’m tired of being a bit dirty and having to watch my water;  my hair is in a Croydon face-lift to conceal the dirty, my washing is tripping me up as I leave my bedroom and I’m not drinking enough because I’m generally just using less water. I think that those millions of people that only use 10 liters per day must generally be wandering around a little irritable and vexed and dizzy because they’re mucky and dehydrated. My house is more messy because I’m more messy which makes me have alllll the more respect for those people I have met in Liberia and Afghanistan and Bangladesh who despite  having no running water in the house, despite defecating in the corner of the compound and shovelling it up and chucking it over the wall, despite all this they still take pride in cleaning the house and compound and having self respect that I am sure I would give up fighting for.

Being aware of my water intake has made me more conscious of trying to save resources in all areas – as I buddy-flush with my team and use the dripping tap water to flush at home, I am also using the hand drier instead of the paper towel, I am switching off lights more than I did (JK will just switch them back on for the sake of it though!), I have a generally more conscious attitude of economising in all things.

I take back all my bravado that as a down and dirty field worker I can do this easily, I can’t, I didn’t like it, it was a hassle and I can’t believe people have to live like this, it sucks.

Having said that part of the struggle is that our facilities in the UK are set up to be profligate with resources; our flushes take far too much water, our shopping purchases use far to much plastic, our houses and offices use far too much electricity – it is really hard to save and reduce intake of these resources with the standard facilities, you have to make distinct changes in order to reduce consumption. Its actually easier in the developing world to use fewer resources, by necessity of course, but also by design.

Kate Bowen over and out.

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