Dying For A Drink: Siyani's Story
“My daughter fell in the well, I ran for help but it was too late. She died and I lost my mind” Siyani, Rural Sindh Pakistan
Siyani lives in a hut in rural Sindh in an area with the population of 3000 people. Due to conditions of drought the villagers can’t grow crops and so resort to working in unskilled labour in neighbouring cities. Many families don’t have a secure income.
In developing communities like Siyani's, the burden of fetching water falls on women and girls. Water collection is not only a difficult task; its a dangerous one. Women and girls walk an average of 4 to 6 KM in extreme climates to find a water source, and oftentimes the water they collect is heavily contaminated. More often than not the routes they take are dangerous, and walking early in the morning or late at night puts them in vulnerable situations where they are at risk of being attacked.
Like thousands of other young girls, Siyani's daughter, Sahib was responsible for collecting water for her village. One day Sahib went to collect water from the nearest well. The closest well is 3km away in the middle of the dessert and is poorly maintained with broken boundary walls. When she arrived, she lowered her bucket into the well and as she started to pull hard to retrieve the bucket, a strong force pulled her forward and she fell headfirst into the well.
Siyani ran to the mosque for help but as Sahib was unable to swim, she tragically drowned in the well before help arrived. Sahib died collecting dirty water.
Siyani's life will forever be marked by this terrible tragedy.
A community well would change this community for generations to come; ensuring that women and young girls are no longer vulnerable to the dangers of collecting dirty water.
