Pokot Water Video

As we are preparing to crank up for the Advent Conspiracy at Jacob's Well, I would like to share with you a video that shares some of the results from last year's effort.

When a team of people from Jacob's Well went to Pokot in northwest Kenya last May (2008) to meet the people there and see where the wells are being drilled, we brought along JW staffer and photographer Beth Mercer. If you read this blog you will remember me talking about her and the video she created on behalf of Amahoro (the same trip, shot one week prior in Rwanda).

Last weekend Jacob's Well hosted a show of Beth's photography from Pokot called what makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well. You can see the individual pictures that are displayed in our gallery on her Flickr account linked just above. For what is worth, if you stop in the gallery at the church and see the shots as they have been printed and framed you will not be disappointed. Beth shoots on actual film. The .jpgs on Flickr are good, but seeing them printed is a different experience. Anyway, Beth also put together a video from our time in Pokot. At the Saturday night show it looped in the sanctuary - but it was hard to hear. So, here is the video that shares a little bit of the experience we had in Pokot. And as always, great work, Beth.

Here is her description for the show:

In Kenya, the Pokot live along the Ugandan border and are mostly pastoralists because there is not enough water or good land to raise any crops. Even so, over the years, drought made caring for their herds difficult and many Pokot wandered into Uganda searching for water. This led to raiding and fighting with the neighbouring tribe.

Last year, Jacob’s Well learned about the water-plight of the Pokot through Pastor Edward Simiyu of Nairobi, Kenya. Edward met Pokot warriors a year earlier while helping with peace talks in Uganda where the battles of the Karamoja vs. Pokot were raised.

During Advent 2007, Jacob’s Well participated in the Advent Conspiracy and raised enough to drill four boreholes. In May, I was able to visit the region with five others from JW just before the new wells were dug.

It is one thing to hear of drought, it is another to see it. And yet, even though the Pokot may eat once a day or not at all and walk long distances for water or go without, these hardships are not what I saw in their faces. Instead, I saw a people – strong, proud, hopeful, playful, joyous.

And here is her six minute video.

what makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well from beth mercer on Vimeo.

Comments

[Rusty]

Can I borrow the video for our Advent Conspiracy series? Man i love that place, so many familiar faces on the video.

[Tim Keel]

Of course, Rusty. Use it!