http://www.spotlightradio.net/spotlight.php
Hello. I’m Ruby Jones.
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight(reflektor). This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
People sit and talk in the busy café. All cafés serve food and drink, but this one is special. There are performers playing music. Other performers are standing up and reading out stories and poems. Still others are telling jokes. And all around, there are books. The people are from different classes and ethnic groups. But they have two things in common. One, they are artists. They are here to express their thoughts and feelings through art. And two, they live in a country that has great economic and political struggles(zápasy). They live in a country where artistic expression is difficult. They live in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.
When you think about Zimbabwe, it is hard not to think about politics and economics. It is hard not to think about the struggling economy - with very high inflation. But today we talk about something very different - the Harare Book Café!
Inner city Harare. Music, singing, laughter! Lively sounds fill the top floor of the shopping centre. The sounds come from one store - the Harare Book Café. Here, people listen to several performers. They sit and talk together. The cafe is very busy. And this lively cafe began as just a small book store, called Grassroots Books.
‘Grassroots Books’ began not long after Zimbabwe became an independent nation - in 1980. Before independence, stores sold only state-approved (schválené) books. The idea of Grassroots Books was to move with the times. The state was independent - and free. And books should be too! As soon as people heard about the book store, they hurried to it. Paul Brickhill is founder of the book cafe. He describes the early days of the store
‘People came in great numbers. We sold almost every book we had in store. I remember a truck(náklaďak) load of military men outside. They had come because they had heard there were progressive books. There was a sense in the early days that it was a place where people could meet each other and talk to each other. And that was planned.’
From this book store developed the Harare Book Café. It became a place where people could meet to share ideas and thoughts - through art. Today, people gather(zhromažďovať sa) there six nights a week. These include young artists, government workers, lawyers, doctors, bankers, business people and street children. They watch each other perform. Their performances include music, poetry, theatre and discussions. Mashasha is one of the black music players at the book cafe. He remembers his first visit there;
‘A friend invited me. I remember a blues music group playing. I thought; how will I fit in with that kind of place? I just thought it was for the rich, whities, and maybe some black. But I was surprised! It was a different atmosphere when I got there. Everyone was welcome!
There is a mix of people, colour, and class. Inside, it is just people enjoying what is happening. You cannot see what class they are from. Maybe you can see outside, when some of them get into their costly(drahý, nákladný) cars. But inside, you see nothing.’
Some people ask why the authorities have not closed the café. Paul Brickhill believes the reason is partly because the café managers talk to the government. They ask if they are doing anything wrong. They do not hide away. However the cafe still creates police interest. And police visits have resulted(mať za následok) in some arrests.
However, ask one of these performing artists their worst fear. They most likely will not say, 'it is being arrested'. Instead, they would say, 'being "black listed" by the government'. A performer whose name is on the black list black would have difficulty finding work. Not being able to work means not surviving. So artistic ‘freedom’ may be there in theory - but in reality, fear may stop freedom being complete. Another artist, Fatso says;
‘There is a joke in Zimbabwe: There is freedom of expression. But you do not have freedom after expression.’
So, life is not easy for artists, even at the Harare Book Café. Artists naturally express what is going on around them. Deciding how much to express can be difficult. Many musicians believe it is their job to speak for the public. Live performances are one way to hear public opinion in Zimbabwe.
The artists at the book club are hopeful about the future. They have come a long way since their small beginnings. Today, the Harare Book Cafe is part of the Pamberi Trust. Paul Brickhill explained that he and others saw a need for a bigger organisation. They needed an organisation to manage different art projects. So, they developed the Pamberi trust. The trust’s aim is to manage over five hundred creative events a year. The word Pamberi means ‘move forward’in the local Shona language. And 'moving forward' is exactly what the artists are doing!
Artists in Harare believe in their work and its purpose. And they believe in the people of Zimbabwe. It is this desire that drives the artists forward. Paul Brickhill said:
It really feels like we are part of some kind of miracle. This thing has to survive, it has to live. Someone asked, 'How do artists perform when they are hungry?' The honest answer is that you have to have a spiritual food as well... you have to be able to think and hope and have a dream in life. And so we have been very strong on how we go about what we do.’
‘We believe in our country. We believe in our people. We are under pressure. We have difficult lives. But we keep going -because Zimbabwe is going to come out of this.’
The sound of music flows from the book cafe in inner city Harare. People clap their hands to the beat of the drum. Whatever the future, it is this beat that gives them the courage to move forward - the power of Pamberi.
The writer and producer of today’s programme was Marina Santee. The voices you heard were from xxxx and xxx. All quotations were adapted for this programme. Computer users can hear our programmes on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called ‘Harare Book Café.’ Thanks for listening to Spotlight today. Goodbye.
Hitting Children
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight program. I’m Liz Waid.
And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
What do you do when a child misbehaves? What if he does not listen? What if she breaks your house rules?
All parents must face these questions at some time. All parents teach their children right and wrong. But what is the best way to do this? There are many ways to punish children when they do wrong. But in some places, there is a big debate about one punishment - hitting. Some people also call it smacking or spanking. Should parents use hitting as a form of punishment? Or are there better ways to punish children?
In the country of New Zealand, this has caused a lot of discussion. There are many parents who believe it is necessary to hit their children at some times. They do not feel that they can be good parents without this kind of punishment.
But there are many other parents who believe that any hitting is wrong. They think that it is very harmful to children!
For many months, the two groups argued with one another. Soon, the government got involved. In 2005, the town of Ngongotaha became the first town to make it illegal for parents to hit their children. They hope to become the safest place in the world to raise children.
Rose Berge is a social worker. She is part of Family Works, a group that is trying to stop violence against children. She says that New Zealand is currently one of the worst places to raise children.
“New Zealand’s home violence rates are horrible. Our child abuse rates are horrible.”
She believes that hitting children as a form of punishment leads to worse violence in the home.
“If we are going to stop child abuse in this country, I believe it has to start with the way we raise our children.”
Rob Beckett works with Rose Berge to stop parents from hitting their children. He is a social worker in Ngongotaha. Together, they came up with a plan. They give parents ideas about punishing without hitting. Rob says,
“We know violence in the home is a concern. Ngongotaha is no different from any other community in New Zealand. Poor parenting skills are one of the reasons. We have a lot of parents who have alcohol and drug difficulties.”
Using money and support from the local government, Rob and Rose started a project to stop hitting. They call it the “Smack Free” project. They asked local parents for their ideas and opinions. They asked local businesses to become supporters by putting “No Smacking” signs in their windows. And they organized a free program to teach local parents how to punish children without hitting.
Nearly one hundred [100] parents have been through this program. Rose Berge believes that their work has been effective in changing the community.
“It has helped people talk about punishing children. They never talked about this before.”
Still, there are many people who oppose this project. Even Rob Beckett understands that change will take many years.
“We know there are people out there who still hit their children now. But we see people coming through our program that will never have to hit their children because they have learned good parenting skills.”
Support for the program is not as strong as Rose and Rob hoped it would be. Some businesses will not put up “Smack Free” signs in their windows. Others believe that this is not an important issue. And some parents believe that hitting is an important part of being a good parent.
Recently, a group asked people living in New Zealand their thoughts about punishing children. More than seventy-five [75] percent said that they think it is okay to hit.
But the government still passed a law making it illegal for parents to hit their children. This has caused a large number of protests. Some protesters held signs that said, “Children do not belong to the government” or “Do not get involved with my family.”
Iain Bainbridge works for the Christian Institute. He opposes this law.
“Punishing is part of love. The old law only lets parents use reasonable physical punishment. Parents who use unreasonable physical punishment can already be arrested. This new law is very restrictive. It is wrong to arrest parents for using reasonable physical punishment.”
Iain believes that making it illegal to ever hit children will cause children to misbehave more often.
“In the last ten [10] to twenty [20] years we have made it illegal to use physical punishment in schools. And what have we seen? We have seen worse behavior from students. And now many teachers are leaving schools because they cannot punish students.”
Lucy Thorpe works for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She supports the new law.
“What we are talking about is giving children the same rights as adults. This law sends a clear message that hitting children is just as wrong as hitting anyone else.”
Lucy believes that the new law is not enough. She hopes to teach parents why it is wrong to hit their children.
“Hitting may do no physical harm, but there are many other problems. We know that physical punishment can turn into violence against children. Also, it sends a message to children, that if you do not like what someone is doing, you should use physical force.”
This is a difficult issue for many parents around the world. In most countries, it is not illegal for parents to hit their children. But it can still be difficult to decide how to punish a child who does something wrong.
Even Christians struggle with this issue. In the Bible, it says “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” [Proverbs 22:6] Like most parents, Christian parents believe that punishment is important. And some Christians believe that this punishment should also include hitting.
But Jesus urged Christians to show love and mercy to all people, including their children. He never hit anyone to punish them. Instead, he used words. Because of Jesus’ peaceful example, many Christians believe that it is always wrong to punish someone by hitting them.
What do you think about hitting children? Do you think it is always wrong? Or do you think it is necessary to be a good parent? You can email us your comments, questions and ideas at radio @ english.net.
The writer and producer of today’s Spotlight program was Ryan Geertsma. All quotes have been adapted for this program. The voices you heard were from the United States. Computer users can hear our programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website at www . radio . english . net. This program is called “Hitting Children.”
We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
Mister Lobotomy
Hello, I’m Marina Santeee.
And I’m Ruby Jones. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
California, the United States of America. The year is
Finally, the doctor pulls out the thin piece of metal. He then performs the same process above the boy’s other eye. After some time, the boy will wake up. His eyes will be black and painful. But he will not remember what has happened to him.
The boy’s name was Howard Dully. Howard was only twelve years old when a doctor operated on his brain. The doctor was trying to cure Howard’s behaviour problems. Howard’s mother had died when he was five. And his new mother, Lou, could not relate well to Howard. She could not understand his unfriendly behaviour - it seemed unnatural to her. Finally, Lou took Howard to see a doctor. The doctor’s name was Walter Freeman.
But Freeman was not just any doctor. He was famous across the United States for his method for treating people with mental problems. Doctor Freeman thought that mental problems were caused by over-active emotions. So, to get rid of emotions was to get rid of mental problems. The frontal lobe is the front part of the brain. It processes memories and emotions. Nerves connect the frontal lobe to the thalamus - a small structure deep inside the brain. Freeman believed that the thalamus was the “store-room” of human emotions. He knew that doctors could operate and break the nerves that connected the frontal lobe to the thalamus. So a person would not then be physically able to react in an emotional way.
In 2008, Howard Dully published a book about his lobotomy and how it affected his life. Howard says:
“If you saw me, you would never know I had a lobotomy... But I have always felt different. I wondered if something was missing from my soul.”
Freeman first used his lobotomy method in 1946. The patient’s name was Ellen Ionesco. Her daughter, Angeline Forrester remembers the event well:
“Before the operation, my mother was very violent. She kept trying to kill herself. After the lobotomy, there was nothing - it stopped immediately. There was just peace....so whatever Freeman did, he did something right.”
In the 1940s, many people thought that Walter Freeman had found the answer to mental disorders. And the mental health situation in the U S A needed some kind of answer. It was in crisis. Elliot Valenstein is a doctor of neuroscience. He describes why Freeman’s operation seemed to be the answer:
“Really there was no other way of treating people who had serious mental sickness. There were no medical drugs... And mental hospitals were over-crowded. People were willing to try almost anything! ...Stories about lobotomy spread so quickly... There were a lot of claims about its success...and a lot of people demanded the operation. They had parents or family members who really needed help and were not getting any.”
In 1952, Walter Freeman performed two hundred and fifty lobotomies in one U S state. This was over a period of only two weeks. But Freeman wanted more. He began offering lobotomies to people with less serious health problems - like headaches, or depression.
However, some of Freeman’s patients were left in a very bad state after their operations. They were left with brain damage. Some were like vegetables - unable to speak or move. Others had become like children - even though they were adults. But Freeman did not seem to think that he had failed in any way.
By the 1950s, a different treatment for mental sickness appeared �" Thorazine. This drug produced the same result as a lobotomy. However it did not involve the same risk of permanent brain damage. Thorazine meant the beginning of the end for Walter Freeman's lobotomies.
In all, Walter Freeman performed two thousand five hundred [2,500] lobotomies. He operated on his last patient, Ellen Mortensen, in 1967. She died of a bleed in the brain. But Freeman still believed in lobotomy as a cure. He spent the rest of his life travelling across the United States. He visited his old patients to find out how having a lobotomy had helped them. Freeman did this until he died of cancer in nineteen seventy two.
And what about Howard Dully - Freeman’s youngest ever patient? He now says:
“I will never know what I lost after those ten minutes with Doctor Freeman’s sharp instrument. It was a miracle that it did not turn me into a brainless creature, or crush my spirit, or kill me. But it did affect me �" deeply.”
And how will history judge Walter Freeman? Jack El-Hai has written a book about the doctor’s life. We end this programme with El Hai's opinion:
I began by thinking that Freeman must have been an evil person... But now I think of Freeman as more of a tragic person. He was blind - not so much to the results of lobotomy. But blind to the results of his own mistakes and failings.”
The writer and producer of today’s programme was Ruby Jones. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted for the programme. You can listen to more Spotlight programmes on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called, “Mister Lobotomy.”
Community Radio in Nepal
Hello. I’m Marina Santee.
And I’m Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
It is late in the day. There are no street lights here in Madanpokhara. The small village lies in Tansen, Western Nepal. It is about an eight hour drive from the capital city of Kathmandu. To the visitor, it is a rough ride up the large hill. A light shines from a small house near the top. From the outside, the house does not look much different from any other. But walk inside, and it is clear that this is not a normal house. This is a community radio station! From this house, comes the voice of the local community. It is Radio Madanpokhara, one of Spotlight’s broadcasters! Today, we tell how a community radio station grew from small beginnings - and how it is a powerful tool for local development
Imagine you are a farmer. You live in a village away from the towns. You have a large animal - a buffalo. But you need to sell it. How can you tell all the people in your village? What better way than to use community radio? You pay the station a small price. They announce that the buffalo is for sale. A buyer hears the announcement. He comes and buys your buffalo. You have gained the money you needed. The buyer has gained a buffalo. And the station makes money towards its costs. Everyone wins!
This is one of the many ways Radio Madanpokhara serves its community. It began broadcasting in the year 2000. It used only a small transmitter for broadcasting - one hundred [100] watts. The radio station was in a small building - next to the station manager’s home. Sixty-five [65] members formed a trust fund. They each paid one thousand [1,000] rupees a year - that is about sixteen [16] US dollars. After a few years, they collected enough money for a bigger building - with a recording studio. Today, the broadcasting quality is as good as the commercial FM stations in Nepal. The transmitter power is now five hundred [500] watts.
The official operators of Radio Madanpokhara are ‘VDC’ - the Village Development Committee. VDC is part of the government. However, it is the local community that controls and manages the station. Villagers meet together with VDC members. Local people discuss their ideas. They say what they would like in the programmes. At one of the meetings the words of an old man brought great change! His story has become famous in the area.
It was a normal meeting. Local people gave their different ideas and suggestions. They were discussing how they could give to the station. The old man stood in the corner of the room. His name was Tuk Lal Khati. Tuk Lal rested on his stick. And he listened quietly. One of the VDC members asked Tuk Lal for his opinion. Tuk Lal replied,
The VDC member encouraged Tuk Lal to tell his story. He told Tuk Lal of a wise old woman. Her words had changed the future of a powerful business man! This encouraged Tuk Lal. So he spoke:
[‘The radio station has become our mind, heart and mouth. So we must help it any way we can - with our minds, our money, our work. However, I do not have money to give to the radio station. But I do have an idea to make money. Let every household save one handful of rice from their daily supply. And then, give it to the station.’]
The VDC member liked Tuk Lal’s suggestion. He remembered it at the next meeting of directors. Here representatives from twenty-three [23] villages came together. They also liked Tuk Lal’s idea. And they decided to use it in their own villages.
And so, over the next few months listener groups in the different villages began collecting rice and money. They kept some for their own local plans. They sent the rest to the radio station.
The villager’s gifts became a large part of the radio station’s money. And they still are! The listeners’ groups have also gained from the gifts. They have expanded and strengthened the things they do. They work together to change and improve their communities. Local people feel responsible for their radio station. They influence programs and policies of the station. Through the radio station they have one voice.
Madanpokhara’s programmes serve the people in many ways. They spread local information - marriages, deaths, births. They give information about missing children. They provide education - advice on farming, or problems such as landslides and fires. There are programs on economic and social issues, conflict, human rights. And there are programmes about democracy, good government and women’s issues. The station is also careful to keep the traditional values of its community. For example, individuals are important. Family and community relations are important. All people deserve a voice and equal rights. This includes the rich and the poor. It includes men and women. The station does not broadcast information that sells big products - such as Coca Cola drinks, or Chow Chow Noodles. Such companies may not hold the local community values.
Radio Madanpokhara has received awards for its positive results and good effects on the community. Gunakar Aryal is the station manager there. He is a local man from the village. Gunakar would like to see more community stations in Nepal. He says that radio Madanopokhara is a model of what community radio can do. Gunakar says that if local authorities are willing, people can start such stations in all the villages of Nepal. He believes this is the way forward - communities communicating for development! Radio Madanpokhara could lead the way forward for other villages. If they follow, the results could be huge - across the whole country!
Do you have community radio where you live? Do the local people support it? If you would like to hear Spotlight on your community radio station, write and tell us! We may tell about your station on our programme!
The writer and producer of today’s programme was Marina Santee. The voices you heard were from South Africa and the United Kingdom. Computer users can hear our programmes, read our scripts and see our word list on our website at www . radio . english . net. This programme is called ‘Community Radio in Nepal.'
If you have comments or questions about our Spotlight programmes, you can reach us by email. Our address is radio @ english . net. Thank you for joining us in today’s Spotlight programme. Until next time, goodbye.
Jacques Cousteau: Underwater Explorer
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight program. I’m Liz Waid.
And I’m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
People desire to explore the unknown. People climb tall mountains. They sail to far off islands. They study volcanoes, and caves and rocks. But for most of human history, when people reached the sea, they had to stop. For thousands of years, most people could only wonder at what lay below the ocean’s surface. That is, until one man opened the underwater world for anyone to explore.
Today’s Spotlight is on Jacques Cousteau. Jacques Cousteau was an underwater explorer who was unwilling to stop at the water’s edge. He worked most of his life exploring the ocean. He increased human understanding and worked to teach people about how important it was to care for the planet.
Jacques Cousteau served in the French Navy during World War Two. It was in this service where Cousteau made his first underwater experiments. He knew that the key to studying life underwater was to enter into the underwater world.
Until 1940 there were two main ways to go under water. The first was called free diving. The diver would hold onto a rock and would jump into the water. When the rock had pulled the diver deep enough, he could let go of the rock and swim freely. But he could stay underwater only for as long as he could hold his breath.
The other method was to use a large metal helmet. The helmet fit over the diver's head. It had tubes that led up to the surface. Workers up in a boat had to make sure air was pumping down the tubes to the diver. The tubes and helmet made movement difficult. Neither method satisfied Jacques Cousteau. Free diving did not permit a diver to stay down long enough; and the helmet did not permit a diver to move freely.
Jacques Cousteau desired the freedom of movement of free diving. But he also wanted the longer time underwater of the helmet system. In 1943, Cousteau co-developed an air tank system that a diver would wear on his back. The system supplied air only when the diver breathed in - so no air was wasted. Cousteau called it the Aqualung. It is similar to the diving tanks that are still used today.
Jacques Cousteau could now travel down and see what a shipwreck looked like. He could swim with the fish and discover new, strange creatures. Today, many people dive - for work or for enjoyment. Cousteau is the father of modern diving.
There are thousands of animals in the ocean, but most people see them without ever going in the water! Today, we have powerful cameras and technology. Divers can make wonderful films of the underwater life. But when Cousteau first used the Aqualung, there was no underwater camera good enough to use with it.
But Cousteau knew that if he was going to be able to get money for further explorations, he was going to need to bring back films to show people. They would need to see things for themselves. So he designed his own underwater film camera.
Up to that time, very few people had seen things under water. With the Aqualung and his new camera, Jacques Cousteau began to open up the mystery of the ocean. People could watch divers moving through the water as if they were flying. Cousteau said:
“From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is fixed to the earth. But man has only to sink below the surface of the water and he is free... he can fly in any direction- up, down, sideways- by just turning his hand. Underwater, man can fly like an angel.”
Cousteau did not only make his underwater films to get money, he also made them for the general public. At the 1956 Cannes film festival, his film The Silent World, won the highest prize - the Golden Palm. Also, for seven years, Cousteau had a television show called The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
The Calypso and its crew soon became as much a part of Cousteau’s films as the underwater creatures. The crew were in close living conditions during the long trips at sea. Everyone helped to make the Calypso work well. Many of Cousteau’s crew members worked together for many years.
Over the years, the Calypso added a helicopter, and underwater windows. It also carried small submarines that could carry one or two people deep underwater. Cousteau also invented these. But with each new part added and with each new exploration, Cousteau’s first thought was always on the safety of his crew. One book* about Cousteau says:
“Cousteau treated his teams with a very high regard for their safety. Major and very costly projects would be delayed while equipment was tested again and again... The first law on Calypso would always remain: Never take unnecessary risks.”
The lasting influence of Jacques Cousteau was that he taught people to care about the ocean. He even pointed out how each major religion calls people to care for the natural world. He says this:
“Faith after faith tells its followers to open their eyes to nature as evidence of God’s greatness... All through time, and across countries and cultures, religions have also held the environment holy. It is the substance from which God created His greatest gift - life itself.”
Jacques Cousteau died in 1997. He had worked to connect people with the natural world. Today, the Cousteau Society continues to work to “improve the quality of life for present and future generations.” It continues to produce books and films that educate people about the natural environment.
One writer and producer of this program was Adam Navis. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program. Computer users can hear our programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website at www.Radio.English.net. This program is called “Jacques Cousteau: Underwater Explorer.”
If you have a comment or question for Spotlight you can email us. Our email address is Radio @ English . net. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
Water for Sudan
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight program. I’m Liz Waid.
And I’m Ruby Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
It is not easy for people in Southern Sudan to find good water. It is most difficult for people in far country villages. Many of these people walk for hours to find any water at all. Often, the water they do collect is dirty. It contains bacteria and diseases(nemoci). These diseases make people very sick. Some people even die from the diseases they get from drinking dirty water.
Sometimes a whole village keeps moving until the people can find water. So, many of the country villages have not established schools or businesses. However, this is no longer the case in the village of Aliek.
'Water for Sudan' is an aid organisation. In 2006, workers from this organization came to Aliek to dig a well. Aliek already had a small school. The community leaders asked the workers to dig the well near the school. They asked for this because they believe the children are important to the future of the village. But this well serves the whole community of Aliek, over six thousand [6,000] people.
Two years after the village received the well, Aliek has a large school. Before, only sixty [60] of the children in Aliek were able to attend(navštevovať) school. Most children spent all of their time finding water for their families. Now that there is a well in the village, nearly six hundred children attend school.
The head school teacher in Aliek says the school is successful because now the village has a well. He says,
“The water is clean. It protects the children from sickness. When they are healthy, they are good students.”
Today’s Spotlight is on Water for Sudan and the man who began it, Mister Salva Dut.
Salva Dut is a “lost boy.” In the 1980’s, the civil war in Sudan caused him to flee(utiecť) from his home. He was only eleven [11] years old. For five [5] years, Salva lived and travelled with many other lost children. First they went to Ethiopia. Then they moved to a refugee camp(utečenecký tábot) in southwest Kenya. Salva stayed at this camp for about six years. At that time, three thousand eight hundred [3,800] of the boys went to live in the United States. Salva was one of those boys.
In the United States, Salva went to college. And he began working for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in New York. However, Salva still did not know if his family was alive. His home village in Sudan did not have telephones or mail. So, there was no way to find out. But Salva continued to try. Later, he said:
“I did try. The Red Cross said that if my parents were not in the refugee camps, it would not be possible to find them.”
Four years after arriving in the United States, Salva received a message from his cousin. The message said: “I found your father.” Salva’s father had arrived at a United Nations hospital in Southern Sudan. He was very sick. His body contained organisms called Guinea Worms, and other parasites. You may have heard another Spotlight program about this sickness called “Stopping Guinea Worm Disease.” In this disease, the guinea worms live in a person’s body. When these parasites try to get out of the body, they cause much pain. Salva’s father got the Guinea worms from drinking infected water.
Salva knew this could be his last chance to see his father. He made the trip back to Sudan. His church helped to pay the cost of his travel. Salva’s father had treatment(liečenie, ošetrenie) to remove the parasites from his body. He survived! But he could not return to his village. The water there was infected. Salva says,
“The doctor told him that he needed to start drinking clean water. If he did not, he could get sick again. He could get diseases from the water again. And he could die.”
When Salva was in Sudan, he also got sick from drinking infected water. His trip showed him the truth about every day life for the people in Sudan. Salva knew he had to do something. He wanted to use the education he received in the United States to ease the suffering of his people in Sudan.
“When I went back to the United States, I said I should do something to help my father and all the people who are in the same situation. That’s why I formed(založiť, zriadiť) this not-for-profit organization. I called it 'Water for Sudan'.”
Salva knew exactly what to do. He would bring clean water to his father’s village and other villages like it. Salva got help from some people in his church. Then he began his organization. Water for Sudan builds wells in local villages. These wells bring life to the community.
Water for Sudan uses the whole community to build a well. Everyone in the village moves rocks and grass away from the ground where the workers will dig the well. Then Salva and his crew(posadka) bring in a drilling machine. This machine digs a hole by turning in circles as it enters the ground. They drill deep. They are looking for water contained in rocks deep in the ground. When these rocks break(rozbiť), clean water is released (uvoľnený).
Once they find water, Salva and his crew place pipes into the ground to direct the water. Then they put a hand pump on top. This lets the people in the village control the flow of the clean water. Finally, people from the village are trained to operate the well and keep it in good working condition.
In 2005, Water for Sudan built its first well in the village of Salva’s father. Good things happened after the village received a well. Now his father’s village has a market for trading goods. And another aid organization from Germany opened a medical center.
Water for Sudan continues to dig wells in more villages. In 2007, Salva and his crew drilled ten [10] new wells. For the next several years, they hope to drill twenty-four [24] new wells every season. Salva believes that bringing water to the villages of Sudan is just the beginning. He says,
“The people in Southern Sudan are catching up with the world. They need someone to open the door for them. But that is the only thing they need. From there, they will do the rest.”
The writer and producer of this program was Courtney Schutt. All quotes were adapted for use in this program. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. Computer users can find more Spotlight programs on our website at www.radio.english.net. This program is called “Water for Sudan.”
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