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Egypt, Aswan, district of El Gozira
(70 families).
Discussion with Hanna and Mahmoud,
brother and sister inhabitants the district
since always.
Hydrotour : : Good evening
Hanna and Mahmoud, thank you to thus receive
us in your house in whom we go last the
night and to answer our questions.
Historically can you recall us the evolution
of the water conveyance in the district?
Hanna : When I had not been born
yet and until I have ten years, we did not
have any network of water conveyance, my
mother was going tous.les.jours to seek
the water which we needed in the Nile. I
cannot say to you how much outward journey
and return it made, but I think that that
represented 40 Liters. Fortunately the Nile
is to 300 m from here and as soon as we
had the age of it, we could help our mother.
"it is not the role
of the men. They must work in the fields
or the factory "
Hydrotour : Only were
the women going to seek water ?
Hanna : Yes, it is not the role of
the men. They must work with the fields
or the factory. We, we have the load of
all the domestic tasks.
Fifteen years ago, when the government installed
a tap in the district, it was always the
role of the girls to go to seek water. We
are a family of three boys and two girl
and we were going tous.les.jours with jerry
cans to seek the water which we needed for
the household, the kitchen…
HY : The water which arrived
at this tap was chlorinated?
H : Yes, as that which we have received
directly in the house for three years.
Now, we have three taps, one in the kitchen,
one in the toilets and an outside. Water
that we consume, we put it in the Earthenware
jar (15-20 Liters) which you see from here,
it makes it possible to refresh water and
to remove the odor of chlorine to him. Every
evening, we clean it with water with a brush
before filling it for the following day.
Mahmoud : We consume 30m³ per
month. But a great part is used to wash
the vegetables which we report of the fields.
We pay it 60 piastres the m³ (0,10
€ ).
HY : Who made the step
to have water ?
M : All the district. Our father
died 20 years ago, it is thus me the elder
one (33 years old) which has to make the
steps for the family at the same time as
all the houses of the district. One month
after the Ministry for Water and the Irrigation
had done what is necessary and we had running
water.
HY : What happenhappen
does worn water ?
M : Each house of the district made
dig a pit skeptic, we do not have yet all-with-the
sewer but the government promised it to
us for soon.
HY : For five years you
have rented a piece on the edge of the Nile
that you to cultivate after your work with
your junior. Can you explain us how irrigate
it to you?
M : As you saw when you came to see
me a few moments ago, the piece is bordered
by a channel whose level is higher than
the Nile (which is to 50 m of the fields).
This channel is underwater only one week
out of two. It is the Ministry which manages
that. The week when we have water, let us
pump we it out of this channel with a large
diesel engine and we flood the pieces cultivated
using small ground channels. This twice
in the week.
"When I am in the
field, I directly drink the water of the
channel, and I never had problem"
HY : Which is the quality
of the water of the Nile?
M : It is excellent just like that
of the tap. When I am with field (note:
downstream from Aswan), I drink the water
of the channel directly, and I never had
problem (note: though they say many Egyptians
of it suffer from chronic diarrhoeas, which
we could easily note in the toilets).
HY : A few moments ago
we saw all these banks of the Nile whose
green is of an intensity surprising compared
to the surrounding desert landscape. Can
you say to us what you cultivate ?
M : We have oranges, mangos, guavas,
some banana trees, some pomegranates and
of course of the date palms. We do a little
corn, but just for our cow and the consumption
of the family. The remainder is market gardening
which requires much work, but allows us
several rotations per annum. We have various
kinds of salads, onions, garlic, etc…
HY : Did you already intend
to speak about the International Year of
Fresh Water ?
H : Yes, it of isn't all the countries
in favour of water is an initiative ?
Mahmoud : No, never.
" Allah created
everything starting from water"
HY : What does water represent
for you ?
Hanna : In Coran it is known as:
"Allah created everything starting
from water".
Mahmoud : For us, Egyptians, it is even
more important; Without the water of the
Nile, we would be only one vast desert.
So we have a festival on August 16 for that.
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