In July I got to visit several of Blood:Water’s partners for the first time. I’ve documented several portions of my trip, but I don’t think I’ve posted about the most important moment of my trip. It was the moment I was implicated in someone else’s story. Her name was Dorica.

We had spent the day walking alongside Gertrude and her friends. If you haven’t watched The Long Walk video yet, you should.

On the way back from our walk with Gertrude, I got to spend time with Dorica.

Dorcia is one of the most beautiful women I have met. As we walked together, she rolled her daughter Faith and her water in her wheelbarrow. As we talked, I asked if I could help her. I honestly had no idea what I was asking for. Not only was the wheelbarrow heavy, I felt that Faith’s life was in danger. I don’t know about you, but my skills balancing a child in a wheelbarrow are super rusty, especially on a dirt path with 30 pounds of water.

As I walked alongside Dorica, literally bearing the weight of her daily hike, she shared with me how she and her husband owned land on a nearby hill. She shared how she dreamed to live there one day, but it was too far from access to water. She shared about how great a friend Gertrude was, and how she often gave her food when she was hungry. She, like Gertrude, was beautiful, and took on the hardship of life with a smile on her face.

Lastly, Dorica shared her loss of Faith’s twin in childbirth. The weight of the wheelbarrow, of her loss, and her unattainable dreams were enough to drown hope. However, Dorica was full of hope and hope spreads.

It was the moment I was implicated in her story and of stories like hers. I knew Dorica and Faith had a lot of obstacles, but I hope one day clean water won’t be one of them.

That day I met a woman not too different from myself. I can only hope that if I was in her shoes there would be people willing to come alongside me and my community.

I hope you’ll consider sharing the story of Gertrude and Dorica. You can find the video to share here.