We started off an early day at 5:15 in order to leave in the vans at 7:00 to drive to the quay where the ferry comes in. We had yesterday prepared 990 bucket kits (1980 buckets and 1980 lids) all ready to fill with the individual items to make a complete kit. We had loaded a hired truck last night just before dark to transport them to the quay to meet us this morning at 7:30. We got there in time to load them and all our peripheral gear into a large hired dory to take them to Mageta Island while we went by ferry.
We crammed into the ferry with all the other folks that were going to various ports on the island. 
Once on the island, we began the labor-intensive task of transporting our mountain of materials up the cliff and several hundred yards to the sandy field where we would do the training and distribution. It's a sea of blue and white when you get 990 kits spread out in sets of 15 to coordinate groups for training! 
Following prayer with the local chief and other local government officials, they explained how dire the need for clean water is. Before SWOK made the first water filter distribution on this island a month and a half ago, they were recording on average 25 child deaths per month from waterborne illness complications. In that mere month and a half, they report that number has dropped by 60%! Their goal is to get it to ZERO with completion of distribution to all families. We were then introduced to the large group of assembled people in order to do the group hygiene training and water filter training and distribution. We then broke up into groups at various stations to process paperwork and provide small group training with a translator for each group.
Because of some logistical problems with completion of records, some filters could not be distributed in the time available (we didn't want to miss the return ferry at 4:00 and spend the night on the island!). As a result, we distributed 686 filters, thus providing access to clean water to over 3100 people. The remaining kits will be distributed on Friday, after we distribute another 1000 tomorrow at a different location on the island. Following the distribution, the team went briefly to primary and secondary schools on the island to distribute needed school supplies. They found that the water filters that were distributed earlier in the day for the schools were already in use! The girls also were swarmed with little kids there and found babies to hold! Don't they look like it was a sacrifice to do that?
Because of some logistical problems with completion of records, some filters could not be distributed in the time available (we didn't want to miss the return ferry at 4:00 and spend the night on the island!). As a result, we distributed 686 filters, thus providing access to clean water to over 3100 people. The remaining kits will be distributed on Friday, after we distribute another 1000 tomorrow at a different location on the island. Following the distribution, the team went briefly to primary and secondary schools on the island to distribute needed school supplies. They found that the water filters that were distributed earlier in the day for the schools were already in use! The girls also were swarmed with little kids there and found babies to hold! Don't they look like it was a sacrifice to do that?
We returned by ferry with a bunch of tired troops! We made a ferry stop on the border with Uganda and headed home to Bondo Pride hotel for dinner, showers and team meeting. A great day!
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