The heat hit me as I left the air-conditioned truck when we arrived in Batha in the Sahel region of Chad. I was here to launch a project ADRA had started to give people access to toilet facilities. The hot wind was incredible. I was ushered to a Bedouin hut for cover, and I must say, inside the hut it was comfortable. A breeze from various directions cooled the dwelling down.
Our project in Chad, in cooperation with UNICEF, provided sustainable access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities for 110,000 people in the Batha region, helping to give people access to clean water and pit latrines. This was to steer people away from defecating in nature. Have a look on our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/2w8sjLbubrk where I tell you more about the visit.
But living with heat is something we all must get more used to as our climate is changing due to human intervention. As we are enduring a heatwave here in the UK – where we still have access to electricity and even gas – and above all, water – I must smile when I hear people complain about the heat.
They have no clue. They don't know what it is to live in 40C plus heat for most of the year. Without tap water, without electricity, without access to toilets.
On our little island, from our bubble of comfort, it is easy to just think of ourselves. To make everything we see and do centre around 'us'. ADRA is not here to help 'us' – we are there to help those overseas who must live in dire circumstances due to human conflict, like Syria and Ukraine, or simply because they live on the very edge of existence.
Nomadic farmers in Chad live on the very edge of existence. I simply could not imagine at all how I could survive in Batha. I was privileged to visit for a few hours and return to my air-conditioned hotel in an air-conditioned car.
Please don't ask "What is ADRA doing for me?" instead ask "How can I help ADRA?" With all the challenges the world is facing today your help is needed now more than ever. If I were with you right now, I would ask you to set up a direct debit to support our work with a monthly contribution. You know how much you can give. Thank you for supporting our work.