Mackenzie here! Well, it's good to be back. Dr. Kahler took the time to show Garrett how we use the acoustic doppler velocimeter in the river to get a measurement of flow for this transect site - so I watched for a while and caught some rays. 😎

Sitting on the bank of the beautiful Mutale River in Limpopo, I can't help but contemplate how lucky I feel to be here. It's absolutely stunning, this little corner of Africa. It's the most beautiful valley you'll ever see. In fact, beautiful views are readily available here; we're extremely close to Kruger, a national park that works very hard on animal conservation and biodiversity protection, and I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to visit there twice. But seeing all this beauty and all of the value of this place throws into sharp relief that what is not so readily available in this area: consistent access to clean water from the municipality.

The struggle for access to water includes affordability, as many people can't afford to have a tap in their home and so rely on community taps, as well as accessibility, because the municipality is unable to provide access to water for every community every day, so sometimes you must go without even if you do have a tap in your home. Visits to the water treatment plant have given some cause for concern about their ability to consistently provide water of good, clean quality; the limited availability of testing equipment means they have to send the water away to be tested for quality, which slows down their ability to identify problems before the water is sent out. Also, disruptions such as broken pumps, ineffective sand filters, and shortage of chemicals for treatment can cause random pauses in the provision of water.

It's such a clear disparity, the unavailability of a basic essential to members of the community, despite the right to water being included in the constitution of South Africa. It's especially clear, this disparity, when compared to things we've seen such as a brand new modern and shiny mall just down the road in Thohoyandou, where we're staying. The difference is so stark that it's actually a little confusing to experience, to see firsthand this mix and have to wonder how these issues with water might be possible in a modern community. But it's important to see the differences, to notice the problems, so that we can help identify what could be done to help fix some of them.