Doc Hendley - Wine to Water: A Bartenders Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World

WINE to WATER

A Bartenders Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World

DOC HENDLEY

AVERY

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Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

New York

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Copyright 2012 by Doc Hendley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN 978-1-101-55430-2

Book design by Meighan Cavanaugh

Some names and identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Penguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the authors alone.

This book is dedicated to my wife, Amber.
Darlin, you are the most beautiful thing in my sometimes dark and crazy world. Thank you for being patient with me during the growing pains of Wine to Water and for loving me despite my many imperfections. I would be nowhere without you.

Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.

source unknown

Contents

Glossary of Terms

AUAfrican Union, a union consisting of fifty-three African nations whose mandate is to promote peace, security, and the well-being of the African continent and its peoples

Buffalothe nickname we gave to our hard-top Land Cruiser

Chaihot tea

Foola traditional Darfuri dish made of whole fried beans served in oil

GoSgovernment of Sudan

IDPinternally displaced person

JanjaweedArab militia believed to be supported by the government of Sudan that has been responsible for widespread killing of the black African population of Darfur

Jebenacoffee

Jellabiyaa traditional Muslim garment worn by men in Egypt and Sudan

JEMJustice and Equality Movement, rebel group fighting against the Janjaweed and the government of Sudan

NFInon-food item, i.e., soap, jerricans, plastic sheeting, etc.

NGOnon-governmental organization

OCHAOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, part of the United Nations

SalahIslamic prayer required five times daily

Seecoa local Darfuri liquor distilled from date fruit, very similar to moonshine

SLASudanese Liberation Army, rebel group fighting against the Janjaweed and the government of Sudan

USAIDUnited States Agency for International Development

Wadia riverbed in Darfur that is dry most of the year except during the rainy season, when it can flood to dangerous levels within minutes

Names of Characters

Abdullathe driver of my water truck for Marla Camp

Alian SLA commander and community leader based in Marla

Amber Hendleymy beautiful wife and the mother of my two sons, Beattie and Justice

Amirone of my first hires; a humble Muslim man from Nyala, South Darfur, who spoke very little English but was well trained in water and sanitation

Andy Shavera Samaritans Purse colleague and friend, who worked on education and eventually took over managing all of our Darfur programs

Annie Clawsona young woman who helped me launch Wine to Water as an official organization back in 2007, and who, thanks to her endless supply of sticky-notes, is the only person who has been able to keep me on task and on a schedule

Coy Isaacsa Samaritans Purse colleague in Darfur, sparring partner, and also great friend, who helped me set up the first Wine to Water office in Boone, North Carolina, in 2007

David Del Contehead of the United Nations OCHA office in Darfur

Hamida young, educated Muslim man from Nyala, South Darfur

Hilarya proud older Christian man from Wau in South Sudan, who was my main translator and first hired along with Amir

Ismaela Muslim man from a small village south of Nyala, with decent English skills and well trained in water and sanitation work

Jonathan Drakea Samaritans Purse colleague, fellow travel guitar player, and friend who worked mostly on food security

Mohamed Isaan SLA commander based in Jebel Marra

Simona university-educated Christian man from Juba, South Sudan, who helped me with writing grant applications for materials from UNICEF and also helped as a translator

Tasha Sullivana close friend from Raleigh, North Carolina, who helped me start Wine to Water and host the first few events back in 2004

Waheeda teacher from Jebel Marra, who worked on building schools with Andy but also sometimes accompanied me to Jebel Marra as a translator because of his connections

ONE

I d driven this same road through the low desert plains of South Darfur dozens of times before. But this time something was different. Something just didnt seem right.

For the most part, everything looked the same as it always did: endless rust-colored sand, the heavy African sun, scattered sage, brown scrub brush and dark green mukheit bushes, and a smattering of tiny mud huts with thatched roofs on either side of the rough, sandy, two-lane path that actually passes for a proper road here in Sudan, the largest country in Africa.