Although my last post boasted of the abundance of all things good, including rain, you may be aware that the abundance of precipitation not just in Nicaragua, but in Central America, was in fact relatively short-lived.
Central America is currently experiencing the worst drought in decades, and crop losses, including staples such as rice, corn, and beans, on top of livestock losses, has left nearly three million people struggling to feed themselves.
With no surface water or run-off to speak of, those with access to water wells are rationing the scarce water supply. Deep wells, drilled during the dry season, such as those drilled by Change for Children in northern Nicaragua, are part of drought-defense in areas where climate change has made seasons unpredictable, unyielding, and quite simply, unfair.
I typically bemoan the looming approach of winter, hoping the snow and the moisture holds off. And if it does, and the snow is indeed scarce, I then lament about a brown Christmas come December. And all the while, I still eat. I still drink.
Obviously, I know not of real scarcity. I am lucky. And, I am humbled.
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