This page provides video clips which are animations about recycling and are there to answer some very important questions about recycing.
A page explaining Startwrite, a diverse programme of free creative writing sessions throughout the Summer of 1998.
Listen
Water is a universal treasure for life
We drink, wash,
We exploit its abundance
Relax and feel its flow
For our daily chores
Sweat cascading in droplets as we work
It comes from far away
From high above
Travelling distances – miles upon miles
Soul searching for sustenance
Bringing with it the gift of life
Spreading smiles on weary faces
Gently runs through gullies
Into tributaries, into steams and rivers
Water is the soul, pure and crystal clear
Gem of the world
Ibrahim
Fetching the Water
Some get their water from turning the tap to the right
Others get water by walking in the blazing heat
Some must get their water by hard work and effort
Others get their water without a thought
Some get their water when it falls from the sky
Others bring water from a stream on a donkey
Some get their water from the river or the lake
Others buy their water bottled in plastic
Some get their water by just pressing a shower button
Others buy their water by a barrelful from a wagon
Some get their water from buckets filled by the rain
Others get their water from the pipes in their home
Some get their water by chance from a rain dance
Others sip at water droplets left upon the leaves
Some draw their water from the village pump
Others get their water from a nearby shop
Some get their water by digging a deep well
Others get their water by distilling the ocean
Some get their water from a mountain spring
Others get their water by walking and walking and walking
Group Poem
Fluid Connections
Water connects me to all my neighbours across the world
Water links the cells in my body so I can breath
Water connects one shore to the other
Water joins the forces in nature to bring about life
Water connects me and my friends
Water marries my life with those who came before me
Water links high mountains to low deltas
Water connects life to death
Water joins tree roots to canopy leaves
Water connects Africa to Europe
Water marries laughter and sorrow
Water connects the plains and the mountains
Water marries men and women
Water links minerals and soil
Water transforms strangers into friends
Water links health to happiness
Water joins mountain and river
Water links one city to another city
Water marries souls to spirits
Water joins beginnings to endings
Water marries all humans to the planet
Group Poem
Flowing Water
Pouring water makes a churning noise
Rumbling, cascading down a slope
Water in a glass forms little bubbles, smiling
Winding down a tunnel into droplets
Water runs steadily like peace
A universal treasure for life
Ibrahim
Myth
The tree lady lives by the river
But the sun makes the river run dry
The tree lady lifts her hands to the sky
Help, bring rain, the tree lady cries
God spoke to Noah, told him to warn the people
That God would send rain as punishment
To the people who did not respect him
And the rains came and drowned their sins
Margrit
Vision
It is early morning, still dark yet the sounds of the day beginning can be heard all around. There is a fresh breeze so I put my hands in my pockets. I watch as capable men deftly prepare the boat, loading everything we will need for the next ten weeks.
We are ready. We wade into the water and clamber into the boat and we are afloat. The sail unfolds. Now everything is silent, just the wind whispering in my ears. I close my eyes and a lady appears to rise at the bow of the boat. She sparkles like the sun glittering on water. The lady looks over the boat and back to the bay, silent, but I know she is here to protect us.
When my feet touch the sand I look back to thank our protector but all I can see is are the waves lapping on the beach.
Amanda Martin
Memory
I had my baptism in a big river in Congo
The river Chopo Tshopo is a wide river
It was a very hot day and ten people
Were baptised with me by my Pastor
Before we sank into the river water
We all spoke to god about our problems
The currents washed them all away.
Margrit
Waves of Wisdom
Children, we should be careful with our water
not everyone is lucky enough to have clean
safe water that pours straight out of a tap.
Children, we shouldn’t waste water,
because there isn’t enough of it to go around
don’t run the tap while you brush your teeth
Children, don’t collect rainwater in a leaky bucket
don’t let the pure liquid swill away without use
the plants in your garden don’t need the freshest water
Children, this water could save a life –
it could be mine or it could be yours
please keep it safe and clean
Group Poem