The Man Who Farms Water

I just finished reading Volume 1 of Rain Water Harvesting for Dry lands and Beyond.  It tells about Zephaniah Phiri Maseko, who lived in Zimbabwe's driest region.  It is very similar to southern Arizona, lots of rocks, dry grass and very few trees.  In 1964 he was fired from his job on the railway for his political views.  The government said he would never work again.  He turned to the only things he had to support his family of eight, an over grazed, eroding piece of land and the Bible.  Over 30 years he developed many rain harvesting systems and now it provides all the water his family needs.  Mr Maseko teaches abundance and generosity.  He does not seek to keep all the water to himself but to use it and return it to the ground where it can be shared with all. He uses the soil as one of his catchment tanks.  He explains, "These wells are those of an unselfish man.  The water comes and goes as it pleases, for you see, in my land it is everywhere."  His efforts have come to the attention of the national organization CARE and they have started teaching his methods to others and importing less water and food supplies.  He started a organization called the Zvishavane Water Resources Project.  He is joyful when he sees his neighbors making changes to better their land, their lives and the lives of those around them.  You might think that his farm is vast but it only 7 acres.
I, like him believe that God created a world in which there is enough.  That we should be fruitful and multiply and be good stewards over the land and animals, not the other way around.  He believes that the earth is a garden of Eden where he states, "Remember, children are our flowers: give them rain and they will grow and bloom."
I love the rain.  Michael and I are looking into catching some of the rain that falls on our roof and reusing it before returning it to the ground.  I can hardly wait for Volume 2 to be returned to the library for further study.