WHEN life cannot go back to the way it used to be, you simply have to go back to where it all changed.
For University of Zululand hydrology Professor Jean Simonis, this means going back to help the desperate communities of Kurdistan who live in half-built structures, sleep on dusty rocks and survive without proper sanitation or sewerage infrastructure.
It all started in 2014 when Jean and his wife Anita joined eShowe minister and CEO of Global Relief, Loffie Schoeman, on a humanitarian aid mission there.
‘I once met a man there that had two mechanical engineering degrees. He lost his house, his family, his children and his job. The only thing left was hope, and all we’re trying to do is keep that hope alive,’ said Schoeman, who will return to the war-torn area for the fourth time.
Alongside its psychosocial work of helping survivors deal with the emotional trauma of a disaster, the South African-based NGO also enables professional volunteers to assist survivors, and Jean used this opportunity to deliver low-cost ceramic water filters capable of removing 99.99 % of bacteria from water to 80 families of displaced refugees.
This first trip established important relations with other NGOs, government officials and local universities, which will play an instrumental role in Jean and Loffie’s return to Kurdistan next week.
Invitation
Jean recently received an invitation from the Kurdistan regional government requesting additional water filters to help fight a cholera outbreak amongst refugees.
Additionally, he was requested to assist in identifying remnant water pollution resulting from a chemical bombing of the town of Halabja, an incident also known as the Halabja Massacre or Bloody Friday in 1988.
The attack killed between 3 000 and 5 000 people and injured several thousand more, most of them civilians. Thousands more died of complications, diseases and birth defects in the years after the attack, and as a result the local population is still reluctant to drink the groundwater.
Jean’s only regret is that, for the first time, his wife will not be accompanying him on such a journey.
‘It’s a fantastic thing that husband and wife can find something they’re both passionate about and do it together. We’ve never been separated on a trip like this in 33 years. ‘She will be with me at heart, but this is the last time I’ll go without her.’
Seizing the opportunity despite the circumstances, Jean intends to take another 80 filters to refugees vulnerable to cholera infection and is considering the establishment of a small water filter manufacturing operation in the area.
‘We’re all proud of him. We’re proud of the difference he’s trying to make through the passion he has for his expertise,’ said Unizulu’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Xoliswa Mtose. ‘He is an ambassador for us. We hope and pray he returns safely so he can continue to add his unique value to the university.’
Should he succeed in collecting water samples from past and current water sources, he will bring the samples back to South Africa for analysis, and with the help of Unizulu’s Chemistry Department, offer advice on the current potability of Kurdistan’s water sources.
‘I’m going to a war zone. I can’t say I have everything planned perfectly, but they’ve asked me for a glass of water, so I’m going to take it to them.’
