Some traditional sources almost dry out for several months each year. It can take up to an hour for one woman to fill her bucket. To avoid such long waits many women get up in the middle of the night to get to the water source when there is no queue. Traditional wells are often little more than waterholes dug out deeper and deeper as the dry season progresses. They can be very difficult to reach, with steep sides, and sometimes wells collapse, killing women and children.
Paths are narrow and slippery and many accidents occur.
Imagine the frustration of walking three miles towards home with a heavy water pot, falling and losing all the water so carefully collected, and probably breaking the pot into the bargain. Penn Water containers usually hold about 20 litres of water, which weigh twenty kilograms, the same as the baggage allowance on most airlines. Constant carrying of such heavy wewights, commonly on the head, back or hip, has severe health implications. Backache and joint pains are common, and in extreme cases curved spines and pelvic deformities can result, creating complications in childbirth. Pregnant women sometimes keep on carrying water until the day they give birth.