Water December 18, 2011
Remember all the complaining I did about food when I got here? No variety, no raw freshness, same old manna everyday and then I got to the promised land and could cook for myself. But, over a kerosene can because there wasn't any bottle gas. Then I got the gas and a suitcase came with pots with handles and I was living on easy street. But, I didn't now it, because I was onto the next annoyance which was laundry, and going to the market everyday after working, and then another volunteer came to stay until he got better from having rapid transit (diarrhea) but he stayed a week and he was 23 and Asian and didn't know to pick up after himself, or take off his shoes after I scrubbed, how to hit a toilet, used our stuff like it was his with out the care, and just stayed too long with us and drove me crazy. Well, he left and I was pretty happy again. Then Wednesday when we got up we had no water... We had running water and a toilet that flushed because we have a gravity tank that is filled every night. The story goes that the power being out prevents the pumps from filling the tank, or they are changing pipes for this area of the town, or dry season has started and the place they pump from is already dry or no one knows and no one has water unless they have a rainwater catchment tank which to me makes a lot of sense to have. Very few do because the Nile is so close and water is not a problem most of the year.
I had visions of getting solar panels so I could keep the computer charged as I felt this was my life line but having to lug water is making me think that a rainwater catchment is a better investment. It is late for that now as we are only expected to get rain 1 more before it is dry until April but I will be thinking on this real hard as it gets dryer and dryer. Jerry cans weigh 40# with 20 liters of water in and Tom nor I want to lug 2 liters/day for our use so he paid some boys to lug and the boys ran off happy as heck to have a purpose and job with instant $ for work they are use too.(Mostly there sisters are use to) They each came back with the 20 liters got the $ and spent it immediately. Yesterday they are back wanting to do it again but the water was a little murky, which it can be, if the well has sand in it. Tom asked where they were getting it and we found out it was out of the stream down the hill from our complex. Most area have boreholes but the one for here has been condemned for contamination a long while back so what would the stream have in it? Peace Corp gave us recipes on how to purify water to make it drinkable and it is to boil, or add bleach and filter but brown water I just can't get past my eyes. Washing dishes rinsing dishes, washing my face, taking a bucket bath. Yes ,it is nice to know I won't get sick but will anything be clean? And why the heck did those boys go to the stream and not the well at the hospital? So, we washed clothes with the murky water and tried to just use the top water and let the sand and sediment settle out and dump that and found a resource of rainwater at the hospital to get clean water from. We are hopeful that the water is again flowing through the pipes soon. That they are only changing pipes.
That is what is happening and like everything here it just takes longer because there is no phone book to look up the Public Utilities and complain. With no complaints you can do it in your own time. AND THEY DO! So we are learning one more thing about being in Africa. Just how much work water is and how vital it is to the day to day activities. Also, what water can be. Maybe soon I will be appreciative of the murky brown because that is all there is. I hope not, but you never know what new lesson God has in mind. We now have 3 jerry cans of water and 1 10 liter filtering for drinking water. One of the handymen took pity on us and brought us 2 clean rain (I think) on a boda. We are praying to not get sick from yesterdays water that we never asked the source of until late. The boys get water there for there family why wouldn't they get it for us?
Most of the people in the compound here have left to go to their villages for the holidays. We are headed to the monastery for pot luck. I think our Asian friend is coming back so I am going to give him a class on cleaning my way when he comes. I am not the maid or his momma. I have to go wring out the sheets for the line. I hope to write again soon. Merry Christmas if I don't. Love you all, Marc
We had to go the market again so I took some pictures of the disparity between the men and women.
