A new year has begun with empty water pipes. Reason for empty pipes? Water Authority which administers the pipeline from the Lake to Butiama did not pay electricity bills to Tanesco (Electricity Supply Company). How comes we pay water bills and yet they get cut off from power grid and now God only knows how many people - 40-60 thousand people - along the pipeline are forced to fetch water from contaminated creeks and streams, catch rain water from roofs whenever rain comes (which does not happen often, unfortunately, this season) or from scarce waterholes in the area...
The picture you get these days is people walking in each direction or riding bicycles with buckets, cans, plastic containers searching for water...
I have a little amount of water left in the tank for home use, but for the construction we need to fetch water from the stream in Kiabakari, using my car... We did it in August and September last year, now we do the same....
I pay bills all the time, and now I got bills again to pay arrears (old debts) for a meter I do not use for long time. And yet it is third time, I think, they do the same trick, writing bills for water I did not use at all which never came...
Still they blatantly wrote in handwriting on those bills - pay your debts so we can give you water! What? They want me to give them money again to pay electrical bills which they were supposed to pay long time ago?
You cannot talk about the genuine progress of people I love and serve without providing them reliable basic amenities - water, electricity, roads and affordable cooking gas.
Dear Wojciech - How you keep patience with the regular lack of water is astonishing .It is such a vital necessity for so many people and activities. I notice on your lovely postcard that it is the women who are carrying the water - reminds me of the Samaritan woman with the water jar. I hope no one gets infection from contaminated water use and that your old truck keeps going.
ReplyDeleteIt is great news about Pope John Paul - May will be some month of celebration . I loved the u tube video clips of Krakow - felt I was back there in the Wawel. What about you forging alone in the high grass - at least you were making a pathway - a bit of a John the Baptist figure. It is no easy vocation being a missionary -takes great faith and courage not to mention stamina! All are asking for you and hoping you are in good health . Love from all.
Hmmm, the women actually work at the construction site and were taking water off the truck when I came back from Musoma with the load. Today I go again, costs are huge but how one can live without water?
ReplyDeleteActually, this is sisters' vehicle, I gave mine a day off, usually she works at the site fetching water from the stream.
So this is a reality. It forced me to purchase two 3 thousand liters tanks and collect water from the mission roofs. This is for starters. The tanks are expensive and even these two I purchased on loan terms as I simply have no extra money for unexpected expenses.
Trying to stay afloat has become a bit more difficult with my health these days.. suddenly I developed a high blood pressure and have to keep an eye on it as it surges and slumps on daily basis, which is not good at all... Got ECG, consultation with doctors in Poland online, now awaiting drugs to arrive by mail.
So, here we go. Looks like not only my old truck needs replacement... I need to have a good look at myself as I start to fall apart bits by bits :)
Cheers from Kiabakari to all of you, guys, there! Hope to see you one day again...God willing!