When It Rains, It Pours (Literally)

After nearly a year of intense drought, the country celebrated as the grey clouds rolled in. The skies became dark and the thunder roared in the distance. It was coming.

And come it did!

For five days the rain didn't let up. The fervent drops echoed through homes and the rumbling struck fear into adults and children alike. After all, it had been so long since such a storm had come, people were no longer use to their fierce intensity. And the rains had come with a vengeance.

Before long, rivers flooded, roads closed, and rumors of people drowning were being whispered from under warm blankets. With the ground so saturated, the reservoirs in the south began to fill. The main dam, which had been dried up and neglected, increased by 4% in only a few days. In the north, where the water crisis had subsided in recent months, bridges were being washed away.

Africa is a land of extremes. There is extreme heat, extreme drought, and extreme rains. For someone from the West, who is used to homeostasis, this reality can take some getting used to. Fortunately, Africa, and Botswana in particular, is also met by extreme gratitude and community. So, together, we celebrate the rains, even if they did come in the most extreme way.

PULA!

Water Water Everywhere But Not A Drop To Drink

This is a road about six hours north of Gaborone. Can you see a road in this picture? No, me neither because it is completely flooded with water. This is what most of the mid to northern part of the country looks like right now after intense and long-lasting rainfall. In fact, the overflow of water has been declared a national disaster, as many of the rivers have overrun their embankments and roads have become impassable.

Gaborone and the southern part of the country, however, is still without water. It has not rained, our dam is at 11%, and water restrictions remain at three days per week without. We are also experiencing a national disaster but ours is because of drought. The experiences within one country when you drive a mere few hours away is expansive.

What now?

Well, the logical thing would be to build a pipeline to funnel water from the north to the south to more evenly distribute the water. The government assures us this is in the plan. But it has been for some time and to no avail. Protocols, red tape, materials acquisition, and so forth take time, and significantly more time in the developing world than this American would like (and most Batswana too, for that matter). So we wait and we deal with our individual struggles and we take comfort in the fact that we can escape from one world to the next within this crazy beautiful country that we live in.

PULA! (Poo-Lah!)

Finally, after months and months of waiting, the rains have come! They started early in the morning yesterday and continued throughout the night and all day today. As you can see by the picture, taken from my bedroom window, there is even rain water buildup, meaning that the ground is saturated and we are well on our way to filling up the dam! Yes, I do realize that may be an optimistic statement but I am a "glass half full" kind of gal and I am positive that the rains will continue for the days to come... In the meantime, the skinny, hungry, and dilapidated animals are lapping up water from the puddles and we are all watching as the plants turn green before our eyes. This is cause for celebration. It is amazing what a little rain can do! PULA!

The Endless Water Saga: A Desert-Dweller's Dilemma

This is a picture of the Gaborone dam on the 1st of November. As you can see, it isn't much to look at these days. In fact, the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) stated that the dam is at about 14% (although this photograph begs to differ). Of the four dams in this area, half are already completely dried up. This equates to the southern half of the country having mere weeks of water left. When a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer asked someone in her village what happens next, the response was: "we die."

Now, I don't think the situation is quite that bleak. Despite having their own water issues, I can't imagine South Africa letting us die before offering some water and the Botswana government has consistently been meeting with WUC to discuss a way forward. Plus, if we're lucky, it will rain for more than five or ten minutes at a time... (But that requires Mother Nature playing a more active role here and that's not a reliable solution.) The truth is, the villager's assertion may be the reality for some in the most rural of villages. For those of us near the capital city, however, it is looking as though WUC will likely start funneling treated recycled water to homes or, they are suggesting, setting up pay-as-you-go standpipes and shutting the water off otherwise. Hopefully this method will work and it can be extended out further into the southern part of the country. If not, the four plus days per week without water will seem like a cakewalk.

I would like to state that Botswana is a desert country and its inhabitants are no stranger to going without water for extended periods of time. This is not to say that very serious issues don't arise as a result of droughts like this, but rather that people here live in such a way that they are constantly prepared for water issues - storing water, learning to bathe and clean and live with less, and so on. (Plus, I'm not going to lie, somehow folks seem to survive without drinking nearly as much water as my constantly dehydrated self needs. I think this may be to their benefit in times like these.) Peace Corps Volunteers adopt many of these practices throughout their service so we, in turn, become adept desert-dwellers. We become part of this place, including its challenges. We are fortunate here, though, in that the country is also a tight-knit community full of hearty people who tend to take care of each other whenever possible. And they have embraced us. It may be hard in the coming weeks but we are survivors and we will make even this work.

This Is Just To Say (Water Rationing Continued)

Today it reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit. No amount of water can keep you from getting dehydrated at that temperature. Unfortunately, Botswana is still experiencing a very serious drought. Villages in the southern part of the country are completely without water three and four times per week now and the reservoir is down to 14% capacity. This is one of the disadvantages of living in a desert country in Africa. Excuse me if I look a little funky - I choose hydration over clean clothes any day. After all, baby wipes get me clean enough, right? Off I go to drink a glass of stored water then pray for rain. Because, yes, they believe prayer will bring on the downpour. TIA.

Water Rationing

I have often discussed how Peace Corps Volunteers horde water because of the inevitability of a water outage - stock up while you can, use sparingly when you can't. Water is a perpetual issue. This is even more evident when the "rainy season" just doesn't produce enough rain. Why is this a problem, you ask? Aren't you happy to evade the torrential downpours, you question? I will answer you now.

Water dispersed around Botswana comes from the reservoirs and dams that fill up as a result of rain showers during the months of December through February. If they don't get rain, we don't have water. If there's no water, then the crops die, the animals suffer, and the people go without.

This assaults all facets of life. It goes a lot deeper than washing your clothes more sparingly or not having a bath. For example, people live off of personal gardens and farms in the lands. If the crops die then they go hungry. If the cattle have nothing to eat because the grass has dried up then they get skinny and eventually also die. Without them, there is no chance of additional income for the families. This often leads to an increase in desperation and a rise in crime. Everyone and everything suffers. Botswana has not escaped this trauma.

Botswana is in the midst of a very severe draught. Rainfall in last year's rainy season was exceptionally low. The current projections have the water reserves in the southern part of the country running dry in about two months. That is just before the rains are supposed to come again. If it is like last year, however, we could go months before we see water. This has unleashed a whole slew of problems and very few answers of what to do next. One thing they have instituted though is water rationing.

Water rationing is rolling shut-offs of water to certain areas. When I returned to Botswana from my home leave at the end of June, they had already started this. My area of Gaborone was without water on Saturdays. Inconvenient to have an outage over a weekend but I was grateful to know for a fact when the water would be out so I could plan for it. This, as I saw it, was a blessing. The government then asked people to be diligent and responsible with their water usage the rest of the week, calling for cutbacks (including shutting down car washes, which is a huge independent industry here that supports the livelihoods of so many).

As of yesterday, the water rationing has increased to two water shutoffs a week within Gabs city limits and even more in the villages outside. It is instituted with the hope that they can keep the complete loss of water at bay until the rains come. So it is with cautious optimism that I accept my second day's shutoff. It is a small plan for this big issue but it's something. Rain dances would be appreciated. Anything that might help.

Now if only they could figure out what to do about all the subsidiary problems that are arising...

Water and Power and Smiles, Oh My!

I don't want to jinx it so I am knocking on wood as I write this but, after weeks without, my village once again has power and water! This means that schools have re-opened, clothes are being washed and hung out to dry, and people are no longer looking to the skies and praying for rain. (Of course, I am still hoarding water and urging my friends to do the same just in case the pipes dry out again. I've been tricked into a false sense of security before.) But, at least for now, I am happy to report that all of my electronics are fully charged and my water containers (and bathtub) are filled with water. This is one of those Peace Corps victories that can't be quantified on a resume but that feels like a huge triumph when you're living it...

PULA!

Almost as if the universe realized my village needed a "pick me up" yesterday, it rained. At about 8pm, I heard the thunder roaring from somewhere in the distance and by 10pm, despite not having power, the village lit up with the lightening strikes. And then, at about 1am, the most incredible thing happened. I was awaken by the sound of people laughing and talking. I reached for my glasses and scurried half asleep to the window to see what the commotion was about. It was still pouring rain so it took a minute for my eyes to adjust but, during a lightening flash, I saw it. Dozens of people were outside, singing and laughing and talking merrily, with buckets in their hands! Just as I have done before, the community allowed nature to help them fix a problem that the government could not. And they were joyous. I picked up my bucket and I joined them for a while - giggling and stomping through puddles like a child. It was one of those Peace Corps moments that you just can't beat! PULA!

Water Problems Continue

In America, having potable drinking water and a constant water supply is never a problem. Almost magically, it is there whenever you need it. If you have followed my story, however, then you know this is not the case in Botswana. I have gone months on end without water and have, on occasion, put buckets outside to catch precious rain water. Some of my peers have to walk up to 5km to fill up buckets to carry home because they don't have running water or a water pump nearby. Water is an issue.

Volunteers in Botswana are lucky, though, in that our water has been safe to drink. I have been drinking it straight from the tap for nearly two years and have had no problems at all. That was until recently, when a number of random quality tests were conducted and the water failed to meet US Embassy standards. They advised us that water in my region intended for human consumption should be boiled. Before receiving this statement, I had been having some stomach problems (eww) so I started boiling my water and they ceased. Boiling water is laborious, especially during the heat of summer when all you want is something cold to drink. As of last week, after talking with a health specialist who told me the situation had been cleared up, I have stopped boiling my water. Gratefully, my tummy has not been rattled so I believe she was right and the water is fine now. (After all, the best way to find out is to try it out and my body isn't reacting...) Happy day, right? Wrong. As annoying as it is having to boil water, it pales in comparison to the alternative... no water.

Today the Water Utilities Corporation released the following statement: "The Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) would like to inform residents of Gaborone City and surrounding areas (Mochudi, Gabane, Kumakwane, Mogoditshane, Tlokweng, Lobatse and their surrounding areas) that it is currently experiencing water supply challenges. Due to this, they will experience low pressure to no water at all indefinitely. Residents are advised to wisely use the little available water." INDEFINITELY?! We are going to be without water indefinitely?! To my great dismay (but not to my surprise), this public statement came out AFTER the water cuts arrived in my village, meaning that none of us had the time to prepare. We are already without water and now without means of stocking up. While we all live with water challenges every day, this is incredibly difficult to hear. Although Peace Corps Volunteers hoard water like it's our jobs, there is never enough for our "shorter" week-long outages. It is in these moments when I wish I had a pit latrine because at least then I could go to the bathroom in peace without worrying about using 3L of water to flush... The question then becomes: "What happens to us and to the local communities if the water really is out indefinitely?"

I beg all of you back in America, please cherish every time you turn the faucet on and water comes out and that it is clean water to drink. I will never take those things for granted again.

First Glimpse of the House

Today was the first glimpse of the new digs and here are my impressions:

First, I have to state that it is still very close to the NGO and on an earthen road (not a path!) that leads to the main road of the village (aka it's in a really good location). It is back in the village more than my current house which has pros and cons. The biggest con is that my pretty view of the mountain and lands is gone. (No, this is not a huge deal  but I did really like my view.) The main pro is that I'm more in the community and will get to know people better. (In this case, I think the pro outweighs the con.)

Second, the outside of the house is really pretty. It's painted pink and brown, has some cool pillars on the front step, and is nestled nicely in between two friendly-looking compounds. The plot for the house has not been manicured yet, meaning that there are a lot of weeds and rocks and building materials everywhere, and the owner has yet to put a fence up. This is not such a big deal to me right now but it seems to be cause for concern with the staff from the NGO.

Third, peeking in the windows of the house, it has a nice layout. (I felt like a crazy stalker sneaking around the house and looking in the windows but oh well.) The rooms seem like a good size and I can see how I would decorate and make it feel like home. It looks comfortable and that's important.

Finally, and this is the big one, it is so so so far from being finished that it made me extremely disheartened. I mentioned that there are building materials everywhere outside but that doesn't even begin to explain the status of the inside. There are buckets and stacks of tiles and wood boards and paint cans and all sorts of things strewn about. The ceilings are only partially put in, there's no paint on the walls, the tiling for the floors hasn't been started, and the bathroom and kitchen were unrecognizable since no attachments or fixtures have been installed. The handyman from my NGO looked around and said the water hasn't been hooked up yet and the wiring for the electricity is unfinished. For someone who said the house would be completed in two weeks, the landlord sure has a lot of things left to do... Too many things for that timeframe...

So we called the landlord up and questioned him about it. He said that he will not receive the check for the loan to finish the house until next week Tuesday. He will go out immediately and purchase the rest of the things for the house and get to work. He believes there should only be about a week delay at most to finish everything. He also said that he will be putting a geyser in and fitting the kitchen and he doesn't think this should set him back additional time (from the already pushed back date). If that's the case then the house should be completed and ready for me to move in by the second week of June. That's what he's saying anyway...

With the way things go here, I don't expect the house to be finished within that timeframe. I would, however, jump up and down and have a great big smile on my face for weeks if it were the case. So, at least for now, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and keep my fingers crossed because, if it all works out, I think this is going to be a really great house for me. And, honestly, after five weeks without water what's another three, right? Right. Here's hoping!

An End to the Drought IN SIGHT!!!

Drumroll please.... I have a new house!!! Well, probably... It's not entirely official and it is contingent on a few things buuuuuuuuut, if all goes as planned, it seems an end to the drought is in sight!

Apparently the DAC sent someone from the Council to my village yesterday to look at a potential house for me and they approved it for me to move into! (Hence my excitement since their declaration of approval is pretty much it since they pay my rent.) Since they came unannounced and saw the house on their own, I haven't seen it yet but I understand that it is two bedrooms, has electricity, and (the clincher) running water! (They are even saying that a geyser may be installed soon meaning I may have hot running water! No heating water up on the stove for baths?! Yes please! Fingers crossed this actually happens...) The house is still very near the NGO but it's a bit further into the village, which may prove to be really great for meeting more people. The house is not nearly as polished and nice as my current house (i.e. no fireplace, no built-in kitchen, no island, and no closets/wardrobes) but that really is not hard to do... But the landlord/neighbor (the house is kind of like a duplex) is supposed to be really cool and this house has something my fancy "posh-corps" house doesn't... WATER!

So how the deal goes is that this new house is still unfinished and under construction (it needs floor tiles put in, the security door attached, and some finishings) but all of the work should be completed within two weeks. If this happens (and the Council says it will) then the house is mine! This means that I could have a move-in date around my birthday! I'm going to be hoping and wishing that the landlord pulls through on getting everything finished in this timeframe and the agreement sticks! I mean, by that point it will "only" be seven weeks straight without water... But, if I can have water again, then it's worth the wait! (Nothing like going without to make you appreciate every little thing so much more!)

I'm going to get a first glimpse, drive-by style, tomorrow so stay tuned for my initial thoughts and continued updates on this pending move!

My water is dried up like the rivers in Botswana

So begins my fifth straight week without water...

On the down side, this has left me with a pile of dirty laundry and a layer of dust and grime that I can't seem to get rid of. On the plus side, however, I still have brand new bottles of shampoo and condition that were purchased nearly two months ago in preparation for running out (i.e. more money in the pocketbook) and I have met many more of my community members while I wander around the village with buckets asking people for water (i.e. I have been much more social). Best to stay optimistic at a time like this!

As for what is next? House hunting is in full effect. People around the village are keeping an eye out for available housing but, as they say, "housing is mathata ma tona", or a really big problem. I saw one house over the weekend that had promise but, sadly, it will not be my new home. Although it had running water (huge plus these days!), the foundation was a mess - tiles literally coming up and apart due to uneven shifts in the ground, an interior wall starting to lean in on itself, etc. We have a call in to someone who is just finishing a new house not far from my NGO. The house is said to have two bedrooms, electricity, and pipes for water (that still need to be connected). We are all keeping our fingers crossed that this one might be the one (provided, of course, the house gets finished in due time).

Even the Batswana keep telling me how I'm "suffering" without water. But, if I am being honest, I don't really feel like it. Yes, things are significantly more difficult right now - I can't clean very well, I am almost out of clothes, cooking is a chore, sometimes I am a bit parched, and, yes, I am stinky and unclean much more often than I once was (or would ever care to be), but things could be much much worse. I am trying to keep things in perspective and what I have, even without water, is so much more than most. Regardless, I am pretty lucky and definitely living a life of abundance comparatively. So, until some new development in this water(less) scenario comes around, I'm just going to play with the village kids, chat with the mosadimogolos at the NGO, dance around my living room, and laugh out loud about how goofy and ridiculous this whole thing is... (And maybe even go say "dumela" to some of these new friends I've been making!)

"Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day."

The Water Saga Continues

What follows are a few of the realizations I have made from not having water for three full weeks (and counting):

1. My order of preference for using (precious) stored water: drinking, cooking, washing dishes, flushing the toilet (moved up in the list in some instances, obviously), miscellaneous cleaning, bathing, laundry.
2. Underwear is the first thing you run out of when you can't do laundry for three weeks.
3. It is extremely exciting and worthy of a happy dance when you turn on a tap (someplace else) and have water flow out instead of hearing the screech of dry air (as is the case at my house).
4. I am I extremely grateful that I "practiced" not showering for multiple days in a row in my past life (i.e. before coming to Peace Corps) because, without that experience, this has the potential to be exponentially more miserable. 
5. I am now able to have a complete bath, including washing my hair and shaving, using only the water from one 32oz Sigg water bottle. (And, miraculously, feel quite clean!)
6. Baby wipes are essential.
7. My neighbors are pretty generous people. They have filled up my water bottles from their own water sources on more occasions that I can count.
8. Nothing feels better than a hot bath after many many days without one.

You may be wondering what is next for me in the water department? Will I or won't I have water again? And, if so, when? Admittedly, I have been wondering this same thing for what feels like an eternity... 

Up until today, the only answer I have heard is: "sit tight", "be patient", "keep taking water from your NGO and neighbors", and other similar one-liners. This morning, however, I had a candid conversation with my DAC about the reality of the situation with my landlord, the house, water utilities, and so on. Ultimately, there are some unforeseen problems that could hold up getting my water reconnected indefinitely. Basically, what we have learned now, after three weeks of calls and messages, is that my landlord has not finished paying for the plot and therefore cannot directly authorize my DAC to pay the Water Utilities Corporation. To do so, he would have to finish paying off the plot but, unfortunately, he hasn't the money to do that right now. He is also stating that he cannot (or maybe will not) pay off the water bill in total, meaning that the water will not be reconnected for some time. These new facts are quite disturbing if you're the girl living in the house without water for almost a month...

That being said, calls have been made and a full-scale search for a new house for me is underway... In fact, when I was walking through the village a mere hour after hearing that I will be moving, I was stopped by a half dozen people from my community all telling me that they are aware of the situation and are looking for potential new homes for me! If nothing else, it feels good to know that I have my community behind me! Anyway, it looks like move number three since coming to site may be happening in the next week or so. Sigh. I'm keeping the faith though - things have worked out for the best so far and I am hopeful this next move will be every bit as good. (But I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed just to be sure...)

Oh This Life...

Last Monday I received a notice pushed under my front door from the Botswana Water Utilities Corporation stating that my water supply would be disconnected due to non-payment. I went over to my kitchen faucet to see if my water had already been turned off and, sure enough, after about four seconds it fizzled out. I went to another faucet and the same thing happened. I ran outside to check my tap and no water. Sigh. I tried calling my landlord (who is responsible for paying these bills with the rent check given to him from the government) but he did not answer. I then called my DAC (who is the government official that pays my rent etc) and also Peace Corps - both stated they would investigate the matter and get back to me. No news back from either on Monday or on Tuesday. On Wednesday, someone from my NGO managed to reach my landlord, who said the sizable bill was from the previous tenant and that he did not have the money to pay the bill in full for a couple months. (Translation: No water for Tija for a couple months.) Big sigh. I spoke to Peace Corps about this later that day and they said they would negotiate with the landlord and the Water Utilities Corporation and get back to me. It has now been a week and a half without water (although it has been dripping slowly out from the "hot tap" for a few minutes at a time - perhaps it is stored in my geyser for "safe-keeping" - so I am able to splash water on things to wash them and do basics like brush my teeth and use the toilet every couple of hours). I am still waiting to hear if my water will be turned back on or if I will have to move houses in Gabane (which PC said may happen if a solution is not reached with expediency) or what my future holds. For now, it seems my future includes carrying my buckets around to the neighbors to beg for water and traveling to Gaborone to steal baths from my generous friends. I will update everyone on the situation when I hear more - fingers crossed that it is soon!

P.s. As I type this, my electricity just went out... Now I am at no water and no electricity. Good thing I have a good sense of humor! Oh this life... TIA!

Water Outages: A Fact of Life

In America, we often take having constant access to water for granted. Something I learned very early on after moving to Botswana is that water is a precious commodity. We often go for a few days without water and this may stretch to a week or more. In preparation, most Peace Corps Volunteers store water - we never throw out a bottle because water could be kept there and we each have a few buckets that are used solely for stored water. It is a way of life that we have adjusted to. "Ga go na mathata", as we would say, "no problem".

This week has been particularly hot for the time of year. Temperatures have been about 40C/104F. This means that water is even more valued. Unfortunately for us, the water in my village has been out since Monday evening. We were told that the outage is due to a pipe bursting in the main water line in Mogoditshane (our neighboring village, between Gabane and Gaborone). There is no telling when the pipe will be fixed and water restored. The government is set to bring big tanks to Gabane for people to queue at to get water. To me, this seems like a fruitless endeavor since the village has nearly 13,000 people and a queue of that magnitude is sure to have more than a few snafus.

So what is a lowly Peace Corps Volunteer to do in a time like this? Cower in fear? Shrivel up in thirst? Pack a bag and get the heck outta dodge? No way Jose! Seeing the storm clouds roll in last night, I grabbed all the buckets in my house and stuck them in my yard to catch the rain water! I now have roughly 20L of water at my disposal! Peace Corps ingenuity win? I think so!