Settling back in Monze

Friday 15^th November

Yes it is still Friday and I have 55 minutes before my laptop runs out of power!

The Curia is the offices of the Bishop. A rather impressive complex – perhaps a bit too grand for Monze where many people live in mud brick houses. There is a three bedroomed bungalow at the back of the grounds and that is where I stay. It is comfortable with a large lounge/dining room and all the necessary facilities. It's not 5 star luxury but it has water and even hot water! There is a cooker where 3 out of 4 hot plates work – though getting anything settings other than on or off is a challenge. The oven works as evidenced by the thick clouds of smoke coming out of it earlier. I have a fridge-freezer – new this visit – and the kettle I bought in May was waiting for me when I arrived. Apparently the Guest House is designed for 7 people! There is no evidence of any other guests - in fact only on a couple of nights have I shared the house other than with Ben who was a HATW volunteer who came out with me a few years ago.

I must now pause a while. The electricity is back on!! This morning it came on at 11hrs and lasted till almost 15 hrs. It is now just after 21 30! I need to have a serious tea drinking session to bring my caffeine levels back up!!

When the power goes on everything goes on charge because you can't be sure how long it will last and when it will return. You only realise how comforting electricity can be when you lose it!

So here I manage very well. Water is a major problem here in this area. Wells and small reservoirs have dried up. The Kariba dam hasn't sufficient water to drive the turbines – hence the electricity shortages. The curia, however, has it's own borehole, so, as long as there is enough electricity to pump water into the tanks, we are ok – and you can guarantee that every minute that the electricity is flowing the pump is working!

Those most affected have little direct concern about electricity rationing – they have no power supply to their home, so it has little effect! For them it is water and food that present the problems. In Monze Diven tells me that most taps no longer produce water He is fortunate. For some reason his tap still gives a good supply he tells me that he has people knocking on his door at 5 am and a queue of people wanting water from his tap. They pay him 50 ngwee for 20 litres (about 3p) which is less than he pays the water authority – but he is making friends!!

Perhaps for those new to my blog I should introduce Diven. I met him in 2003 outside the hospital offices with a plaster on his ankle. He told me he had some work as a debt collector and a client objected to his visit and smashed a rock onto his leg. Since that time Diven has had many adventures!! He now has a shop and house on the west side of Monze. He has a wife Delia and two children – Paul and Lwendu. Delia has been ill for two or three years and the doctors cannot identify the cause. She has difficulty walking. I would love to be able to help if it was possible – what joy if one day she could run again. Unfortunately finding the medical expertise necessary is unlikely. A shop owned by people from outside Zambia has opened a few plots from Diven. What was tough previously now seems impossible. Apparently Zambians will always favour a foreign owned shop than one owned by Zambians. I have noticed that locally made drinks etc. are inevitably refused in favour of Coca Cola products – though perhaps that is the same worldwide – unfortunately.

Mealie meal (cornflour) is the staple diet in Zambia, because the crops failed in this part of Zambia the price has rocketed and has now doubled. In the rural areas (villages) the situation is much worse with water supplies dried up and no crops to eat. Farmers try to sell what animals they have to raise money for food – which needs to be fetched from a distant town. A couple of years ago I visited a “village” about 50km from Monze – their nearest town!

Chris