world

Water & Electric Supply
Necessities or Conveniences

          Dr. Chuck and Pearl work long hard hours to meet the people’s physical and spiritual needs. They travel several miles to clinics and sometimes it is a 12 or 13 hour day. They must pack a lunch with foods that won't spoil like hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter & guava butter sandwiches, and popcorn.
          In the United States, we consider conveniences of running water and electricity as necessities. In Nigeria, these necessities that we take for granted are often not available. Pearl writes in her journal about the problems with water and electricity supply in Zing.
          "Women in Nigeria carry everything on their heads. At least one time per day they go to the well or favorite waterhole to get water for their family. This is the work of women and children. The only way a man will get water is if he can sell it. Then he goes with big plastic containers and puts them in a wheelbarrow and pushes them to the selling point. The women here are stronger than many men in America. I've seen Esther, who works for us, sort of squat and with one motion and pick up a large metal bucket filled with water and put it on top of her head. All of this while pregnant. Firewood is also the woman's responsibility. They gather it, tie it, and put it on top of their heads. Everything goes on top of the head. Recently, I saw a woman over at Dr. Dashe's house doing some laundry, by hand, of course. She hung it on the line. When it was dry, she took it off the line, folded it, and one piece after the other stacked it on her head. She needed no laundry basket.

The Water Hole -- Each dry season most of the wells go dry. The people then dig in any wet spot for water. This is one good wet spot that gives water all year. Children will carry about one gallon of water in a bowl on their head while women will carry five gallons. We are hoping for a shallow well to be built here.

          The women in Bambuka still climb that mountain to bring the water down for their families use. There is not even one well in the town - or a bore hole. I am sure if the men had to go after the water, there would have been a system put in place long ago.
          There are two cisterns on the Zing compound's property and sometimes there is a problem getting water from them. It seems that there are 3 phases to the NEPA (Nigerian Electrical Power) electricity. If all phases are not working, they cannot pump so they can't keep the tanks full all the time. Chuck and I have the gutters now rigged so they will drain into a tank. We worked on getting the gutter slanted to empty into the tank. If we get a good rain, the tank will fill. Dish water and bath water are used to either water plants or flush the toilet two times a day.
          Sometimes there is a problem with the bore hole. I am so grateful for God's provision of rain. Yesterday I asked God to give us 2 hours of nice steady rain. Last night he did just that and more. We went to bed at the 2-hour mark so I'm not sure how long it lasted, but we collected water in a drum and tubs as well as the rain tank. The tank is still not full enough for us to take a regular shower, but we can take a "splash" shower. That is, you splash some water on yourself to get wet, soap up, and then rinse off. Simple, but not as nice as a regular shower.
          “I had forgotten how beautiful it is here just after the early rains bring out the new grasses, leaves, and flowers. I had also forgotten how the rains bring out all the bugs and flies. The worst for flies is when we are out walking and begin perspiring. Bugs love the lights in the evening, but don't seem so bad in the early AM. I'm grateful not to have to use kerosene lamps. What a blessing it is to have solar. In the dry season we get dust. In the rainy season the damp sandy soil clings to the bottom of shoes and other things and then comes uninvited and unwelcomed into our house. And, just like anywhere, animals like ”Lucky” bring in dirt too. It's a good thing I like him.
          Electricity is not reliable. Electricity is often off more than it is on. The last 4-5 days NEPA has been on at least 12 out of every 24 hours. We are getting spoiled. The missionary kids, 20 years ago, said NEPA stood for "never enough power always." Dr. Chuck has had to do C-Sections without electricity using a flashlight.
          We are running the generator 3 hrs. each evening to supplement what NEPA gives us. As it is, our refrigerator is still not very cold. The regular lights also help with reading at night and we are able to stay up until 9:00.
          We did get a freezer which between NEPA and the generator, works well. With NEPA working only sporadically, the refrigerator really suffers. The temp in the frig is sometimes 70's. I have to use the freezing compartment to store the perishable items.
          During the rainy season, after a storm, some poles went down between Zing and Jalingo. As a result, there is no electricity until the damage is repaired.
          In Tola where we stopped for a Coca-Cola, they have no electricity but the Coke was still cool. They buy a new clay pot, put water into it and because it is new and porous, it sweats. The whole process cools the drinks. It is a Nigerian refrigerator. As erratic as NEPA is at times, this method works just as well.
          On May 21, it is now almost a week since we had rain. It has been hot and humid for several days now. Today the sky looked very much like rain, but as of yet we haven't gotten a thing. The well is still not working. They have been working on the pump for several days now and everyday we are hoping and praying that it will be repaired. The poor people at the hospital are having to do without. We opened the older cistern to give people a limited amount of water- one-bucket each. We ourselves are almost out, then we will have to dip from the cistern too. One of our biggest water eaters is the toilet. We are catching all the water we can to use in the toilet. The grass is turning brown. People have started to plant fields of tomatoes and other things they started in a seedbed at home. I hope rain comes soon so they don't loose everything. Now is a hungry time for the people because they have planted much of their extra and will have to do without these food staples until the harvest comes in. If drought now comes it will be a real hardship for them.”

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