Cornishmaninafrica

In January the compound well had 3½ meters of water in it. At the beginning of February, we measured 2 meters, so I was fairly confident that it would see us right through the dry season, but I was wrong. Almost straight after that, in a period of just two weeks, the well ran completely dry. Now, in April, the rains have started and it’s just beginning to fill up again. So it is good for about 10 months in the year, but I need to dig a few more metres to cover the gap. I phoned the well-digger this morning, but his compressor is broken. We can’t build the interior of the compound well until it’s the right depth. But we can’t dig deeper once the rainy season gets going, because its full of water. So I’m facing the prospect of having to wait another year before building the compound well. In the meantime, it’s just an unsightly hole in the courtyard.

Electricity cuts are continuing, often for 8-10 hours a day. There is no schedule for the cuts, and it is affecting the whole region. It has been very difficult surviving the hot season without fans, and it is difficult to plan work. It’s extremely trying. We have always had short cuts for maybe an hour or two, but nothing as long and persistent as this. The irony is that all this started to happen just as I decided to bring electricity to my house. I’m beginning to wish I’d opted for a solar system, but my thinking at the time was that if I bring mains power in, the whole village benefits, whereas a solar system only serves me.