Water

Water seems to go from one extreme to another here. I have had to think a lot about water here. When I first arrived in Santo, there didn’t seem to be much of it. The family I live with had to “get” the water from the pipes in the road, in the middle of the night, every few days. The authorities would only send the water every few days. (I say “get” because I don’t know how they got it… I think they had to pump it in to our water tank from the pipes in the road.) This meant we had to be careful how much water we used, to make sure we didn’t run out before there was more in the pipes again. The school I work in and the flats above used to buy tanks of water. This was expensive and again, you had to be careful so you did not run out (which often did happen).

Most of the families who live in LF do not have running water. They buy in what they need. This is hard when you do not have much money. Cleanliness, hygiene and health are then increasing problems. The children I work with are always thirsty.

At the moment, we are moving into the hot rainy season. As I write this it has just started raining… pouring down with rain. So much water comes down that it is a real problem on the roads; drains get blocked, roads become a wash with water making it unsafe to drive, landslides etc. There is more water around.

Today, we have not got water in the house. The tank when the water is kept, when it comes in from the pipes in the road, has been emptied and cleaned. Although it is obviously good to clean the tank regularly, it has left us without water today. We will have water tomorrow when the authorities send the water in the pipes in the road. It is so strange to be without water. In England, I do not think about water. I am careful with water; to not use too much, to not waste it, but I never worry about it running out. In England I would never ask a friend if they had enough water in the house or if they had any water for me to drink. I do not know anyone in the UK who does not have water.