Oh, what a night.......!

We are now at the beginning of the wet season which is marked by ferocious thunder storms which will last for about 2 weeks and then the rains will begin in earnest. This last week we had an extremely scary night. We had never heard thunder so loud and so continuous and the lightening was non-stop and overhead for some time. At one point there was an horrendous bang followed by the fizzing of live electricity. Each of us on site thought our house was hit. We were already in a power cut but I could hear the generator and there were no screams or shouts so I presumed - thankfully - that all were safe. In the morning the lights in half of the medical centre were not working and the only other damage was the collapse of the play dome. The metal stakes at the edges and corners were completely bent. The Gateman thought a flash had hit the ground near there and then arched over his small hut.

We have often been warned about being out in thunder storms. I am told that people here get struck by lightening and killed on an almost daily basis at this time. The deaths are reported on the morning radio. A lad was struck and killed on the field behind us last week. I felt sorry for anyone who needed to be out in the storm this night. We will not be blasé about storms in the future.

 

 

 

 

Water cuts continue too and we, like the locals, will welcome the rain. Not very British, I know.

On another note, we have welcomed two new ones into the village. Benson arrived aged 4 months after his mother died from TB, we think. Mujewamana, (I am calling her Moogee for short) arrived yesterday from across the border in the Congo. Her mother was eating porridge two hours after delivery and suddenly died. An embolis? Muji is very pretty and doing well so far.

The little lad that came to the medical centre in an extreme state of malnutrition and dehydration, survived and is doing well. It will be a while before he will be strong enough to leave then we will support him and his mother in the community for a further six months before reviewing their future. We have to ensure we don't increase their vulnerability by giving hand-outs with no long term survival solution of their own.

It's evening and another power cut. Mike has a temperature and feels very sick. It could be anything or nothing so we hope it passes before morning.