The glamorous life

Wednesday 31st October 2007

I’m in Pariak, Melut County. It’s 20:30 and we’re all in bed!! So I thought I’d write a few words, even though it’s pitch black and I should be doing my monthly report!

So, is being out in the field as exciting as what I thought it would be? We’re here doing the KAP Survey for latrines in Pariak. I have five guys with me, and Charles. We dropped the guys in Pariak and met with the Executive Director of Pariak Payam. He told us that the area wasn’t surveyed and he wanted it to be done before we do latrines. I felt quite cross. Why hadn’t he told us this before!?? Oh well, he phoned the engineer in Renk, and the guy said he would come tomorrow. Must remember to get the engineers’ phone number! Then we went off to Melut to meet the Executive Director of Melut County. Basically he told me everything that Charles told me – that he is happy: Medair will do Melut town and we will commence with Pariak and Falouge town. All good. Just need to find out the household numbers of Falouge town.

Then popped in to see Medair. Only Hannah was there. Would really like to work for them I think. But then the grass is always greener on the other side, right? Then back to Pariak. Spent some time with the Medair guys who are test-pumping a borehole. Was really interesting and learnt lots – and asked lots of stupid questions!  Submersible pump at bottom. Then three tubes/wires – power to generator, tube for dipper and pipe for water. All really interesting.

All was good until it became dark and there is no water for bathing. We went and had food – fool and tomatoes, then hired beds (1 SDG each!), then they all went to bed. I managed to wash with one 600 ml bottle of water (water which I took from the bucket where people wash their hands before they eat) and a bucket I had borrowed from the Police. There are so many mosquitoes here and they are vicious!!

Now in my mozdome, outside, by the Police, by the main road, and my feet are itching like crazy – I’m sure there are things inside my mozdome!! Oh, what a glamorous life I lead! But these people are so so poor. No water (gets delivered by a tanker from the river - when they remember), no toilets, and we've just built a school and health care centre. Hopefully in a couple of weeks all the people will have latrines too...