Electricity β‘
This is probably the most random photograph Iβve ever posted, but it tells a story. For me, it symbolizes some of the everyday challenges of living in Uganda πΊπ¬.
At 7 a.m. on Sunday, the power goes off. It comes back on around 3:30 p.m. but then goes off again at 8 or 8:30 that evening. At first, I think itβs just a normal power cut. These cuts happen, but they seem to occur less frequently now, so I find myself expecting the power to return soon.
It doesnβt. π
Sunday night passes in darkness.
On Monday at 7 a.m., the girlsβ phones arenβt charged, making it a struggle to get them up and ready for the day. Itβs time to start calling the electricity company π. Out of respect, I avoid bombarding them with calls on Sunday, so I use their app instead.
At 10 a.m., thereβs still no electricity.
At 11 a.m., still no electricity.
By now, Iβve contacted the electricity company six or seven times.
At 2 p.m., I get the news: there's a problem with the transmitter, and we may not get power back today.
Meanwhile, five houses down the road have electricity. The neighbors next door have electricity.
We donβt.
With no power, you canβt do anything. The computers are down π», the internet is down π, my data bundles are depleting, and the phones are dying π±.
This is life.
Finally, at 3:30 p.m., the electricity comes back. For how long? It lasts for just 45 minutes before it goes out again. Then, at 9:30 that night, after being informed that we probably wouldnβt have power until the following day, it finally returns.
Suddenly, you realize just how much of your life depends on that little cable coming into your house: the fridge π₯Ά, the internet, the computers, the phones, the childrenβs routines, work, schoolβeverything.
We donβt even trust the electricity enough to keep much food in the freezer; we buy meat on the day we plan to eat it. The car charges our phones while we drive π, and we charge the power bank whenever we can. We are constantly finding workarounds.
Then thereβs water π§βwater comes and goes as it pleases. However, I can live with that because we have water tanks. Electricity is different. You cannot accomplish much in this world without electricity.
Thatβs what really frustrates me. It isnβt just an inconvenience; it affects everything: your work, your children, your food, your sleep, your communication, and your ability to plan even the simplest tasks.
At 9:30 last night, the power came back. And honestly? I was thankfulβthankful for something that, in many parts of the world, you donβt even think twice about π.
Now, Iβm sitting here wondering: How long will it last this time? Until the next cable goes down? Until the next transmitter fails? Until the next unexplained blackout?
This is just electricity, but itβs also a reminder of how many things we take for granted until they stop working. β¨