The Rains – and Washing Up

Missionvale streets after it rains

Rain – it can be a blessing, and a curse.  Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area is in a restricted water use area.  When it rains, it is a blessing.  Reservoirs and rain barrels can refill.   But, for some, it causes extra distress. 

Easter weekend was gray and wet.  The rains continued into the next week.  It was inconvenient for us, but devastating for the people in Missionvale.  Whenever it rains, their streets become muck.  As the Missionvale terrain slopes, the storm waters run right through some of the shacks.  Some shacks leak.   This time the electricity was out for two days.  People had to be evacuated.  Fifty slept on the floor of the Missionvale Care Center’s hall.   

On Thursday, we went out to Missionvale Care Center.  As we arrived, there was a small public protest going on – tires were burning in the street to block off traffic.  We actually drove right behind a protest march past the care center.  The people were protesting the fact that their waste products had not been picked up for two weeks.  Now remember, Missionvale is still on the bucket system.  This “waste” that I’m talking about is human waste.  Their buckets are to be emptied every Thursday, but because of the rain – and the impassable streets - the trucks couldn’t get into the area.   There was no place for the waste to go…

First you carry all your water home ...

But, the day we went to Missionvale, the sun was shining.   Everyone was cleaning up; wash was hanging on each person’s line.   People were on their roofs, nailing on new pieces of tin.  People were dragging mattresses and bedding outside to dry.  I want to emphasize that though the people live in what we and they call shacks, they are not dirty.  Their clothes are clean.  They try to keep their homes clean too, under very trying conditions. 

Where you heat it before washing clothes in tubs...

,,,Clean wash everywhere.