19 Sep Powerless about power
Marking by candlelight
Africa is known for her problems with electricity supply. I had known that in South Africa there was load-shedding and that there were more pronounced problems in the rest of Africa. In Zambia, since arriving I have experienced 17 power-cuts. It makes life difficult – especially when you realise that for many people their water supply is linked to the ability to pump water. At Canisius we have two manual pumps which the students have to resort to when the electrical pump fails to distribute water around the campus to the toilets and shower areas. Losing electricity for hours at a time (often from 6am until 8pm) is making me see my life in a different way. On the up side the power-cuts have offered me the opportunity to talk to more people under the trees while we wait for water – and given me a whole new experience of marking at night-time.
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Powerless about power by Fr Matthew Charlesworth, S.J. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Mum
Posted at 10:24h, 03 OctoberWell done Matthew – we take electricity for
granted here and forget that not so long ago
everyone used candlelight! I have really enjoyed
looking at the photos and reading your blog.
Love Mum and Hannah
Walter Ceyssens
Posted at 20:32h, 15 OctoberHi Matt
Nice to see you so busy and to read and see of you again. I especially liked the picture with the marking by candlelight! It reminds me of the old days.
I’m starting off here the fourth year (first cycle): a more pastoral year: few courses, lots of time to work on thesis (40 pages), and a whole day of apostolate; I’ll be working in a parish in the poorer outskirts of Paris (adult catechumenes, catechism and working with young people: we’re trying to found here a local branch of a youth movement. Pray that it’ll work!)
Have a great time in Zambia, and see you later
Walter