The saying is: April showers bring May flowers. Not so in Rwanda. The rain storms this month have been terrible. They are much worse than usual, and usual was bad enough.
We have not had a total dry season for about a year and Africa's weather has changed so much. Climate change is very evident. It is a bit confusing for the farm people. When to plant is the question. Heavy rain washes away the seeds.
With all the thunder and lightning, I appreciate our donors who sent money for us to erect lightning arrestors at the school and in the village. Those arrestors have saved lives not only for Urukundo but for the community. The land of a thousand hills is lovely but dangerous if there is no protection from electrical storms.
Mudslides from the rainstorms have destroyed many homes, taken many lives and in some cases washed away whole villages. Many of our staff have had home damage (Pastor Yves for one). Mud bricks are susceptible to rain. They’re somewhat like sugar cubes being exposed to drops of water over an extended period of time. Slowly, slowly they dissolve. Best description I can think of.
The US embassy warned of heavy rainstorms on April 18,19 and 20. They were right. These storms have continued. We have dug deep ditches and tried to accommodate excessive runoff to protect the village. The plan was for the water to run past my house to the main road where drainage was available. It did not go past my house. Instead, the deluge was aimed at my house. My home had not been in jeopardy before, but by taking steps to protect Urukundo Village, it was.
The first storm came at night. Lying in my bed, listening to the thunder and watching a late night lightning show is intimidating. The flashes lit up the room. It was like someone was turning off and on a huge flashlight. I am not afraid of thunder. It is a big noise. Am I afraid of lightning? Of course, I am. The two go together.
The second storm was even worse than the first. There was rain, tons of groundwater, heavy wind, lightning bolts and strikes, loud thunder and no visibility. The area around my house was a raging river. My front yard was a boiling lake. I have experienced floods in the USA, but from creeks rising, giving time to evacuate and not from water pouring down from the top of a mountain with no warning. This was different. Neither are any fun, and both are lots of cleanup work.
Progress is being made.
After the first storm, it was necessary to protect the foundation of my home and guest house. To provide an outlet for the water, it was necessary to remove some of the cement blocking the flow. Digging a ditch to connect our excess water to the drainage ditch along the main road required a ditch alongside my driveway. Let's hope it works.
Out my bedroom window. Day worker working hard.
Well, guess what didn’t work. Surprise, surprise.
The protection needed to be expanded. Benjamin and two workers, allowed by the village leader even with the distance rule, extended the ditch directing the water away from my house. Pickaxe, shovel, wheelbarrow and a lot of muscle are what it took to divert the stormwater away from my house.
Latest version of the ditch on April 25.
At the top of the steps lies the garden that flooded earlier. All water at the upper level and the top of the mountain now will travel the new ditch and pass by the red ledge corner of my house and into the drainage ditch at the road.
This one worked.
Storms continued beyond the embassy’s forecast, but now the water bypasses my house. I thank God for the workers who tirelessly continue working to keep me safe from mudslides, floods and the Pandemic virus.