Today, CBC Radio One Victoria, BC, aired an interview of Nzola Swasisa by Jeff Weaver. The occasion is the receipt by Nzola of an e-mail message from Perpetua Alfazema (who lived in Victoria for 20 years), who has returned to Africa to help her people. Perpetua describes the hardships endured by the people of Sena, caused by the flooding of the Zambezi River. Although totally cut off from the rest of the world, She is able to communicate with the rest of the world through e-mail via 2-way HF-Radio using a system installed and maintained by REMCU.
REMCU wants you to know that we are "ready to go" with the next expansion of Radio-E-Mail in Zambia. We need "the last $5,000" to complete our fundraising to allow us to proceed. Please help us with a tax-receipted charitable donation. Please utilize our "online donation" capability at www.remcu.org.
Thank you, - Rob Porter
------- Here is Perpetua's e-mail message -------
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 8:16 AM
Subject: Re: floods
Hello all,
Floods.
The road from Sena to Caia is flooded, it has not been passable for the last three weeks. From Sena to Caia is about 60 km. However, the most serious floods are taking place at Checha, only 14 km from Sena. The only way to get to Caia right now is by boat.
Deep water.
In most parts the water is very deep and moving fast. Yesterday a staff from Kuwangisana was coming from Murraça to visit a patient. When he arrived at Checha there was no boat. Then he decided to cross the water on foot. While crossing he heard sounds like bird's in the water, since the water was very brown and bubbling he could not tell what sound it was. As he prodded along, he saw two water cobras raised their heads...He got very scared, and walked very carefully until he made it to the dry land.
Farm
Kuwangisana two hectors food farm is covered by water, losing all the ha maize crops, beans, pumpkins, okra, cucumbers, watermelons and sesame to the flood. Last night a hippopotamus entered into our field and helped himself/herself with whatever looked green and tasty. During the day, from far we watched the young hippo basking in the sun.
Well.
Kuwangisana well is also underwater. When the floods started people used to go to Kuwangisana well to catch cat fish. Now they have stopped going there because there is a crocodile roaming around in the flood waters in the farm.
Forcast.
The water level is overwhelming and yet the prevision is that its still going to be worse! Right now it is not raining but it rained heavy last week. Just to let you, the flood waters are not caused by rain but due to the opening of the Cahoras Bassa dams in Tete, and other dams in the neighboring countries.
Weather
This week's weather is extremely hot, mosquitoes, crickets and grasshopper are in full gear. However, the crickets, grasshoppers are very helpful to most people because they are been used as food. At the market the food is very expensive and not a great variety to choice from.
Health
Praise to the Lord there has not been very serious cases of cholera reported yet. However, many people right now are suffering from Malaria, eye infection and diarrhoea.
Warning
Today, I attended a community meeting here in Sena and the police warned everyone to avoid walking in the waters because of crocodiles, snakes, hippopotamus and other unknown creatures that are running loose in search of food.
I will stop there for now,
Blessing, Perpetua
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