jess•make•room

The realities of the regional drought have become more evident as we tread through this year enduring inflation, load shedding, and now unpredictable water supply. One day this week, around 15:00 our water supply was interrupted and did not return until 22:00. On top of that, this week’s load shedding schedule is 14:00 – 22:00, with no power for eight hours during the most active parts of the day. The power outage is tolerable with the reliable timetable issued by the electricity company. However, this week’s simultaneous double utility outages were incredibly annoying because we were uninformed of the impending water outage.

Read more: Importation of electricity – here

Some say the water supplier’s pump malfunctions during load shedding, others say water reserves have reduced and the district has begun to ration water. No one knows, I’ve asked around. There may be truth to pump malfunction because the internet service is tremendously slow during outages. So, maybe that is an accurate correction.

The woes of load shedding and drought continue.

Livingstone is the tourist capital of Zambia, where thousands of tourists flock each year. This year, it appears tourists have done their research, because we have observed a stark decline of tourists. Businesses have taken a huge blow because tourists pump major capital into Livingstone’s economy. Also, there is inflation, fuel prices have increased, and the staple Zambian food (mealie meal) has become unaffordable for many families. I had a chat with a Zambia auntie who owns a shop in town about the economy. She talks of how “dry” Livingstone is, saying people are only buying food and maybe alcohol, they’re only buying the necessities. Even my taxi driver friends vent about how slow business is. I guess people are walking more to maintain their financial reserves or staying home. What’s the remedy, rain, and they are not scheduled until November, so let’s pray they come on time.

You can expect to receive monthly blog posts from me. I considered weekly posts, but that became too stressful. I hardly managed to meet my deadlines. Enough happens in 30 days for me to compile into a monthly newsletter. You may notice my presence on social platforms if you follow @jessmakeroom. I am giving the digital creator gig a shot. Things are moving slowly but look promising. Regardless of any success I gain through digital creation, I will not disengage from my blog. I enjoy writing and engaging with you, my readers. I am posting more on socials and creating more videos to increase subscribers and followers to meet the income-generation criteria for YouTube.

I am more than 30 days into living/touring (I don’t know what to call it) in Zambia. I am enjoying it. My experience has not changed much. Now, I have more free time to dedicate to my garden. I’ve welcomed a furry friend, Shelly a stray dog, into our outdoor space and attend more local events than I had when I was a volunteer. I am reading more (you can follow my Goodreads library). If you have recommendations for other young adult fiction, send them my way.

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The title of this blog post was mildly generated by Grammarly AI. I say mildly, because I made modifications to adjust its voice to mine. This is not a paid partnership. Though, I have tried, and I will try again. – Jess