i’m weary now, but we stop when we’re done, not when we’re tired…

The solar experiment is working, but it is hard work.  It starts around 0830 and one of the team visits every ward with the bad news, AC and fans off, please.  All other non-essential equipment off, please.  Lights out when you leave the room, please.  We then check the readings on the generator and if its in spec, we switch it off and let the solar power the hospital.  But it doesn’t stop at that, we then spend a very tense 5 or 6 hours juggling the switchboard – turning some departments off completely, giving some AC for a period when the sun is high at noon, and then switching them all off again, and more when a cloud moves overhead!

It is very stressful, especially when we hear of an emergency operation – a trauma maybe, or a C-Section.  Everyone plays their part then, sweating it out in small, cramped spaces with virtually no airflow.  Did I say it was 30+ degrees most days at the moment?  And of course, no breeze.

After a couple of days we decide despite the stress, it’s a one man operation to support the on-site electrician, so split the day in half.  But then by the time any one of the wide range of other problems emerge, we spend the whole day ‘full gas’ anyway.

The weekend comes and goes, not that we noticed.  And then it’s actually ‘konje’ or holiday for Monday and Tuesday, but rather than an opportunity to rest, it’s a chance to continue our solar experiment and eek out a few more days from our dwindling stocks of diesel.

Wednesday brings some relief, another small delivery of diesel, 180 gallons, though at crazy prices.  But whilst we celebrate the arrival of fuel, we keep focussed on making it stretch as far as possible.  By Friday, we are virtually on our knees and (thankfully) the weather changes cloudy with sunny spells (after all it is technically still hurricane season), so we have an enforced rest.  And we do rest well, in the knowledge that our efforts have helped the hospital continue.

All is not well though, as my mate develops a cough and loses his sense of taste and smell.  I’m supposed to be leaving in a week…