Rain

Here in the Dodoma region of Tanzania we are well into our rainy season.  And that really means something in Dodoma.  When I arrived in late August, you would be hard pressed to find much of any green.  Dry dry dry.  I didn't even see my first cloud here in Dodoma until late October!

BEFORE (THE RAINY SEASON)

But now the rain has definitely arrived.  And from what I’ve been told, it’s been more plentiful this year than usual.  This is very good news: many villages are being affected (in some cases severely) because of a poor harvest due to a drought last year.  The fact that villagers could not effectively practice agriculture last year really puts a strain on households in villages across Dodoma region.  Although crops benefiting from this most recent rain will not be harvested for several months (meaning that the food shortage is still a serious issue) there at least seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

AFTER! (ISN'T IT AMAZING?)

And you can tell people are happy.  Maybe it is a universal thing to talk about the weather, but I have noticed that many Tanzanians remark upon the rain with a glad heart.  You can be sure that we will be giving thanks at church if we receive rain a day or two prior to Sunday.

But for all of the benefits that rain provides to peoples’ livelihood, some serious issues arise when the torrential rains come to Dodoma.

For Tanzanians who live in mud brick houses, the imminent danger is collapse.  Whether a single wall or a majority of the house, such an incident can really put people in a tough spot.  They often have to temporarily abandon their house and live elsewhere and it is not always clear how quickly they will be able to build their house back up once more.

A house with a collapsed wall

The other danger is the burgeoning rivers that easily flow over the low concrete bridges across the region.  A few weeks ago, in a town several hours away, some 200 people died when a ferry sank in such a river.  Instances of vehicles and people getting swept away are not uncommon as well.

For me it can be difficult to understand why anyone would take the risk trying to take on such a force of nature.  But it should not be forgotten that many of these people simply do not have resources to cope with such conditions whenever they arise.  As my co-worker Rev’d Emmanuel put it to me, contending with flooded rivers is just a part of life for many Tanzanians here.

Sometimes it’s hard to make sense of such double-edged things, the hope and the havoc that rain can bring.  I guess really life seems to be like that a lot of times.  Either way, the next time I am in church and we give our thanks to God for the rain that is helping people in Dodoma to prosper once more, I will be sure to also say a prayer for those who have tragedy befall them due to the rains as well.