- Bread is now so expensive that only the rich can afford
to eat it
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- A Zimbabwean student, who asked to remain anonymous,
told the BBC News website how she copes with living in a country with runaway
inflation.
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- According to official figures, Zimbabwe's annual inflation
rate now stands at 1593% - the world's highest.
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- The cost of absolutely everything in Zimbabwe has gone
up. I am a student and my bus to the campus has trebled in price in the
last two months. The cost of a meal has increased tenfold.
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- Most people have had to remove bread, milk, meat and
eggs from their daily diets as these things are just too expensive now.
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- The implications of this rise in inflation are very serious.
What it really means is the poor are getting even poorer.
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- In the last year, my school fees have quadrupled
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- Conditions are quite unbelievable as they are. People
live in shacks if they are lucky, many simply live on the streets.
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- In the last year, my school fees have quadrupled. I know
I am blessed, I am one of the lucky ones as I can still afford to go.
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- The atmosphere at university is one of support. We are
very close and we help each other. Many people have been forced to leave
because of this price rise but we all pull together and donate money so
our friends can continue with their studies.
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- Education is a big problem in this country. The cost
of basic secondary education has soared. Many young people have no choice
but to drop out. It is very sad, there are no jobs for them to take up
when they leave. Life is bleak.
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- Out of control
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- Daily life is enormously affected by this inflation.
The cost of electricity, fuel and water is now out of control.
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- Many parts of Harare now experience blackouts
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- The rise in petrol prices has meant that travelling by
public transport has become very expensive, too expensive for most people.
I know of some who walk 30km or 40km each way just to get to work.
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- My place of study is very far so I have no other option
but to get on public transport. I don't know what will happen if prices
go up much more though.
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- Water has been known to go for many weeks on end. My
university has experienced many electricity blackouts but we just have
to continue as best we can. It can happen at any time, those in authority
do not have fixed times for turning it off.
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- Black market
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- Many people are now turning to the black market either
as black market dealers or as customers of the black market to make ends
meet.
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- Sanitary pads are not an option... women have no choice
but to use cloth instead
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- If I get money, that's what I do. I buy foreign currency
on the black market in order to safeguard it from the runaway inflation
rates we are experiencing.
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- Life is just terrible in Zimbabwe. We are unable to buy
the basics any more. Soap, lotions and even cooking oil cost around $20,000
(US$80 officially, US$4 on the black market) now.
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- Sanitary pads are simply not an option for women as they
are just too expensive. Women have no choice but to use cloth instead.
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- The basics are not so basic to us anymore.
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- This is why I'm so determined to continue with my education.
I am very ambitious and I hope to own my own company one day.
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- Hopefully that way, I will be able to help Zimbabwe out
of this desperate situation.
- ------
- If you are in Zimbabwe - or in other parts of Africa
that suffer frequent water shortages and blackouts - how do you cope without
water and electricity? What do you do if there is no fuel to run generators?
Do you have any survival tips to pass on? Let us know your experiences
using the form below.
- ------
- We in Ghana also suffer water shortages and blackouts,
what we do is we normally store water whenever the tap flows and it rains,
try get big tanks to store water during the rains by fixing a type of funnel
in front of your roof where water can be collected easily and direct it
to the tank for storage, as for electricity there is nothing to do about
it, we use rechargeable lamps generators are out for some of us because
we cannot afford them let alone fuel, candles are also an alternative but
somehow dangerous if not well managed, the solar energy can be a very good
one if you install the system to store it, expensive initially but very,
very economical and useful. thanks,
- - Esther, Accra-Ghana
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- We in Uganda have a lot of blackouts due to the fall
in the level of the Lake. I make sure that when power is around i do the
ironing put all the food in the freezer and when they is no power we use
a lamp and set around the radio to keep our selfs entertained. We have
a time table when the power will be turned off. My wife has a salon so
we had to buy a generator but it will be turned on when they is a customer
during the time of a blackout. Other time i spend alot of time in the office
since they have a generator if i want to watch a football game or go down
to the local pub to do so i have turned away the idea of getting cable
TV since 15 days in a month we will not have power. Others have bought
inverters but the cost is to high for me. Its hard but we have to move
along.
- - Joshua, Kampala, Uganda
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- Lusaka does generally have many power outages which is
underatandable given the recent high demand, but to have no power for over
two weeks simply boggles the mind. This is even more annoying when you
discover that all around you have supply. Its now one month, power is restored
after much noise, but the voltage is too low so you cannot use the cooker.
We are already used to Charcoal; It saves us from exploding.
- - Kelvin Kaluba, Lusaka
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- Having no water is by far worse than having no electricity.
Not being able to flush the toilet, wash the dishes, brush my teeth, wash
clothes, or anything, is intolerable. We take containers every day to those
who have water and fill them up so that at least we can cook and drink.
The washing is kept to a minimum by reusing cups and plates. It's bloody
irritating though.
- - Harry Davies, Harare, Zimbabwe
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- To live poverty, to breathe excruciating suffering, to
walk pain is indescribable. You realise yu have survived when you wake
up the next day. Honestly I don't know how i manage but i know i always
wake up the morrow
- i prefer to be anonymous,
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- Gweru, Zimbabwe
-
- First, the water problem that is being experianced in
Zimbabwe is in Bulawayo and this is as a result of the failer to implement
the zambezi water project that could have saved Bulawayo from the trammers
that they are facing now. As a Zimbabwe the only advice i can give is to
return to the drawing board and look at the zambezi water project again.
- Mr. E.N , Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
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- Source: BBC
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6357575.stm
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