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This is the first day in the last five that we have
been blessed with the presence of what has now
become a luxury to most: electricity. Since Sunday,
this has been the second morning that I have been
able to sit in front of my computer and write, check
my email, charge my phone, and do whatever else
comes with electricity.
I
work out of the house and rely quite heavily on
technology to get me through the day. When there is
no electricity, then there is nothing much that can
be done, with regards to being productive.
The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) has
quietly reverted to the old system of electric power
rationing whether they like to admit it or not. Not
having any electricity has become the norm in my
neighbourhood, as well as in others that I frequent.
One such case, for instance, is the entire area
around Medhanyalem Cathedral.
The other day, I went to visit a group of friends
who happen to run a weekly Amharic newspaper; their
offices are in that area. When I got there, the
entire staff were sort of lounging around, reading,
chatting, having accepted the fact that that
particular day was one where they would not have any
electric power. This is something that has become
acceptable out of it having become habitual. And
because they are a small business, just getting on
its feet, they do not have the luxury to be able to
do something about it.
Many micro, small, public, and non-governmental
businesses across the city rely heavily on
electricity to get their work done; they do not have
generators because it is a cost that they cannot
afford. Many of these people are forced to waste a
crucial day of their week partially crippled because
they do not have access to their computers, some
rely on electrical phone systems, fax machines, the
internet, and photocopiers.
This does not even include what electricity does for
the service sector, restaurants, cafes, bars,
galleries, and museums.
Now traffic lights are out all over the place in an
already chaotic traffic situation of a town. The
water, already in short supply, conveniently goes
away in some places when there is no electricity.
Being that electricity is a public service, it is
appalling that it is being handed out in such a
manner.
This argument can also be applied to schools.
Despite the boom in the construction of public
schools, many are under-equipped when it comes to
staff and teaching materials; generators are many
times out of the question. It is bad enough that the
younger generation is already receiving sub-standard
education; it would be nice if they did not have to
do it in the dark!
And on a more micro level, homes across the city are
now relying heavily on appliances. Food is going bad
when refrigerators are turned off for 12 hours at a
time. People have babies and ovens, milk and butter
that need to be preserved for the family. And
despite having families sit in the dark for most of
the day, the bill still comes at the end of the
month without fail, and without the complement of
not making you pay for these annoyances.
This is not something that can be cured by a few
radio advertisements claiming that this is a
temporary problem. If this is indeed what it is,
then I am even more dismayed that it would take an
institution as large and with as much experience as
EEPCo more than four weeks to do something that can
be done in a quarter of the time, with a little bit
more organization. Given that they are the sole
power provider in the country, they do not have the
room to make such service cuts, because we do not
have anywhere else to go.
I,
like many of my friends and family, am frustrated
that I am not able to get 24 hours of uninterrupted
electricity. If EEPCo is so keen on exporting and
increasing its services, then perhaps it should
begin by perfecting them at home. After all, charity
should begin at home!
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