Impending Drought

Last year was not a great year for rain for Zimbabwe. It apparently was not a great rain year for Angola and Zambia either as their rain feeds into the upper Zambezi River which flows down to Zimbabwe where it makes the stunning Victoria Falls.

About May or June the rain waters reach the Victoria Falls and it will look something like the first picture. Due to poor rains the Zambezi River is running far below normal capacity and second picture shows what the Victoria Falls currently look like.

After going over the falls, the Zambezi River continues through some gorges then becomes part of Lake Kariba. A large portion of our electricity in Zimbabwe is generated by the power station on the dam at the eastern end of Lake Kariba. Because the water level is so low, the generators are only working on 1/2 their capacity. (Our other major power source is currently not working at full capacity either as it is undergoing a three year re-furbishment plan.) SO - we are experiencing major power cuts once again. Even though the rains were few last year, some people were able to grow crops. In most cases, their stocks are now depleted and people don't have money to buy food in the shops. We have been told by weather experts to prepare for another cycle of drought years. Of course it won't only be the crops, but the livestock and the people who will suffer. This is not a pleasant thought at all. Pray that God would find a way to provide for His own living in Zimbabwe.