Chronicles of an Awoite: Water and Electricity Woes

Dear Awoites, a story often loses its relatability when it fails to resonate with the person you share it with. In this context, relatability is like the ease that comes after a long thirst, the kind you feel when you share painful experiences and your friend nods and says, “I understand.” But sometimes, the harsh experience might not carry the same weight for them as it does in your heart. Instead, the response will be, “You will be fine,” or “Just endure it.” The saying “a problem shared is a problem half solved” sounds good until it is shared and nothing changes. It becomes unfair. First, because the response you expected is missing; and second, because they do not really feel your struggle.

Since this academic session resumed, several issues have been occurring in the hall. Two major problems affect Awoites: water and electricity. These two are epileptic siblings. These are issues that need to be addressed with serious consideration. Awo, as a hall, is occupied by over one thousand students. So imagine the struggle students go through to get water, or when electricity becomes unstable. Yet, there are no alternatives for two days, sometimes three until the Lord answers these strong Awoites’ prayers and there is water. Then the cycle starts all over again.

Lately, the water issue has looked Awoites in the eye and said, “I will test your patience.” Not in the preachy tone of religious verses, no! this one is daring and defiant. That explains the water stopping suddenly, or waking up at 5 a.m. to fetch water only to meet a long queue. The other option is to fetch from the well, but not like these wells are the messiah. They try their best. In some cases, dirty water is fetched from the well just to bathe in the absence of clean water.

The essence of water cannot be overemphasized. It is needed to cook, bathe, drink, clean, wash clothes, and flush the toilet. Even when there is electricity, the tanks no longer serve the entire Awo Hall. The only options left are the porters’ lodge water and the ever-resourceful Block C water. But who can carry the burden of the entire Awo? Even Block C tanks these days cannot bear it all.

The other side of the troubling coin is electricity. Yes, it is a general issue. No one can boldly say, “I enjoy 24/7 electricity.” It is even unimaginable, and Awoites do not push their luck. These days, the number of power outages is uncountable. But the excuses keep coming, “the line is cut in one area” or “there is a supply issue in another.” Everyone knows electricity is the powerhouse of every hostel. It does not only charge gadgets, it also pumps water to the tanks. In this light, if electricity becomes an issue, everything else is affected.

Attention must be called to these issues. Awoites have been struggling with different problems. Naturally, water should be running on each floor. Now that it has stopped, the taps have become towel hangers. Water should be available in designated places, not searched for like lost property. Awoites have shared these struggles and the problems are known to the management but in Awo, even in UI generally, things are often left to take care of themselves.

The current state of basic utilities in Awo Hall speaks not just of neglect, but of deep-seated indifference. Clean water and steady electricity are not privileges to be begged for, they are fundamental necessities in any academic environment. What is required now is not more patience from students, but real, deliberate action from those in charge. These problems can be resolved within hours and are left unattended for days. Over time, these small issues pile up and become part of the decay. They are ignored until they are completely spoiled.

For a situation to be relatable, there must be empathy, not sympathy. Empathy means knowing where the shoe pinches and speaking from experience. Management should not just feel sorry for Awoites. Sympathy draws a line between those affected and those who only watch. When Awoites lodge complaints and the response is, “bear with it,” nothing is solved. Unfortunately, that has become the norm.

The time for apologies has passed. This is a call for responsibility. If management cannot feel the burden Awoites carry daily, then it is time for them to see it, in writing. Fixing water and power in a hall of over one thousand students is not a favour, it is a duty.