Friday - Sunday

Friday was hilarious. Alistair and I filmed a guy called Andrew, drinking out of the Jukskei river with a water purifier called Life straw. Andrew is working with an NGO called Vertical life. Vertical life wants to take this water purifer through Africa because it is easy to use, small and has no working parts. But it only lasts a year and is very expensive. It is a temporary solution to bad water and the problem with handouts is that they create a beggar mentality. However Vertical life wants to teach people about digging wells and accessing clean water, as a more long term solution. They are doing anything for publicity to raise money for their projects, even drinking out of the Jukskei wth their product. I don't want to do PR for the company, Vertical Life, but I do want a short video of Andrew drinking from the river for the website. It will be something light hearted.

To get to the river Andrew followed my car and I was so self consicous about being followed, I managed to drive in the wrong lane and hit the curb when trying to park. It was all very embarrassing, but I laughed all the way home. Before going home Andrew got pulled over by the cops for having no licence plates- his  licence plate fell off on the way to the river. The other one was already missing.
So he is this crazy licence plateless guy who drinks out of toilet bowls and the Jukskei with his water purifier. Alistair called him "a river crazy". The whole experience was somewhat amusing even if I was a "woman" driver.

On Saturday, I got quite stressed when I got up at 5:30 in the morning and couldn't find my Jukskei project notebook. I got up early to prepare for my English class but then panicked when I imagined my notes were gone. I was so happy to find my book in the Wits lab at 9 o'clock on Saturday morning. I may have been happier sleeping-in, but finding my stuff was a close second.

Today, Sunday, was somewhat overwhelming - environmentalist,  Marian Laserson gave me piles of material about the Sizwe grasslands, that the Jukskei is part of. She has such high hopes for my project. But to really investigate things I need more time. If I were to look into the grasslands, the plans to develop them and the fact they haven't been developed, in the way Marian wants me to, I would take 2 months. I feel I will disappoint her because I cannot study them in so much depth.

Just to explain why I am doing an audio piece on the grasslands- The Juskei river is an essential part of these grasslands and the lack of development, so, far has been good for the river. But the grasslands are prime development material due to their size and location, so who knows what is next. The Public Works Agency owns the land and may want to develop it. The grasslands help clean the river, and prevent flooding as they absorb rain water. The river would fill up with more water in summer should the grasslands surrounding it be developed into housing or office blocks.

I have so many people still to speak to about the grasslands, but so little time. I really am stressed.

Jo'burg water still has not returned my emails.
I now have the MD of Joburg water, Gerald Duma's cell phone number so perhaps it is time to start making some personal calls.

I am really grateful for Marian's help despite her hopes. Her 80-year husband is ill and is facing an op this week. He may have cancer but doctors think it is more likely a benign growth. I feel bad bothering her at this time but she seems eager. I arrived there at 2 and left at 5:30 when I pretty much just got up to leave. I didn't want to be late for church and I think Marian may have talked all night if I hadn't just left.

I hope her husband is ok. I hope I can live up to her expectations with my audio project on the preservation of the Sizwe grasslands and the Jukskei river- in Linksfield. I hope I can include a funny video on the site of Andrew drinking from the Jukskei without being a PR agent. I hope I can stay sane in the next two crazy weeks of madness, deadlines and production.