Mijts Blog

Garbage collection is a bit ‘hit and miss’ here! It is also very different to the automated garbage trucks they use at home. The company pays the local government authority to have our garbage collected once a week but it is rare for the truck to come weekly. It had been over two weeks since a collection and, as our bin was full, we had rubbish sitting everywhere. Usually someone in the neighbourhood goes down to the yard where the truck is kept and complains and we are always given a reason ‘truck gone bugger up’ (needs repairs), or no fuel this week (means can’t afford fuel!). However, they usually turn up in the next couple of days.

Finally the truck came this morning so I took a couple of photos. This is how it works – the truck stops and sounds its horn. The housemary runs out and takes the garbage out and puts it on the truck. The driver doesn’t get out. The passenger who is probably the supervisor will get out but will usually sit and watch or have a drink or chew buai (that’s him in the blue hat – sitting outside our fence)! Sometimes (as today) there is a third man who travels in the back of the truck and organises the rubbish! If nobody happens to hear the horn then they drive off without collecting – so the neighbours all watch out for each other and call when it arrives.

One time, soon after we arrived, there was no collection for several weeks and the very small plastic bin we had inherited was riddled with maggots – Stephanie called them ‘little snakes’ and was quite unconcerned that the children were playing with them. We soon morteined that problem and quickly invested in a bigger wheelie bin – the only one in our street! Actually, I have only seen a few of these in use.

Many of the locals don’t have bins at all but hang their rubbish in plastic bags on the fence. Some even have a purpose built ‘ledge’ to place it on (up high so the dogs won’t get it!) until it gets collected.

and others just hang it in a tree!!!