Wonderful Solidarity and Water Mountains in Ranau

The different Mount Kinabalu

Last Monday and Tuesday there was very severe rain that particularly affected the Kundasang and Ranau area creating the most frightening landslides and flooding; sweeping away houses and a huge amount of trees. The result being that the reservoir in Ranau was full of trees, the water polluted and the water supply for the area was cut off. There seemed to be no timeframe as to when the situation would be resolved so both mentors from the area were evacuated to KK .The seeming lack of action being taken by the government in supplying water for the people in the area brought about an appeal made by the priest in Ranau, Nicolas Stevens, on Facebook for people to send water up. I don't suppose he ever imagined such a response and action from the people of Sabah but my goodness have  they showed their solidarity, generosity and care for their fellow Sabahans.



   On Saturday morning I filled my car up with boxes of water , which I might say are hard to come by now in Tuaran as they have been sold out, and made my way up to Ranau to volunteer to help my dear Sister Caroline, who has been working eighteen hours a day at the water depot/ St Peter's Church. The church is attached to St Benedict Mission School that I worked at, so it was familiar territory although I must say I wasn't expecting the sight that I came to. The whole journey up the mountain there was a trail of vans, lorries, 4x4s and cars full of water and this went on all day and I expect is still continuing today.


The church has been converted into a water depot but the organisation and the smooth way in which it was all being onloaded and distributed was quite astounding. There seemed to be three areas A,B,C where you collected your water and you had to register at the desk, tell how many people were in your household, (babies entitled you for an extra box) and then take your ticket to the depot A,B,or C. Meanwhile some people were directing a one way traffic system where cars, lorries and vans were directed to a depot to unload and then the unloading was done efficiently and swiftly with volunteers. This has been going on from 7 in the morning until 11 pm for days but I believe finally the water is beginning to be connected again. I know that people and NGOs have been working 24 hour days in order to try and get the water connected too.



   So my very little contribution was quite humbling seeing the size of the operation. I was put on to making tickets for the water distribution which involved stamping and cutting and then later I was allowed on the table to write down the quota per ticket! There were equally as many Muslims as Christians coming for the water which was again humbling to see as apparently there had been a refusal of water to Muslims in other places as it was the beginning of Ramadan on Wednesday. There was food laid on for the volunteers too and of course I managed to have a chat with Sister Caroline which was lovely as she has been on a course in Indonesia for three months. I left after about four hours and made my way back down the mountain but one thing that Sister Caroline and I both remarked on was how different Mount Kinabalu is since the earthquake and landslides. She looks bare and full of huge scars from all the landslides. The sun was shining and she looked like a huge bare lump of rock with no greenery at all. I know in the grand scale of things this is just a comma in the huge long book of a mountain but I did find it strange and kept taking photographs again!