When drinking water becomes a danger
A few days ago, a warning made the operation of the Miss Stone Center in Strumica (North Macedonia) very difficult. The drinking water in Strumica is contaminated.
Strumica (North Macedonia) has always had the best drinking water in the region. This is a gift - also for the Miss Stone Center, an independent work which Connexio develop supported. Around 250 meals are prepared there every day and then distributed to people in need - 200 of them in Strumica and another 50 in the nearby small town of Radoviš. It takes 350 to 500 liters of water per day to cook these meals.
New kitchen reveals new problems
The kitchen was renovated in the first half of the year (we wrote about this in reported). The management discovered that the drinking water pipes were badly corroded and urgently needed to be replaced. In order not to jeopardize the delivery of meals, employees and external workers completed everything over a long weekend.
Warning about drinking water
The tremendous commitment of those responsible and employees paid off: drinking water was now flowing from clean, new pipes. But not for long - because suddenly an urgent warning came from the municipal authorities that the drinking water throughout Strumica was contaminated - with bacteria, viruses and Manganese.
Reasons for pollution unclear
The reasons for this contamination are unclear. Is it filters that are ancient and have never been replaced in accordance with regulations? Is it the hot summer with no rainfall that has badly affected the reservoir from which the drinking water comes? And while the administration and politicians blamed each other for the misery, the people in Strumica had no clean drinking water. In the meantime, the town has at least set up tanks where the population can get a supply. Or residents buy bottled drinking water.
Directly from the source
Those responsible at the center opted for a different solution: they now fetch their water from a spring. However, this means sacrificing working hours: an employee of the Miss Stone Center now has to fetch the 350 to 500 liters every day - outside the city. Depending on the number of people also queuing there, this can quickly cost two hours of valuable working time.
Attention and good food
But clean water is essential. The people in charge of the center not only want to give care and hope to the people in need, they also want to offer them a high-quality meal. A sign of lived charity that nourishes and gives strength for the next step.
Update October 16 - and the fire department greets us daily
The drinking water is still contaminated. In the meantime, it has also emerged that the spring water is also contaminated with bacteria. This is therefore no longer allowed to be used as drinking water either.
However, those responsible at the Miss Stone Center were able to organize a large water tank and store it in the center's garage. Now the fire department comes every day with a vehicle. They fill the tank with clean water. "Thank God we now have less work with the water," writes Martin Konev, head of the Miss Stone Center, with relief in an email.
Update October 29 - and everything is flowing
Yesterday someone from the food inspection was there. Everything is fine again!
Text: Urs Schweizer /D.B.
Sources: Martin Konev / Christina Cekov, Strumica (North Macedonia) Photos: Martin Konev
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