Dear Editor,
Living through an average day in our country has become an exhausting exercise in sheer endurance, testing the patience of even the most resilient citizens.
Let me give you an example. Just the other morning, my day started in the early hours with the complete collapse of my internet connection — an essential tool for my livelihood. On top of this frustration, a simultaneous electricity blackout killed the fans, transforming my apartment into a suffocating furnace. Deprived of the ability to work and sweltering in relentless heat, I was forced to take a sedative merely to escape into sleep. When I eventually awoke, drenched in sweat, the internet darkness persisted, compelling me to go out in search of a functional connection.
The morning ordeal only deepened when I discovered that the GWI water supply had completely dried up. Reduced to using precious drinking water from a bucket for a rudimentary wash, I applied heavy fragrance to make myself presentable in public before heading toward a family member’s residence. The journey itself offered no respite; it involved a mad and chaotic ride in a minibus where passengers were subjected to uncomfortably loud, distasteful audio tracks.
Upon reaching my destination, the relief of accessing functional Wi-Fi lasted a fleeting quarter of an hour before the electric grid collapsed in that neighborhood as well. My only solace was the ability to take a proper shower, made possible purely because my relative possesses a private water tank — a basic necessity that many households cannot afford.
These daily disruptions are far from isolated incidents; they represent the chronic reality experienced across our nation. Whether it is unpredictable internet service, frequent and prolonged blackouts, dry taps, or unruly public transport, the infrastructure meant to support our lives is failing systematically. To make matters worse, during a recent severe medical emergency involving a excruciating kidney stone, I discovered that no emergency ambulance services were available — a frightening reminder of how precarious our public health safety net truly is.
This leads to a central, haunting question: why do our people accept such disgraceful conditions in silence? We are repeatedly told that our nation boasts the fastest-growing economy on the planet, with annual state budgets reaching into the trillions of dollars and revenues pouring in from vast offshore oil deposits. While political leaders focus their attention on expansive personal agricultural estates and high-profile developments, ordinary workers struggle to maintain basic human dignity amid failing basic utilities.
It is a profound paradox that in a land awash with newfound petroleum wealth, the average family must still improvise just to get clean water, stable light, an ambulance or a reliable internet signal. The time has come for us to ask ourselves why we continue to tolerate such pervasive neglect without demanding the accountability and standard of living we are rightfully owed.
Yours truly,
Mark DaCosta
