First came a trickle, then a stream, then a deluge. Water began to flow in the Buffalo River in the Karoo region of south-western South Africa on 24 January 2020. Minutes before this picture was taken, farmworkers Ryno Baadjies, Pierrie Baadjies, Hans Kietas and Ideon de Peers had been standing next to a dry riverbed.
The Karoo is a semi-arid region in South Africa. It has been suffering its worst drought in a century, putting pressure on a local economy dependent on agriculture. Karoo farmers have had to sell most of their livestock. Some farmers have been forced to sell their farms and lay off their farmworkers. With the area’s extremely high unemployment rate, the loss of a job can devastate a family.
But then — hallelujah! — it rained, temporarily filling up reservoirs and bringing rivers back to life. It will take much more rain to end the drought, but in an area with much hardship, a river overflowing with water is indeed something to smile about.
| Word | Translation | Phonetics | SearchStrings |
|---|