If you have 20 minutes, there is a video on the development of a hydro-electric scheme:
Zengamina Hydro Project, Zambia from Zengamina Hydro on Vimeo.
Since building a low impact hydro-electric scheme, the trust now has the challenge of extending power lines to the clinics, families, schools, and businesses. Having access to electricity will greatly impact their lives. For example:
The local Kalene hospital now has 24-7 power for surgery, X-rays, sterilization and other equipment – people travel hundreds of kilometres from 3 countries for treatment. Soon a school will be connected which has over 500 primary and secondary pupils, who have no option but to walk up to 15km in each direction every day to receive their education. As well as lights in classrooms, they can now have computers and other facilities. It will also address a critical challenge to the hospital and school - attracting and retaining qualified staff who have been reluctant to live in the bush in darkness and with no basic facilities.
The next stage is connecting more schools, clinics, families and businesses. Encouraging entrepreneurship is critical to stimulating the economy in an area where there is almost no formal employment and there is little option but subsistence farming. Currently, the villagers use paraffin lamps, candles or poor quality batteries to provide light after darkness at 6pm. As well as non-polluting lighting, electricity will allow fridges, radios, pumps etc, greatly improving qualities of lives – 1 house can include up to 15 people.
If you would like to help bring light, education, health and employment to genuinely needy people then please consider a donation – every penny donated goes to equipment or local labour, there are no admin costs – and every £20 (or $)makes a difference.
One of the areas where Monica and I would like to help is to provide much needed computer labs to the 4 schools in the area that now have power. If we can implement a process to stage and build computer labs as electricity spreads to other schools, it will go a long way in giving both the teachers and students better access to education.
If you have old computers or money to donate to the cause please either use the link below, or let us know, and we can let you know where to send donations.
