Energy is a worldwide concern. Energy is a huge problem in the Congo today. Diesel fuel in the Ubangi region reached $28/gallon last fall and is still above $10/gallon. There is no electricity grid in the region. Cooking is done over a wood or charcoal fire. Few people have flashlights. Even candles are few. Lack of power is a major obstacle for development of sustainable communities.
Twenty-five years ago, Bob Thornbloom conceived and carried out construction of a dam and hydro-electric power station at Zulu to serve the Karawa station. Although there were some limitations during the dry season, reliable, constant electrical power had a major impact on the Karawa mission. It literally became a shining beacon on the hill.
In the past few years, some of the equipment began to wear out and the seven mile cable connecting the power plant to the station shorts our frequently. We learned of a USAID program, American Hospitals and Schools Abroad that annually solicits proposals for facilities and equipment to support hospitals and schools such as the ones at Karawa. On June 30th, we submitted a proposal to renovate the Zulu station and the connecting cable. Competition for these grants is fierce and for this and other reasons we’re not optimistic about this year. But by next year, we hope to be better positioned to win.
For a subsistence, capital poor economy, how would you choose between energy solutions that require high capital and low operating cost or low capital but high operating cost?
That’s a good question, Byron. Both energy solutions are problematic and neither is always better than the other. But in regards to the current issue at hand, I think a further question is what is (or what was) the impact on the lives of the people who live(d) and work(ed) around such an energy infrastructure such as the Zulu hydro project? I lived at Karawa two different times - the first time was before the Zulu hydro was operational and the second time was after it was providing 24 hour power to the hospital, the hospital staff, the schools, church leaders, Technical Services, the missionary children’s school and the missionary complex. The difference was remarkable. In regards to the medical work, the level of care at the hospital was always outstanding, but the efficiency of the staff and their ability to meet the needs of the sick was hugely enhanced because of the reliability of electrical power provided by the Zulu hydro. Karawa hospital drew people from all over the Congo because the care was always well above standards elsewhere in Congo. But to a large degree because of Zulu, the medical staff who provided that standard of care wanted to work at Karawa because they had a reliable infrastructure that supported good medicine.
To elevate and sustain both the level of care that is possible and the staff needed to provide that care, we have to undergird them with systems that allow the freedom to practice good medicine. Mere subsistence infrastructure systems don’t offer that freedom. Too much time and energy is expended in the complexities of survival. Zulu hydro allowed the Doctors, Nurses and hospital staff to do their jobs much more effectively. Returning Zulu hydro to a fully functioning system must be a priority, not just for PCP, but for anyone (including USAID and other development agencies) who understands how a strong, reliable infrastructure can promote strong, sustainable and healthy communities and development.
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