The lights have refused to come on!  Or in other words, the power is off!!!

The lights often refuse to come on in Uganda, for many there are no lights…EVER!! …It all comes down to electricity, to power—something that we, in developed countries, take for granted.

Just recently,  I saw a map of the world at night…satellite images put together of our world.  Lights were on all over Europe, all over Asia, all over North America, along the coast of South America, but Africa,-- outside of South Africa and portions of North Africa--well one could say … that “the lights have refused to come on.”  A cute saying, but nevertheless it is stark reality here.

Think of this alarming statistic…The country of Hungary has a population of less than 10 million people yet it has the same capacity of electrical power as  Nigeria—a country of 140 million people!!

Here in Kampala, Uganda, it all depends on where you live.  It is rumored that if you live near high government officials you will get power all the time…I live on Tank Hill in Muyenga where you can have power for 5 days straight and then every other day no power for 3 to 8 hours.

Not too long ago,  we were without power for 8 days, the generator works fine, but petrol is $1.40 US per liter or about $5.00 something per gallon.  Take this a step further and see yourself running a business, the power goes off and your cost of doing business increases dramatically;  or you do not have a generator, you simply lose business.

The poor of Uganda, and those who live in rural districts, fare much worst than someone such as myself who is residing in a more upscale neighborhood in Kampala where the power only goes off periodically.  The other day,  I was out of the city and the power was simply out.  It is a proven fact that 90% of Ugandans residing in rural districts have no access to electricity.

Think of the last time the power was off due to wind or winter storm in your part of the world.  Think of how it affected you for a day or two.  Now think of Africa, think of Uganda where 90% of the rural population has no access to proper lighting and has to use kerosene ( also referred to as “paraffin”) to light their homes with lamps referred to as “tadoobas.”

People who have no electrical power live in darkness and all the consequences of such lack…the inability to preserve food, pump safe water, charge mobile phones, access to radio or TV.  If they do want radio they will have to spend hard earned money on dry batteries.  Even a simple thing such as charging a cell phone becomes a major task

Take it further…going without power means lack of income for people who need power to do their business…from powering a hair salon, internet cafes, video halls, the milling of grain, even a welding business will suffer…let us not even go to what it might do to medical facilities.  Recently a heart surgery team from the USA encountered major problems during power outages in Kampala.  The government promised ongoing power to Mulago Hospital while surgery was taking place.

Life without power, you do get used to it, but is it right to “write off” the millions in Africa—to have them live without what we, in the developed nations of the world, take for granted?

I have had people write to me regarding the generation of power for Africa.  People who are using low cost electricity in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia and who insist that nothing be done to construct facilities that translate into low cost electricity for Africa.  Electricity that is available at all times, that will allow students to study at home, instead of going to a Petrol Station (Gas Station) so that they might study under the lights there.  Electricity that means better health for the people of Africa, electricity that will allow the raw products of Africa to be prepared for market in Africa instead of being shipped in its raw state overseas.

The balance between nature and power needs always to be considered, however. Here in Uganda oil has been discovered in large quantities, natural gas that is pure has also been found.  This is both a blessing and a potential curse…right now there is a shortage of cooking gas and one can drive into petrol station after petrol station and hear the same answer….”no gas.” At the same time serious consideration is being given  to the exploration of oil in some of the most beautiful natural parks in Africa.

In the slums and rural districts of Kampala fires rage on a regular basis due to overturned candles and  spilled kerosene that bursts into flames.  Just yesterday,  I met a child from the slums that had the scars of severe burns on face and body.  I was saddened by what I saw, but it had not been the first time and unless things change rapidly, I will see children with burns again and again.

Bujagali Falls is being built near Jinja.  This is the second attempt referred to as Bujagali II, Bujagali I was a disaster with money dissipating like water on hot Kampala pavements!  This time the though the funding sources are mostly private investors-- from the Aga Khan to Barclay Bank-- the promise is for electricity that is less than half of present cost.  Cleaner electric power too,  since much of the present electricity is created by diesel generators that produce a tremendous amount of pollution.

The developing world—Africa and places such Uganda--have need for electricity.  The people of Africa, of Uganda, dream about literally a “brighter” future..  A place of low priced electricity that will “power” them out of poverty into the 21^st Century.  A place where children can grow, learn in  schools with lights and computers that operate.  Where medical care is not limited because of the lack of power, where food is safer because it is refrigerated and where clean water can be freely accessed…where new jobs can be created because of easy access to abundant, economical electricity that would mean the raw products of Uganda and Africa can be refined and finished products manufactured in Uganda and Africa and then shipped throughout the rest of the world.

There are small instances of this happening now, such as fish exportation from Lake Victoria, but it is my hope and vision that this day of “small beginnings” would turn into a widespread trend that would ensure a much brighter future for Ugandans and all Africans!…jon

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