adminFortious Nhambura Senior Features Writer
Matilda, a form three girl, sits behind the family hut in Bako Village, Njanja in Chivhu, pen in hand and scratching her head. She is thinking hard.
She has to quickly finish her mathematics home work and start on the science one. Matilda also needs to complete an English essay that is also due the next day.
She has been forced to ignore repeated summons from her mother to come inside the hut and begin preparing supper.
Matilda would rather delay preparing supper and finish her homework. She cannot abandon her homework now.
She has to use the fast fading sunlight. Soon it will be dark and she will be unable to see and thus complete her homework.
Matilda cannot afford to finish school work in her sleeping quarters as the last paraffin lamp ran out of fuel two days ago. They will only be able to buy paraffin after taking some vegetables to the market.
The garden is the only source of income and their daily prayer is that cattle do not break into the garden and destroy their livelihood.
This is daily occurrence for children in rural the areas.
The worsening economic situation has seen many parents struggling to provide the basics for their school children among them paraffin for lighting. They have to rely on the sun. School going children have to study during daytime.
It is with this in mind that the recent donations of solar lanterns by the French Embassy in association with Dr Sekai Nzenza’s Rio Foundation and the Simukai Project was greeted with lots of jubilation by villagers in Njanja. The solar lanterns, a new product in the country, are set to revolutionise provision of lighting and energy needs in the area and rural Zimbabwe.
The choice of beneficiaries is also reflective of the need to stimulate development in the area that Dr Nzenza grew up in.
“I grew up in this area. Then it was difficult to raise school fees and money to even buy paraffin or candles to study. Most children during our time could not study at night and as result many failed to make it in life.
It is unfortunate that some children more brilliant that us failed to make it in life because they could not afford to study
“It is paining when you come back home to hear the same tales that children can not study because their parents cannot afford to provide them with proper lighting.”
She said she had been driven to source solar lamps for the villagers with school going children in mind.
“At least they can come together and study in groups using the lanterns. Those solar lamps have given our children 48 hour studying at low cost. We want to thank Schneider Electric and its local counterpart Samansco for their pro-active approach in promoting renewable energy development in Zimbabwe.
We have not given them to individuals but to groups so that they are of benefit to the community.
We have given the lanterns to Sadza Hospital, local clinic and churches so that they are used for the benefit of the entire community,” she said.
The portable solar lighting unit consists of panel, a battery with a USB charger port and five watt led lantern.
The batteries have a three-year lifespan and are replaceable.
The lantern’s life is over five years and the solar panels between 20 and 25 years.
With the bulk of the country’s population resident in rural areas that are still to be connected to the national electricity grid, the lanterns will go a long way in ensuring efficient lighting among the rural people.
Perfectly suited for demanding rural communities, the lamps are also equipped with USB port, thus enabling users to charge their mobile phones and thus remain in touch with their loved ones.
Beneficiaries of the donations were Sadza Hospital, Sengwe Primary School, Mufudzi Anglican church, Simukai Project, Tsungai Burial Society, Sabhuku Bako, Popoteke Clinic, Kumboyedza Savings Club and the police who each got one lighting unit.
Twenty solar lanterns were handed over to various groups in the area.
Presenting the solar lamps, French Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Laurent Delahousse commended the good relations existing between Zimbabwe and his country saying France was a friend of Zimbabwe and the relationship between both Schneider Electric and Samansco was meant to cement that relationship.
He said France would continue to assist Zimbabwe in health, agriculture and conservation.
“The Embassy of France is pleased to have been able to support this partnership and the fostering of co-operation with Sekai Nzenza’s role in the Rio Zim Foundation and the Simukai Project.
“In October last year I met President Mugabe and underscored that France was a friend of Zimbabwe.
I told him French companies would increase investment in Zimbabwe. The partnership between Simansco and Schneider is a fulfilment of such a process.
I am glad that this partnership of Zimbabwean and French companies for social development.
“It is fundamental that private sector initiatives such as these undertaken by French company, Schneider Electric, and Zimbabwean company, Samansco, become drivers of both social and economic development.
I hope you will be happy with the solar solutions being brought to Zimbabwe by these companies,” Ambassador Delahousse said.
Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries.
Samansco company representative Mr Malvern Pondamari said the company was happy to be associated with the people and would continue to develop products to enhance social development of the underprivileged people of Zimbabwe.
“This solar lantern is still on trial in Zimbabwe. The company is in the process of determining the selling price and is only offering it at cost for social services.
This is portable light that can be used to light a house and read. It is durable and can stay for longer periods if handled properly.
We have a similar social service programme with other organisation in Gutu. The Schneider solar lamp is far cheaper to use than paraffin,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries welcomed the donations saying it would make their lives easy as using solar was cheap.
Mrs Beatrice Muchedze said the lamp would go a long way in improving lighting at social gatherings.
“We are happy that we have received these lamps and am sure it will improve the children’s pass rate and lighting during funerals and other social gatherings.
It unfortunate that we have been saying our children are not gifted in school when they have little time to read. With this lighting we can encourage them to read,” she said.
Wedza Ward Councilor 27, Cde Lawrence Watambwa, said it was important that children always come back to assist in villages that they grew up in.
“That is what we have been encouraging as a party for people to take control of the development process in their home areas. It is encouraging that those that we gave birth to are helping us develop our areas.
These solar lanterns will encourage our children to do well in school as they have more time to read and do homework.
“The fact that these lanterns have been given to groups actually encourages unity and communal development among the people,” he said.
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