The answer to poverty is energy

Morris Mpala, Mob Capital Ltd
ALLOW me to introduce myself once again. I am an unacceptable thinker. A non-conventional thinker and an independent thinker. So I have the luxury or the risk of being misunderstood or totally being dismissed entirely at first instance. I do explore the not so obvious, which is a preserve for the very few. At times I talk concepts now that will be understood eventually.

I have a thought process that might not be agreeable to an average human being and today we are going to explore my thoughts on poverty. Pardon my unique and weird approach to introducing concepts. Poverty is generally the lack of, the state of having little, no money, few or no material at all.

Fire is the greatest discovery that Adam and Eve ever came across in the pure Garden of Eden. It brought in unlimited opportunities in their garden and their life changed for the better. It’s the reason I use the expression “they look at me as if I had discovered fire” to explain the awesomeness of what I would have said. Imagine life without energy. Actually it’s unthinkable. Energy creates options. Look at a child in Binga/Hwange against Bulawayo/Harare the difference between them is opportunity but opportunity is energy. This Binga/Hwange child has no energy to access his internet, to read, to prepare his meal. His health is compromised, he is disconnected, compromised education, less sense of security.

It takes a lot from those children to be something in life given the energy challenges. Relative to water energy is more empowering. Is the reason you change water into energy (not the other way round) because energy is the alpha and omega to poverty alleviation. You can somewhat do without water but unthinkable to be without energy in the modern era.

So the ticket to a better life in Hwange/Binga is access to clean energy and a whole lot of it. Let’s not even begin to debate on their IQ levels because they can’t even develop to their maximum potential if they don’t have access to continuous energy. Libya was a hot stock because of the man-made water bodies, which could give energy, which enhanced their opportunities in financial freedom attainment. The Arabs have oil, which is a source of energy and check their gross domestic per capita it’s humongous and they can literally do anything they want, when they want and, however, they want it. This is unlimited opportunities. Give a community/individual energy and you have armed them for life. Energy gives you the chance to exploit land, labour and capital towards production. All else is dependent on energy it is the glue that binds all economic activities together. Energy is the past, present and future. If you want to respond to poverty then address the energy problem. If you want to make money then solve poverty. Remember a disadvantaged community doesn’t necessarily mean a disadvantaged brain.

The above scenario interrogates the economic empowerment model to pursue if you want to financially emancipate the community. The community needs options once availed with options then they can do what’s better for themselves in the best way they know how to their maximum potential.

Remember the fish story and being fed permanently you just need to know how to fish because me giving you fish is slavery. But the same token your access to energy is an increase in opportunity options.

MoB Capital Financial Police

We are hereby rounding up and detaining (indefinitely) everyone that has dependents and has no will written in their name. We are doing this without fear or favour as lawyers can help you do this vital document at minimal costs. We will not be deterred and we will not be sympathetic to people that violate financial freedom etiquette. Our special Financial Police crack team is now on the ground and ignorance could not be mitigatory. We are arresting on sight.

Morris Mpala is the managing director of MoB Capital Limited, Bulawayo-headquartered micro-finance institution with footprint across the country.