NRECA/MREA Director Ron Schwartau is in Sudan as part of the NRECA International Program delegation to inspect the work of that Department. The International program operates in 70 some countries. This program is one of the electric co-op's proudest achievements, particularly given the extreme hardship of providing electricity as Ron's report below aptly notes:
The end is in sight for the last wire to go up on a new 3/4 mile three phase line. Late yesterday they manhandled the last spool of neutral wire into place and put up two spans clearing the main road and clamped it off.
Today they finish the job. It is a real tribute to the dedication and very hard work the six volunteers, 3 from Boone Electric in Missouri, 2 from Cuivre Electric also in Missouri and 1 from Valley Electric in Nevada, have put in with their counterparts from Yei. Since coming they have erected 40 poles, with all cross members, attachments and wire by hand. They manhandle every thing since there are no digger trucks, derricks, power tools, with the exception of a gas powered drill to bore through the very hard Eucalyptus pool. It also means these men have repeatedly climbed these same 40 poles each time a new line goes up. They accomplished nearly twice as much as was anticipated.
The future here will soon be in the hands of the people of Yei. Unless additional funding is found, our presence here will close this year. It will be a serious challenge for the cooperative to continue to expand. So many people want to be members but resources are limited at this point in time. I met with the board of advisors, once for their board meeting and yesterday to answer questions director to director. Their questions were ones of great concern for their continued ability to operate. Who will manage? Where will the money come from they need for expansion? Will other electric systems be formed which will compete with them? Who will do maintenance of the generators?
This afternoon the cooperative will hold a general information meeting to explain the election process for a new board. prior to this the board was appointed. It will also be an opportunity for the community to ask questions, raise concerns and understand what the cooperative will look like. After some of our interviews around town, I also anticipate some wishes for more hours of service and more hookups will be raised many times.
This will likely be my last report from Yei. We now hope everyone returns safely home with no lingering side affects. It has been a very rewarding experience.
From Yei, Southern Sudan
Ron Schwartau
It was a quiet day in Yei, Sudan. The border intrusion into DRC is at a stand still, at least for all the news we get, and under negotiations to try to avoid too much more trouble. A couple Congolese soldiers were killed about 40 miles from here and the Sudanese soldiers are stopping traffic to inspect for who knows who. This is the area we passed through this weekend.
Today our volunteers along with the local linemen finished setting poles for another three phase line and an extension off of that, preparing all poles for wire pulling tomorrow. Mind you that is all accomplished by hand and legs as well. It will be an interesting shot tomorrow with two linemen on each pole down the line. They are excited about finishing another section here, nearly doubling the work that was anticipated. By Friday afternoon they will be ready to put their work to bed.
This morning Vivek Talvadkar arrived to spend the next few days with us. In the afternoon we went to visit the local government official, called a commissioner. The government really likes the work NRECA is doing here and want us to continue. Now if they would reinvest in the infrastructure the project could really make a difference.
We had a security person with us the last couple days which allows us to take some pictures in town but not always of things we would like to have. But overall the filming of the video is going well and we should have an interesting story to share. My evaluation of the project continues and has new perspectives added each day, so I will reserve comments on this until I have had time to digest everything.
Keep warm,
Ron
From downtown Yei - Today was an interesting foray into the downtown business district of Yei. We interviewed a lumber mill/furniture factory which totally relies on the cooperative for electric service. While very basic for our standards he is very happy to have electric service to enable him to meet his growing demand for home and office material and furniture. Without the reliability of the service he could not meet the demand of his customers. It has also allowed him to employ more people.
Currently he employs somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 people but if electricity were available even more hours he thinks he could keep 50 people employed. Much of the work, including some sawing and some planing is done by hand. It is somewhat primitive by Western standards but he does the best he can.
We also went to the regional hospital to talk to them about the impact of having service. Responding that electricity has permitted them to blend different medicines and do additional diagnostics has brought better health care to the region is very important to sustaining the community. Tuberculosis, leprosy, meningitis, malaria, typhoid, HIV/AIDS are all very serious problems here. Walking through one of the wards made it evident that we would be evacuated out of here rather than risk to much treatment here.
Sanitation is non-existent. There is no central sewer system, but rather either latrines or nothing, meaning the soil is being supplemented on a daily basis but much of the population. That also implies that there is no water system available. People either go to one of a few well and pump their own water and carry the water back home in jerry-cans or go to the Yei river and do the same. Every morning the citizens sweep the area in front of their homes of debris and trash into little piles in the street and let fire to it. Much of this is plastic so the air is very acrid with toxic fumes. The purpose is not to make the place look nice but to keep the area around them clear to prevent mosquitoes from breeding and to watch for cobras and black mombas (sp) which are ever present in the area.
Our volunteers are working well with the local linemen. The locals have learned very well the techniques of digging holes by hand and erecting poles with pikes. Going along with that it means each and every connection of line and services is done with spikes. A real rapport has developed between the volunteers and the locals. Having to use 15 men to raise a 45 foot pole takes cooperation. Bt when they are done it looks as good as anything you will see at home. The volunteers are from Boone Electric Cooperative and Cuivre Electric in Missouri and Valley Electric in Nevada. A great bunch of guys and a credit to the organizations they represent.
By the end of this third week they may have accomplished nearly twice as much as was expected. Three weeks away from home is real dedication and a tribute to the support their cooperatives have giving them.
All for tonight.
Ron
Good Morning All,
Another lovely day in Sudan. Today we will start interviewing people around the community who have received power so far to see how it has impacted their daily lives and to get a feel for how the community as a whole views having the most reliable power in East Africa. the latter comment is not an exaggeration. We bring power to the community for 17 hours per day which is more than even capital cities in the region have.
We also have 140 streetlights operating bringing security to a lot of the area. The provincial capital only has two streetlights which has caused an embarrassment to the leaders there and has also caused a bit of friction at times. Can it be maintained after we leave? Time will tell. A lot of training has gone into these people and they are doing good work, but it will take good management to keep the system operating long term, especially when the average life of a pole is only 5 years and some don't make it more than 2. That is because of termites. pole treating doesn't work very well on eucalyptus trees.
I cannot begin to describe the total community to you. And some things i have so far been unable to photograph unless I get a security person to clear it. Paul Dow and I will be going out today to start that process.
I can tell you that none of you have ever traveled a road like we did this weekend. i took some pictures but they can't tell or show the story.
Semis tipped over, potholes as large as our car but only 2-3feet deep,( and they are one after the other sometimes.) ruts 1-2 feet deep all over, bridges that i wouldn't take a load of grain across let alone a semi, axles busted off trucks just sitting in the middle of the road road is mostly dirt with a little gravel here and there so when it rains the road can be closed for days on end until they can clear the stuck vehicles out.
etc etc. And this is the only way to get material into this place. Not a few miles of this mind you but it was this way for 44-50 miles into Uganda and the 46 miles up to Yei from the border.
Need to get going. Excuse the typing errors as am a bit of rush and need to log off.
Ron