We've Got the Power

You’ve already heard me say multiple times that electricity isn’t a constant here in Malawi. I thought I would take a few minutes to explain this a little more. Malawi has one electric company, Electrical Supply Company of Malawi (ESCOM). Driving around you will see ESCOM trucks that have their slogan printed on it, “Toward Power All day-Everyday”. 

There are multiple challenges that Malawi faces when it comes to their electricity issues. The first being they don’t produce enough power to accommodate all the people that require it. Because of this, they cut power to different sections of the country when the demand is higher than the production.  Lately this has been happening daily. Here is an example of what the past week has looked like for us in terms of when we did or did not have power:

Monday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm no power   

Tuesday: 2:00 pm - 1:00 am no power

Wednesday: 4:00 am - 2:00 pm no power

Thursday: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm no power

Friday: 4:00 am - 2:00 pm no power

Saturday: 2:00 pm - 1:00 am no power

Sunday: 4:00 am - 2:00 pm no power

Some quick math with show you that we did not have power for 64 hours of last week. I will try to be optimistic and say that’s only 38% of the time without power! However, if I am to look at this realistically, it is a huge problem. Malawi produces most of its power using hydro electric energy from the Shire River. Since it is currently dry season, and the very end of dry season, the river is running very low, and therefore not producing much power at all. We have been told by our friends here that once the rains start (in mid-December) there will be plenty of power and we won’t have as many power outages. That may or may not be true, but for now, we are dealing with 64 hours without power a week.

For me, not having power is an inconvenience. I am not able to cook on our stove, we can’t keep food in the refrigerator without it going bad, we can’t charge our electronic devices, and when the sun goes down sitting in the pitch black isn’t very fun. As much of an inconvenience as it is for me, it is a much bigger issue in other parts of Malawi, for example in the Hospitals. How is a hospital supposed to function the way it should when it does not have power? Oxygen machines, surgical equipment, sterilizing equipment, baby warmers and medication refrigerators all require electricity.  I am sorry to report that because of the power outages that Malawi faces daily, deaths in hospitals do occur as a result. Some hospitals try to combat this problem by installing solar power (which is a great option for Malawi due to the amount of sunlight here), however these systems are very expensive and often can’t be afforded without the help of outside funding. More reliable electricity would not eliminate all the deaths that occur in hospitals, but it could certainly save some of the lives lost.

Similar to hospitals other local businesses and schools suffer from not having power. Imagine trying to run a business without electricity. Or any of you teachers out there, imagine having a classroom of 65 students and not having any electricity available to aid you in teaching them. I am thankful that St. Andrews does have solar power for the students at night so they are able to study without having to use candles (a potential hazard). These are just a few examples of how not having electricity creates challenges in daily life here.

Not having power is not just an inconvenience; it is a serious problem that Malawians are faced with every day. I hope that as you turn on your TV or your light switch today, you think about all the people all over the world who are affected by not having access to constant electricity. If you really want a challenge, go without electricity for a couple of hours and walk a mile in a Malawian’s shoes.