When inventiveness and determination combine to help a community in Kinshasa

The Kikwit region in DR Congo is a region that Energy Assistance knows well.  Our volunteers have carried out an umpteenth project to electrify a health centre for the Sisters of Mary in Kwango in 2018.  This congregation and that of the Sisters of Saint Andrew have also asked us for two other projects that we hope to carry out soon.

Parallel to these projects, the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Andrew was asking for our help in studying the feasibility of a solar installation to complement grid power for a new Community House in Kinshasa.

In agreement with their architect, it was decided to connect large consumer appliances such as fridges, freezers, pumps, etc. to the public network and to use a solar network for appliances that require less energy or that have to operate 24 hours a day, and for lighting.  We then helped them to size the installation and obtain the best quotations.

Another way, in these times of crisis, to meet the objectives of our association by putting the skills and know-how of our members at the service of humanitarian projects, even at a distance.

Thanks to our volunteer experts in charge of the study of this project : Michel M., Jacques H. and Léon C. (from the companies ORES & ENGIE Solutions)

For this new mission, our volunteers José B. Dominique T and Henri M. went first to Kilengi, a village of 1050 inhabitants. In June 2017, José B., accompanied by two other volunteers, Olivier D.R. and Patrick D., supplied the 3 buildings at Kilengi Hospital with solar energy. However, due to lack of correct information, the installation of the solar pump could not be finalized.

This installation was done this time, to the delight of the local people! School children in the village also took the opportunity to receive some explanations on this action:

A long journey, strewn with pitfalls and breakdowns, was still waiting for our volunteers to join Kwilu Ngongo. It took them no less than 9 hours to cover the last 35 kms!

As the hospital suffered many power cuts from the SNEL (National Electricity Company), the mission was to carry out a photovoltaic installation to provide for emergencies. The network being four-phase and the solar possibility being single-phase, it was necessary to make choices!

Henri proposed to reserve a phase for emergencies. They « just » had to determine what was a priority and to connect it to the photovoltaic system. But, that was not so simple as all the existing installation was built and realized with only one color of cable!

A lot of other actions needed also to be done: to fix the solar panels on the roof, to lower the cables to the technical room, to install the earth cables, to connect everything to the inverter and the regulator and to connect the installation to the batteries.
Local staff were also trained in the proper use of this new facility!

At the end of this busy mission, our three volunteers have still had the opportunity to visit the outbuildings of the sugar mill and the brickyard, working with sugar cane residues!

Thanks to José B., Dominique T. and Henri M. for their dedication and this amazing achievement.

Energy Assistance (NPA non profit association) is actively engaged along with ENGIE Foundation as well as with Doctor Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize winner 2018, to help women who survived sexual violence through the reengineering of the electrical installations and the installation of solar panel feeding on the Panzi Hospital. The Partnership was signed March 27^th , during the « Stand Speak Rise up ! » conference, an international forum dedicated to prevent sexual violence of all kinds in sensitive areas organized at the initiative of the Grand-Duchess of Luxembourg, and of which ENGIE Foundation is partner.

Gynecologist Denis Mukwege is considered as a hero in Bukavu, South-Kivu’s Capital, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The latest Peace Nobel Prize awardee has been fighting for the past 20 years against a ream scpirge: the rape, which became a routine weapon of war used by rebel groups aiming to control mines in the region.  Also called the « women repairer » he has treated so far in his hospital in Panzi more than 50 000 women who survived sexual violence. He founded is hospital in 1999.  Thanks to high-tech medical treatment, victims could be operated in this establishment –– and benefit also from  psychologic and legal assistance.

Since the cause of woman and health are both at the heart of our commitments, Energy Assistance together with ENGIE Foundation decided to found Denis Mukwege project.  The objectives of this tripartite partnership targets the renovation and improving security of the existing electrical installation as well as the implementation of a new electrical installation with solar panels in the Panzi Reference Hospital.  This will substantially improve the  economic and energetic efficiency of the whole installation of the Panzi Hospital.  A first feasibility study was already done in 2018.

Last March in Lodja, Sankuru province, RDC, Energy Assistance volunteers raised a new challenge: two weeks of work, more than 2000 m of laid cables, 21 solar panels installed, 24 batteries and an inverter placed in a secure room and 50 classes equipped with LED lighting, switches and sockets.

It’s more than 300 children from preschool, primary and secondary schools will be able to benefit from this new power plant. In addition, the School of Mums could has been able to open in the evening and evening classes in computer science started. No doubt that Pastor Pierre-Albert Ngueliele is already overflowing with future educational projects.

The health Center has also benefited from these facilities, to the great satisfaction of Dr. Jean Reynders.

Volunteers : Christoph Heymann, Patrick Thiry, Thierry Delculée and Léon Charlier

Project managers: Léon Charlier

Installation of solar panels for the education and health centre.

Mukumary is situated in the middle of nowhere in the province of East Kasaï on the Equator. The nearest “hamlet” is a 5 hours’ drive away. After a 3-day journey, departing from Brussels, the Energy Assistance volunteers were able to start work.
This “twofold” mission, finished by mid-May 2016, consisted of the installation of two solar kits, each 1950 kW, to provide electricity to the education and health centre in Mukumary.

The kit – photovoltaic panels and interior installation – had been bought locally at Kinshasa and proved to be fully functional after having fixed some minor transport damages, due to the last part of the trip through the bush.
An issue frequently encountered during this type of missions is the mounting of the solar panels on the roof. Most of the times, the roof beams are in very bad condition or the roofsurface itself is very undulating. Luckily, the team could count on the help and dynamism of the villagers and in particular the abbot Luhumbu, to solve the issue.

Our volunteers were truly satisfied that they had been able to bring the “electricity fairy” to this isolated community, thus not only improving the education and health standards but also the day-to-day life of woman as they have light in their kitchen now.
The whole project will improve the living standards and enable better and easier community life.

Volunteers : Freddy Arzée (retired Engie Fabricom), Marcel Bavay (retired ORES)
Project Leader : Freddy Arzée