In today's world,
there's an essential element to daily,
electricity.
Energizing source of light,
it's a source of life,
social bond,
progress
and technology.
Once put in service of peoples
it promotes access to health,
drinking water,
individual development
and that of our societies.
Once sun is gone,
that moon hardly shines
light becomes artificial,
it's electric and abundant.
Abundant ?
Not sure
and not for everyone.
Personally, I saw light in Brazzaville.
Colonist light.
As before,
we're in total darkness.
When moon was full,
it's there, all village and kids--
were in joy.
We'd chatter,
we'd scream, we'd do everything
when moon was full but--
when there's no moon at night,
it was darkness,
shadow
and silence.
From space and in night,
earth is luminous.
The planet is lighted and yet on globe surface
areas are plunged into darkness,
recalling that 60% of African peoples are concerned.
In this percentage,
those from Congo-Brazzaville.
We'll try to talk about current,
in general and especially
- Brazzaville. - In district, there's few cuts.
We can't talk about other areas.
- We've to say it. - Load shedding is all over.
In Nfilou, we know what's going on.
Towards--
After Liberty, we know what's going on.
I've got a brother living there. They're my cousins.
it's been 6 months, They've got no electricity.
It's night. We worry about the darkness.
That's right.
We feel
abandoned.
There's no electricity.
I was born over there,
in hospital of a country that joins this plane,
in a country, which I've only got a few memories.
But idea of meeting my homeland never left me.
It's a return.
A return to roots to see where I'm from.
To understand Congolese life,
often described to me as being rhythmed by load shedding.
I was born African.
I became French very early.
Very young.
And I don't know, what happens to people in the capital
that we fly over.
So, maybe a clash of cultures is waiting for me,
that it's like a confrontation with myself,
with my own ideas ?
For the moment,
my flight ends on this runway on the approach.
The 23 R
of Maya Maya airport.
Welcome to Brazzaville,
in Republic of Congo.
We call it "Green Brazza"
My mother city, built both
as heiress of an ancient architecture
of a French colonial past
still present,
mixing today with modern urbanism.
And very quickly.
I'm trapped in meshes of working class districts.
trapped under woven wires of electrical wiring
Electricity problem
remains a major stalemate
in our district
in particular, but it must be said
general
throughout Brazzaville. This is because,
it's not only in district of Talangaï.
Where this problem is lacking.
In Brazzaville,
we've got current
in certain area--
of lightning, that we're call "Strong districts"
Poto-Poto, we've got power.
There's Moungali.
There's Ouenze.
There's a small part of Talangaï.
There're some lanes, you walk--
3, 4 lanes
you see light bulbs it's like candles.
You're walking 4, 3 lanes, there's not current.
They've a generator set.
The other lanes have current.
We miss it.
There's always a lack.
Some missing.
Why is it missing ? That's because
we had
a logic
of load shedding to report.
This logic,
which isn't well lived by population,
cause a--
a annoyance--
daily. An annoyance--
of all the time, and people are tired.
In my district, when there's no electricity
and there's current in the neighbor's house,
it hurts my heart.
I envy them because they've got current
and I don't.
It pisses me off.
We can't afford to buy a generator set,
but we can pay bills.
When current goes,
it makes me want--
to rebel because we're in dark.
I walked first nights to get lost in darkness,
crossing human silhouettes distinguished
by cars headlights,
failing to be so by lamps that stand up,
inoperative at night.
I can't deny
that there's a few electricity. Because--
it happens that--
part of the district
is lighted--
because of their turn.
But two days later,
they're in difficulty
in this part of district,
to the benefit of the other part of district.
In my area,
we've got a transformer.
In this transformer,
several departures,
we've got 350
to 400, even 500 houses
to supply
it's not a really efficient transformer,
which could possibly
control 500 houses.
Maybe it's a transformer to supply
250 or 200 houses.
I came to appropriate myself,
to reappropriate my hometown.
To be at home
and let myself be swallowed up in a problem,
that at this moment,
is beyond me.
There're some really good lanes.
Cuts once, twice a week.
But we've got certain districts
it's practically
usually every 2 days
you've got at least 4 hours without electricity.
At 6 pm, 10 pm, 11 pm, it's coming back.
Since, we're in this kind of situation
The NSE agents
have implemented a load shedding system.
Other departures
which are in the same transformer as us,
they're cut off for--
one day. One day on one.
Today, they can have electricity
and tomorrow there's none.
So on and on. Borough is wide.
It has several districts.
So, it's in turn
that districts of this borough
get electricity.
It isn't only stars that light up
earth plunged into the night,
since from space city lights are pervasive
and glittering,
offering a marvelous look on our planet,
where certain areas are choked,
flooded,
burned by man's light
and their nocturnal activities.
I take countries like France, United States.
these countries are very wealthy, very strong,
are very developed, because
electricity is masterpiece.
A masterpiece, that I've benefited since my childhood,
allowing me to live
a different reality,
than this little Congolese.
This way of surviving,
until then, hasn't come to end.
That's why. Us who are here,
we describe, these load shedding.
What's bothering us today, it's--
It's those load shedding over and over again.
Otherwise for progress. There's a small one.
The globe continues to turn inexorably,
Lights show a brilliant spectacle,
while down, energy inequalities sneak in again,
through time.
The basic element of a state.
Yes ! We can talk about a lot of things,
but if the electricity isn't stable,
you know ?
This can't--
allow fair development of a state.
We'll talk about it
never.
Because, electricity isn't there.
But if--
there's electricity,
the state resource itself,
the state has all means,
the state can go forward,
because we've got at this time
industrialization.
We only need industry to develop the country.
We're not third world countries.
We're non-industrialized countries.
The first industries
are first of all electricity and water.
When a citizen has water
and electricity,
he feels a little comfortable.
I think that's where the country rises.
Located on 170 km of Atlantic coast in Central Africa,
it's country of second river in world by its mid-flow,
behind the Amazon.
the well-named Congo River stretching over 4700 km.
Cradle of one-third equatorial forest, with which the planet breath,
Congo is rich in energy resources.
It's fourth-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa,
and 70% of its economy come from this sector.
The country is developing rapidly
and starts major works changing Congo's face.
Its hydrographic system is important,
water resources are estimated at 842 billion cubic meters.
Congo baths under solar energy
with a sunshine of 12 hours a day.
Nevertheless, there's a paradox :
nearly 50% of Congolese
live below poverty line.
Current is really hard at home.
It's really hard at home. Harder than other people's.
Friends, neighbors, on other side,
have current without problem and concerning cuts
they don't have as many.
They've got current at night.
But for us, having current during a week--
it's hard. For a week, there's not 4 days
and 3 days, there's normally.
Also, food in freezer is rotting.
We sell drinks and customers no longer come,
because drinks are hot.
They can't cool off.
We've got freezer and TV at home,
we can't watch movies or TV,
because there's a current problem.
You can see yourself, regarding current,
we're in dark.
The president of republic,
when he was elected,
promised, since he's now promising, that by 2025
Congo will be an emerging country.
He wants to make Congo a very advanced country.
but for that, electricity must be basis.
But, us who live in city, we see reality.
We think that current
with this Imboulou dam.
Current is in perspective. It's true.
but speaking isn't always--
pragmatic.
and Congolese seeks what's pragmatic today.
We all want current at home.
We all want current at home.
The West could have shouted same desire
when on October 22,1879
American inventor Thomas Edison
succeeds to produce a lasting light
by passing current through a carbon filament
placed in a vacuum bulb.
In industrialized countries,
gas and oil lighting was no longer needed.
Also in 1879,
French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
reached Congo
and it's in 1880, that he signed
a protectorate treaty for the benefit of France.
with sovereign Teke, King Makoko.
1885
Congo becomes fourth state of French Equatorial Africa,
Brazzaville is capital.
just like the one of free France during World War II.
The colonial period ends
on 15 August 1960,
the day of country's independence.
"The Suns of Independences had announced itself
as a distant storm
and from
the first winds
Fama had got rid of everything.
Friendships, women to wear out the nights,
days,
money and anger to insult France,
the father, the mother of France.
He had--
to avenge 50 years of domination
and spoliation.
This period of unrest was called
the suns of politics.
Like a cloud--
of grasshoppers the Independencies fell upon Africa
as a result of the suns of politics"
In "The Suns of Independences" Ahmadou Kourouma questions
at the end of decolonization, what's the African man,
as I'm gradually learning it.
Students when they come,
they aren't surprised. Why ? Because--
they already know that school is very organized.
There's always electricity
because of this organization.
So!
We constitute a safe place
for a good apprenticeship.
We organize, there's people doing--
homework at night, here in this district.
So, all this to say that--
Yes, we had difficulty in Talangaï, but school--
makes Talangaï live.
When kids return from school. There's no current.
You gotta light a lamp, it helps them write.
They do their homework until they finish.
Sometimes, there's no oil, you gotta take out money
to buy it, so that kids can study.
When there's no current, no money,
we tell them "forget it, you'll study tomorrow"
because I don't have money.
We're going to neighbor house
to iron school uniform.
but ironing at the neighbor we're not used to that.
Because going to his homes,
for ironing, ask for a service,
They're starting to ramble, and it's not good.
So, I prefer, if there's no current,
she dresses like that and goes to school.
In our class, students have current, not us.
My friends tell me what they're watching
at home.
"We watched things at home like,
we saw Naruto's cartoons, Dora's cartoons"
They tell me, but there's no current at home
I can't say nothing, tell no story.
I just stay there and listen to them.
So. I'm sad,
at my friends' house, there's current, and in our house
we don't have current.
I'm being told that--
We've been told to keep quiet.
One day, maybe
after a while. We'll have current
We already have a pole. It's right here.
So--
I'm sure. We're just waiting.
We had already put everything there
but we're just waiting to put the pole up.
All those things.
and then we'll have current.
I like having current because it's good.
You can do your homework,
There's light. It lights up house.
You can take ice water,
plug in TV, watch.
Listen to music. All those things.
You can do the current.
But at home, we don't have current.
Hi !
How're you doing ?
Is it okay ?
Walking in this schoolyard,
I tell myself that I could have wear the uniform.
I could have been one of the students.
Schoolboy attentive to teacher and his schoolwork,
I could have been able to answer his questions.
Suspend myself from his knowledge,
to understand the matter.
In this class,
I'm swung between memories of a school
that was French for me,
but haven't we all dreamed learn to read,
to write and to count ?
After all. A schoolboy stays a schoolboy.
And a teacher, who teaches in Brazzaville or Paris
will always be guided by same desire :
to educate.
But the difference, that a child from here
is born in a country that struggles to build itself
and I admire him.
I admire him to not give up,
and simply living
his beautiful youth.
I'm a student and
as I'm there, I pay my school fees myself
and then we spent almost 3 months
without current.
And it wasn't good,
for my business,
and that's where, I--
I make money
in order to--
in order to live a little bit--
It didn't feel good, because
there was also problems at school.
I was also studying for a degree,
I didn't feel very well.
It also pushed me
to save
a little money
to get a generator set
and then, I had no problem, in case
there's electricity or not, because
I've got my generator set.
Generator set, it's just a way to--
to not make--
to not make loyal customers lose habit.
Because,
people who have gaming rooms
we've loyal customers.
imagine that customer arrives today,
there's no electricity, tomorrow same thing
and after tomorrow or a week, two weeks--
On and on,
and maybe, he might even disappear.
Maybe find another playroom
where if there's no current, there's a generator set.
he'll be comfortable and play.
I told myself we'd have to get a generator set.
We had a generator set,
that's in special room.
We're not in trouble.
When, we see that
there's a cut-off, because it's a load shedding problem.
Our turn,
it's not to get electricity.
We make sure
that our generator set, is--
in motion, functional, in order
for us to not be in trouble.
This crisis for us, as I said at the beginning
isn't--
isn't harmful !
due to means,
that are put on field.
Electricity is one of keys in future of Congo-Brazzaville
as in all Africa.
But road ahead is winding,
because synergies are scattered
and good political will has yet to materialize,
it's not time yet--
where continent's cities and villages will be lighted by light--
to be seen from space.
We've got--
TV sets, we've got cable, all at home.
Even neighbors across come in our house, if there's no current,
they're in a hurry to turn on generator set.
Because all 4 alleyways
follow European Championship at home.
Neighbors watch games, not us.
We've got a TV at home and we can't watch games.
We watch them at neighbor's house,
because there's no current here.
It makes us really sad.
We suffer like that.
We lose freezers, TV sets.
Radio sets.
We're not talking about it. Every day.
Just today, there was a problem that happened
where I live.
There was a current movement.
We had a brother, who lost a device.
Where are we going to report ?
It happened to us once.
That means, devices with cuts,
current came back on
and devices were on,
there was TV box that really
caught fire.
It was a mess
We went to TV shop. They told us that
we had to pay for another
TV box,
and we're forced to pay.
Normally, it was--
it was producer who had to pay price.
Since I pay bills,
when current isn't properly
distributed and I suffer consequences
I've to report it
but report to whom ?
Depending on what I see, myself.
as a client
of the NSE,
there's a disorder
in general administration.
There's no order.
There's no control.
There's no organization.
We've got a historical operator that's the NSE
who has necessary expertise, effectively,
to manage facilities.
Today,
we've got Imboulou, already functional.
we've got Ngo station, Djiri station,
where--
agents of National Society of Electricity
deploy to try--
in maximum of themselves,
to satisfy--
populations.
I don't know if people running this company
realize the real problem, that's going on in the company.
The real problem.
It's the foundation and skill--
of the company. We need to rebuild the company.
The company was founded on ethnic basis and other.
The NSE has necessary skills,
Congo, in general, is full of skills.
I believe that
the NSE will be--
able to rise the challenge,
to accompany,
precisely, President of Republic--
to realize this energetic boulevard.
Despite these histories,
the NSE is trying to supply us with current.
Well, it's okay, but--
There's still load shedding in some places.
Because--
we see current in some areas, not others.
Some days, we must receive current,
but instead of that, we're private 3 to 4 days.
Others get it and we don't.
While we're supposed to get some.
With the NSE, we've this kind of problems.
When we report to management,
they tell us, we don't have to deal with
It's up to them to do it. That's all !
The company you're talking about
is called
NSE
National Society of Electricity
It's her mission
to monitor
electricity situation throughout Brazzaville.
It's the one who handles this problem.
It's the one that distributes.
electricity to all houses in Brazzaville.
The task is huge. The task is colossal.
Today, we've got many difficulties.
in production
and supply of electrical energy.
which are essentially linked to our past.
This means that in past,
we haven't invested a lot in this domain,
in energy domain,
mainly.
The oldest investments
were made in years 84-85.
It was at this time that--
we upgraded
Moukoukoulou power plant
created transport lines from Moukoukoulou to Pointe-Noire
and from Moukoukoulou to Brazzaville.
and then an energy transport line from Kinshasa
to Brazzaville. By doing so,
we've only circulated energy
in about a third of country's territory.
So today,
in terms of production,
we've multiplied the country's production capacity
by almost five times.
For requirements estimated
at 300 megawatts,
the Congo produces around 600 megawatts.
Exactly,
590 megawatts.
To achieve these goals which are part of Millennium goals
for development.
We decided
to increase considerably production
to create, a main framework--
of electrical transport,
which should leave from south to north of country.
That's what president of republic--
commonly--
wanted to call
national energetic boulevard.
I've always lived in big cities
Agglomerations bustling of life,
centralizing authorities,
administrations,
large companies
and cultural influence.
This bulimia, whether in Paris,
New York or Montreal,
not mean that these mastodonts represent
a whole country.
There's beyond large urban centers, villages and countryside,
our agricultural lungs,
generous in raw materials.
And like other metropolises, Brazzaville isn't Congo.
I've got to find out, what happens in rest of country.
In doing so,
it's my ancestors land that I'll travel through,
The cradle of mine
that I will see as never before.
Djiri station has a large capacity.
We've got
2 transformers of 45 megawatts
Djiri station can serve
a load of 90.
It means that in Brazzaville,
we're able to take Brazzaville charge
at least 80%.
Control of station begins with the room. Control room.
It's in this room,
where're carried out all operations of command.
To see maneuvers,
we've got a view of entire station.
and even from this "Scada"
we can operate, make maneuvers
on any equipment in station.
We went to binding room.
In this room are located all equipment of protection
of network.
So, each station--
has this equipment.
Taking case of Djiri station
with Ngo station,
when there's a fault on the line
both stations
can see this fault from--
this equipment.
We've got an interconnection station
located in Ngo.
The energy that leaves Imboulou first arrives
at Ngo station.
We're in Plateaux department.
more precisely in Ngo district.
The station is located 9 km
from Ngo district,
in a village called Ebou.
We've got 2 buildings.
Building A,
we started in room of control.
In room of control, we've got a whole device
intelligent.
called "Scada"
which supervises and controls
the equipments
and network behavior.
There's Scada 1, Scada 2, Scada 3, and we've got computer of the engineer
To avoid any false maneuvers,
there's a whole software, a system.
We introduce maneuvers beforehand
in a device called "5 prevention"
then we go into park
and we try to make maneuvers.
After that, we went into binding room.
The binding room it's brain of the station
because it's the one who controls all station.
If there's a fault,
it's the one who reacts
it gives instructions to circuit breaker
to open or close. It's brain of the station.
All Imboulou production arrives by the station of Ngo.
It's at station of Ngo that we make the distribution
towards the different stations.
We send to Gamboma, 220 Kilovolts.
To Djiri--
220 Kilovolts.
and also to Djambala, 110 Kilovolts.
that's the particularity of this station.
And us, from Djiri,
we inject in Brazzaville passing through
the high-voltage station of Tsielampo,
including departures that we take
from the station here
in 30,000 and 20 kilovolts.
We often make a rush,
towards the hours
of night, 7pm.
We reach up to 90 mega,
sometimes, we can exceed 90 mega.
Djiri station,
in its constitution,
we're able
to serve the whole load of Brazzaville.
But for now,
we're serving districts
of Talangaï
districts of--
of Nkombo
just around Djiri.
We've got a certain abundance of energy.
until today,
Brazzaville doesn't take, totally, this load that we produce.
We really have energy in abundance.
Some people will say that Imboulou works
but in Brazzaville we haven't electricity.
It's the technic, it comes step by step.
but soon--
this problem will be resolved.
Major investments have been implemented.
Congo has invested more than 3,000 billion
of CFA francs, including
projects of electricity.
And today,
it's starting to feel.
We no longer have a deficit at all
in terms of the electricity production
and then--
we've got
cities in northern part of the country
that have never had electricity
since Independence
and which are today supplied
24 hours a day.
That's our response, which is--
to increase production
and ensure that
distribution networks are upgraded
and expanded.
A production and an extension
l've talked about effects with some villagers of Ngo
curious to know their feelings on this subject.
We live here.
I'm a cook and we've got current.
We've got a freezer that allows to sell beer.
We're fine.
We've got current 24 hours a day.
Before, it was only in evening and we've got current.
We're good,
there's current.
We can sell even until 10pm, 11pm
and we go home.
We're happy.
Before, current arrival,
I started with generator set.
But with generator set, there're always
many difficulties.
Sometimes breakdowns,
sometimes days, when you can't work,
we've got to go to Brazzaville to repair.
Now, for the moment,
As there's current. That's why,
i'm saying that current came
to relieve us.
In our country. It's surprising.
It's the first time we've seen current.
We've been in dark and things work out.
Now, kids are studying,
Those in school can study at night.
We're good,
compared to what we've been before.
We're serene.
The road is long to the north,
to this city that will receive permanent electricity.
The road is dangerous also,
as witnessed by this rubble truck
whose journey ends on edge of national road.
and fortunately without making a victim.
But road.
The road continues,
crossing villages where sometimes, I stop
to discover and admire
exceptional flora,
to observe wild fauna,
and at times, I let myself taste some fruits
abundant
and juicy that rich trees allow to pick
In a market place,
where local products rhyme with flavor and authenticity.
I take a moment and observe villagers,
just as, I see what a river's waters can offer in fish
and equatorial forest dense,
hide in bushmeat.
Mother Nature is generous with many peoples,
and in Republic of Congo,
she doesn't let anyone starve to death.
I was born here
in Boundji.
Since
1924
So, I'm the local veteran.
In Boundji, there wasn't
intense light.
We want
well
light up.
day and night.
Electricity as anywhere in world
has always been
a factor and remains
a factor
important
Electricity drives us to development.
Stimulates us.
Precisely, we can't be
like before.
Everything changes
and
even the vision of life
changes.
For us
it's
it's a relief.
It's a plus. It's a plus.
Yes.
Hello ! Imboulou power station ?
This is Mr. Ibarra, head of deployment, from Boundji.
I'm calling to let you know that we're soon
to start maneuvers
of taking charge in Boundji.
Be alert to follow any--
disturbances that might eventually occur.
Now that everything is prepared
do you think there's still something
to check or control ?
The Chinese intervened in Congo
since a long time,
in production
in construction of power production facilities.
Firstly,
Congolese work alone
to draw up terms of references and specifications,
then participates in the follow-up
of the works and control of the works.
And then
in the packages, in the packages of--
of its contracts, it's planned
a training session,
which participates
Congolese engineers
Congolese technicians
and then allow them to take charge
the facilities.
These Congolese,
hand-in-hand with Chinese,
are execute--
what we call the accompaniment part,
which means that Chinese are accompanying Congolese
and then Chinese
will break away, will leave
Congolese will remain to manage facilities.
The first time, I saw Chinese here,
when they saw me speaking Chinese,
they asked me questions about my country,
saying that--
our country is still backwards,
what we've got is more than that.
I said yes, but
you're lucky
to be in advance, because in' 80
you weren't like that.
So us, today,
we've chosen
to come to you.
That's why, you come to help us build Congo.
They're very happy
to help us
do this kind of work.
In any case, they're very happy.
In Djiri, for example, at dispatching,
when we're done, they've made party
for that.
It wasn't for them, but for us that they celebrated.
Communication between workers
Congolese, working with Chinese
They've--
created a language to them
it's a kind of slang.
A slang mixed with Chinese and Lingala.
Often, when most people today speak that language,
when they're talking with a Chinese, it mixes up like that.
Sign language didn't work well enough.
It was only to imagine words.
Then, they took some words from us,
some from them
and they formed a sentence.
When you're going to give us orders
then we can already do maneuvers there
to supply the line.
Yes ! We'll give you orders.
We're done with that current stuff.
Current is coming in villages.
- Today current is stable. - At any moment you've it.
Watch out ! Imboulou current is in Boundji.
No matter, 6 am to 6 pm. Here's the current.
- Even at 2 pm you're supplied. - Afternoons, there'll still be.
You hold the house wall, you feel current.
Before, city's power supply
was served by a thermal unit,
which operated
from 6 pm to 11 pm.
As well,
public lighting
than household lighting.
This work plan,
as you know,
causes problems
for the population,
which means that
that we've lived through a lot of uncertainty
because we couldn't supply as we wanted,
fearing that damage, immediately,
of course, destroy food supplies.
Here we're at 30, 20 Kilovolts of Boundji city.
We're going to show you that current is here.
And we've got,-
with all the respect, we owe you,
for the respect of authority,
expressly, we showed you the line
and difficulties we've encountered.
You saw how we bypassed the line
and for us, who grew up in Boundji,
there was water there, we couldn't get through it,
and there was no one there
who lived there.
If we showed it to you, it's because
we must take precautions, as authority of the state,
to protect us the section of line.
- Corridor - Corridor of line.
Because someone is going to claim to be a landowner
as now, we can build on water
the line, we're gonna say the NSE had no right.
people will set up under the line,
tomorrow lightning falls, we'll say, it's the NSE.
We might want to enlarge the line, because it can be doubled.
You see current, we've followed arrives here.
and this line is already under tension.
You notice, that there's no noise.
So, they can't tell us that--
we fooled, it's Boundji's generator that works.
There's no noise.
We're going to see our current coming from Imboulou
has no noise too.
It's just a relief.
It's a relief for population
of Boundji.
It's a relief
I think
and all Congolese also think, that in future,
we won't have to endure
these--
these decibels of--
of generator set, that bothers us,
even if it gives us, it produces electricity
but it bothers us
more.
We said, that current coming in over there,
and here's
the cell coming in, and proves that current has arrived.
You see buttons are red.
We closed breaker of incoming lines.
we can see that all lines are different.
When it's not yet closed,
it's yellow,
but as it's red,
we've got in this room
the arrival on this busbar.
30 Kilovolts,
current of Imboulou.
Here's the material proof of the current arrival
With supply of the city in energy,
life in Boundji will no--
no longer be as the one we've
experienced in the past.
Press it down and let go.
The perennial light.
Tonight, it gathers at market place of Boundji
and motorcycle taxis know they're going to turn
until late in the event
Because, it's a special night.
The first where streetlights and all city lights will shine.
without worrying about its abundance.
No matter the hour,
or that a load shedding plunges households
into the dark.
Tonight, families,
sitting in front of a television screen,
have the assurance
that programs will not be disrupted.
Likewise, little girls know that it's now possible
to play,
laugh and grow
under protective lighting.
This modernity comes alongside
Congolese tradition,
which no one wanted to miss vigil.
Congo is built on water.
We've got water everywhere, a lot of rivers.
Hydraulic potentialities, which are--
very important.
This means that,
first and foremost,
we first seek
to exploit
deposits
of hydroelectricity that may exist.
We seek first, to produce hydroelectric energy.
Comes in second place,
solar energy.
So, we value it to maximum.
A lot of studies are being done to that end.
And all these energies are,
not only cheap,
but also very ecological.
Solar panels are on both sides house,
but for a while we saw that solar panels were
too expensive, because we had
to watch out,
exactly, for batteries,
which--
ran out and which
damaged
quickly.
And we wished,
we wanted,
well,
to be connected
to the NSE.
So--
For the past two days, we've got current
coming from the electric dam
of Imboulou.
It's a great joy.
The merchants
had a lot of difficulties, indeed,
to sustain their activities.
Likewise, we couldn't attend--
to emergence, real, of small trades,
in terms of craftsmanship.
Simply because
small generators set cannot
withstand this load, especially for welders.
It's therefore difficult, very difficult for them
to be operational and to live
truly from their work.
With supply by the dam of Imboulou
everyone can, really get
to work.
The plant of Imboulou.
It's only the water,
who has to supply, who has to run the turbine,
to get the light ?
That's really
innovation.
The sun shines around the world
as a glimmer lights the hope.
And while water flows, brightly lighted by its rays,
in Congo, we're betting on low impact energies
on the environment.
The hydroelectric plant of Imboulou
was handed
to the management of the NSE.
It's the National Society of Electricity
which manages this plant.
The task entrusted to us is a task
huge.
Compare hydroelectric plant of Imboulou
with existing plants
in our country,
here, we've put a lot more
informatics.
As these are new technologies,
it's already a great constraint for us.
That's why, that in our wishes,
we've always asked central administration
to always think about--
to upgrade
technicians who work here.
The benefit for this Imboulou project,
it's that it was a school project.
While,
we're in the civil engineering phase
we'd already,
chosen a certain technicians,
who'd to work in the operation of this plant.
During this phase,
they underwent many training courses abroad
and they received additional training on site.
Here in Imboulou,
inaugurated in May 2011,
the work of Sino-Congolese cooperation
launched in 2005
is a huge undertaking that impresses me.
I get lost in these bowels
controlled by high-tech electronics
where empty space is sometimes occupied
by heavy machinery
from which escapes in all directions
pressure pipes.
I'm discovering the plant behind the scenes
and for me, it's like diving into a crystal ball,
letting see the electrified future in one part of the country.
However,
rising above greenish waters of Lefini River,
14 km from confluence with the Congo River,
the dam makes controversy.
Many people don't understand
what's hydroelectric plant of Imboulou.
We had a lot of visitors,
who didn't expect
to see this complex
in working order.
And they've always been our spokespersons
to tell people who don't believe
in this reality
that, indeed, Imboulou is a reality.
We do our production work.
We produce
and we deliver to the transport network.
People need to know that the plant is operating normally.
It produces electricity.
The rest, the distribution,
it's up to consumer centers to explain, why they can't--
meet population's needs.
Some of these needs can be met by the 4 Imboulou turbines
able to deliver a total output of 120 megawatts.
I will be specified that they produce every year--
about 876 Gigawatts
per hour of electricity.
Before Imboulou was built
Brazzaville depended on 80%--
of the electricity in Kinshasa.
You know ?
We're always in load shedding.
When this project
was in full realization,
everyone felt
liberated
from this suffering, this continual sorrow.
We're at Imboulou inauguration
We always hear about
We talk about it in Brazzaville
but we don't see effects or current of Imboulou.
Imboulou, seeing megawatts and turbines, they talked about,
we should have been flooded with current,
but so far it's the opposite.
even when, the minister talk onTV.
They tells us what isn't fair
about what we're going through daily.
This dam.
Chinese are taking care of it.
It's said that there are 2 turbines to set up
but the first one doesn't work yet.
We're waiting current from Imboulou.
If he comes, maybe we'll celebrate.
I heard there's some on Nkombo's side.
but on our side in Talangaï there's nothing.
We hope that with time,
if things go well we could get current.
We're waiting for the NSE.
Its reaction.
Because, there's promises.
They promise us. After Imboulou,
current will be stable in Brazzaville
but not only in Brazzaville,
there will also be Pointe-Noire and other cities.
But how long should we hope for ?
That's the question, if I can return it to you.
How long can we hope ?
I don't know,
but let's continue to hope, because
it's still the Congo,
we must continue to hope.
Negative perception is a normal thing.
Starving belly has no ears.
The customer who doesn't receive electricity
in good conditions, good quality electricity,
and permanently, can only be dissatisfied.
So. Now, we're working
on modernization,
renovation and extension of the distribution networks
in main cities Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.
These are fairly advanced projects.
We're working to solve
all the problems,
to eliminate phenomena as load shedding,
lack of electricity or recurrent cuts.
But when you take areas as--
a city as Boundji
or a city like Oyo,
Electricity problems
don't practically exist,
and its cities,
it's now that they discover,
the pleasure,
the taste,
the possibility
of having a perennial energy.
and to be able to spark the development.
it's going to look like this.
In case of the two big cities, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire,
things will improve considerably,
I think maybe even
for the most part, the majority
of bad effects
due to lack of electricity,
unreliability--
of the electricity service
will disappear.
Road is still long and full of pitfalls,
before electricity boils in Republic of Congo.
Before its people won battle for its access.
and that one day,
we can only evoke it as a history of its past.
It must be said that
the arrival or electrification
of the Congo
as--
everyone wishes,
it's--
a moment, it's a chance
for Congolese
to--
to develop,
and the reading I can make,
it's that of saying that,
even wishing
that the whole Congo
would be connected
to sustainable electricity,
to sustainable electricity,
in order
that all activities
that we could
undertake
could succeed
and for the well-being
of the Congolese that we're.
What Congolese must do,
it's to understand what they're.
It's to understand
and know
the others.
It's having the love of the people.
It's having the love
of their country.
It's having love from where they're,
and
prioritizing the work,
having the will,
and facing the destiny.
The destiny, it's the future.
And this future for us to be able to build it,
we've to think about
life today.
Today's life is about trying to organize everything.
The electricity
is the only way
where
we can
make Congo an emerging country by 2025.
That's why president, government
must think about it,
to do
everything possible
to resolve this situation.
I'm counting on that.
To me, it will be good.
I'd be proud of my country.
this problem
will pass, it will pass.
The days go by, the years pass and
things get better and better.
It's gonna be okay.
Runway 23 R
of Maya-Maya airport
a few minutes from my return to Paris.
and I can't stop thinking about my last days trip,
those spent in Pool region,
in south of country,
region where mine are from,
land where part of my education comes from.
I became the man I'm partly as a result of those
who walked on this ground.
And while, I watch Brazzaville march by,
I consider myself both lucky and sad.
Lucky because I've been enlightened every day
and night of my life.
Sad because in Congo electricity problems persist,
but when I see each one of Congolese
who told me their story and their difficulties,
difficulties they've in common,
difficulties in which they remain positive,
wishing to change
what's negative to improve country.
I tell myself,
there's no fatality in this situation.
For my part,
I learned that to know where you're going,
you've got to know where you come from.
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