BEIJING, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A report by China Report Magazine on POWERCHINA’s CSR actions in Southeast Africa.
“Welcome to the heart of power, the heart of energy, the source of energy. Thank you, the days and nights I worked here have kept my heart in my thoughts,” Shangwaya Reuben, an employee of Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) Zambian branch, sang.
Reuben has been working for the company for nearly 10 years. Although he is not very eloquent, he has put his respect for Chinese people and love for POWERCHINA into the song, which not only expresses the feeling of gratitude of millions of Zambians, but also highlights the valuable friendship between the two peoples.
As the first large-scale hydropower project developed by the Zambian Government over the past 40 years, the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station (KGL) is a symbol of cooperation between China and Zambia. The plant will increase Zambia’s power supply capacity by about 38 percent after its completion, and will promote development in various areas.
Having operated in Zambia for more than 20 years, POWERCHINA has been building high-quality projects, while fulfilling social responsibility and giving back to local communities.
Since the very beginning, cement, steel , diesel and other raw materials for the project have been supplied locally, which has boosted the demand in the local building materials market and generated more than 10,000 local jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.
Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu made several visits to the site of construction during his tenure. He said China has provided great help to Zambia in capital and technology for both KGL and Kariba Hydropower Station, and thanked the Chinese Government for its long-term support to Zambia.
Since its entry into the African market, POWERCHINA has contributed to fighting epidemics, disaster rescue and relief, social welfare, among others.
On April 8, 2020, a donation ceremony was held in the Ministry of Health of Uganda, where POWERCHINA Ugandan branch handed over food supplies including corn flour and cooking oil, emergency communication equipment, as well as 50 million Ugandan shillings in cash to the Ugandan side.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni spoke highly of the donation and praised the construction of the 600 MW Karuma Hydropower Plant & Its Associated Transmission Line Works by POWERCHINA in a nationally televised speech.
Museveni said after the completion of the project, the annual power generation capacity of Uganda will increase to 1,868 megawatts, which can meet the needs for the country’s economic development and accelerate its industrialization process.
In the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, just like the Ugandan branch, branches of POWERCHINA in other African countries including Zimbabwe, the Republic of the Congo and Mozambique also responded quickly and made donations to the local communities.
The younger generation is essential to the development of China-Africa relations. On May 31, 2019, POWERCHINA Mozambican branch organized an activity at the Sunshine Coast Primary School, donating footballs, school bags, workbooks, pencils and other stationery items.
In early April 2019, a village road funded by POWERCHINA Mozambican branch was completed. “They built this road because of their love for the kids and they are genuinely trying to help us,” school principal Silvestre Magaia said, adding that the road has provided great convenience for the nearby residents, especially the teachers and students.
