04 APR 2011: A new electricity supply is switched on in Kapoeta, South Sudan.
MAF assisted in bringing this key development to the market town. Situated in the Eastern Equatoria region, Kapoeta is a frequent destination for the regular MAF flights connecting Lokichoggio, northern Kenya, with Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The new electrical generation and distribution system was opened in the presence of officials from the Government of South Sudan, USAID and NRECA International.
The residents of Kapoeta were jubilant, welcoming this new era to their hometown previously devastated by years of civil war.
NRECA, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, has pioneered and developed rural electrification systems in over 42 countries, sharing lessons learned from power generation and distribution in rural USA. Several of their staff have flown with MAF as they have overseen the construction, and held comprehensive training programmes to ensure that local people can effectively operate and administer the new utility.
Many of the small businesses working in Kapoeta were using expensive and unreliable diesel generators. The new system is more efficient and dependable, providing households access to electricity for lighting and refrigeration, and giving children the chance to study and read at night.