Emergency Appeal: South Africa Power Shortage

Dear Supporters,

In March 2020 the GVI Trust funded and installed solar panels at a rural school in Zimbabwe, a great step to move towards renewable energy and environmentally friendly solutions to power schools. Thus, it takes a holistic approach to tackle climate change, something our project partners are well aware of.

Zimbabwe is currently experiencing extensive load shedding across the country, some parts which do not have power for 17 hours per day. And when the power is on, it is normally only during the evening between 10pm and 5am in the morning. For conditions like that, it is essential to have a complimentary power source which works independent of the government's power supply; especially to cater for emergency use of supplies and resources. 

The GVI Trust has for the last quarter been assisting a school in rural Chivi to independently be able to generate an income so that the school can buy the resources they need, without relying on foreign donations. The school has, with the support of GVI Trust and our partners, developed a fishpond which is not only going to make it possible to harvest fish to sell and eat, but be able to supply the school garden with nutritious water to save on water supply and contribute to high yields of crops. To be able to implement such an effective and sustainable process, we wanted to ensure that it was environmentally friendly from start to finish. As the fishpond is in need of a water pump to be able to pump the water through the garden and back again to the pump, there needs to be a reliable and green source of power. In a sunny and dry country like Zimbabwe, the obvious option was to install a solar panel which was not only going to ensure that the water pump was working, but that the school had one secure power outlet to be able to charge devices for emergencies

Whilst the solar panel is going to be an essential for the school to be able to sell and generate funding, much more power is needed to be able to ensure that the school can run a computer lab and potentially a kitchen. We are therefore reaching out to our loyal supporters to ensure that this, and more schools get the opportunity to benefit from green power. The school and the GVI Trust are so grateful for all your donations and for staying with us during these difficult times. Your contribution makes a direct difference in our beneficiaires life, and in making sure that we are looking after our planet!

With Gratitude,

Africa Transitioning Renewable Energy