Pray for people effected by electricity prices in Zambia

Below is an excerpt from a recent blog post from mission partners Keith and Ida Waddell.

Ida works as a nurse in a mission hospital, predominantly in HIV/AIDS care.

It costs approximately £20,000 per year for Mission Partners to serve in different parts of the world. Thank you for your giving to the World Mission Fund which enables this essential work to continue.

We are at present working to try and reduce the hospital’s electricity bill. ZESCO the national energy company has increased electricity prices for consumers by substantial amounts over the past two years. There was a 40% rise in August 2010; this followed an earlier 35% hike in the same year and they will be permitted to raise them again. We are trying to get all areas of the mission metered separately. The school has already been done and this week the first classroom block of the high school will be electrified.

We know that carbon emissions and global warming are linked and there are worries here that the rising cost of electricity will force many more people to start using the cheapest source of energy – charcoal. This already is a curse and is being produced on too large a scale and is leading in many areas to serious deforestation. It is totally unsustainable as there is no re-forestation to replace the trees cut down. You can clearly observe the effects on our road from Livingstone to the Western Province border at Kasaya, where recently a number of settlements have been established. The forest alongside the road is being cleared at an alarming rate and the resulting sacks of charcoal are piled high at the roadside for sale. Fortunately, our Chief is enlightened and has banned charcoal production in his District.

Please pray for them!