Membership Meeting 2015

At the beginning of the well attended membership meeting, the president of the association „Licht für Afrika“, Valentin Schnitzer, welcomed members and guests in the Bammental restautant „Pavarotti“. After the report of the management and the report of the cashier, both's actions were formally approved on the proposition by Mrs. Rehfuß. The members expressed their satisfaction with the management's performance by acclamation. After the report of the secretary the president gave an overview over the projects in Tanzania.

The cooperation in Tanzania was strengthened by visits and project missions.

We have received the request for a turbine-driven pumping station for the water supply of the Ipamba Hospital; this takes place within the Tosamaganga project in which we support the energy supply and equipment for years already. Besides the hospital, an annexed orphanage, a nurse school and living quarters for the personnel shall be supplied. The association has submitted a project plan and is waiting for a response.

After the breakdown of our Kindimba pilot plant generator, the association last year has airmailed a replacement to Tanzania and additionally ordered Mr. Godfrey, our local expert, to relaunch the installation. The association has no news yet, but assumes that the installation cannot be reset in operation before the connection to the four village-parts will be on its way. But the financial approval by the REA (Rural Energy Agency) is still pending.

The John Fute Hydro Centre, our partner in the Njombe region, has expanded its own installations and started new further projects with new partner villages.

The cooperation with GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) paved the way for the assignment and financing of a coordinator also responsible for the association projects and for John Fute. This coordinator will be assigned to the local diocese development society; thus he will coordinate small hydropower projects of the diocese as well. During his visit to Bammental we had the opportunity to meet the candidate for this assignment, Mr. Gregor Probst, who had previously accompanied Mr. Klaus Teege in Tanzania. At the moment GIZ is about to assess the assignment and open a procurement by tender - which will take some months' time. Nevertheless, the association is confident to be able to assign a coordinator starting summer 2015. This should improve the efficiency of the projects with John Fute and the communication with the association.

The now commenced installations are designed to be equipped as grain mills first, and in a second stage, when the communities will be organized and earn money, to supply electricity. The association will try to repair the defects in the existing installations. Promising development becoming apparent here, the association will support about eight projects of Mr. John Fute, even though cooperation with him remains somewhat difficult.

Subsequently Mr. Teege gave a slide presentation about his time as a senior-expert in Tanzania from November 12 until December 16 of 2014, having visited projects on behalf of the association. Giving some insights into the local project work, he confirmed both parties' cooperation difficulties, mentioned before by the president in his report.

The presentation was followed by a vivid discussion. Finally Mr. Valentin Schnitzer thanked Mr. Teege for his informative presentation and closed the membership meeting.

In addition we have to mention that we could meet the women's representative, Mrs. Huruma Komba, having accompanied the bishop of the Mbinga diocese during his visit in Germany in autumn 2014. On this occasion was aggreed that she will visit Litembo and Kindimba in order to report to the association, how the local women can be supported by small loans.

Moreover we plan a third „Africa Festivity“ for 2015 September 12 in and around the TC-Hall.