Living with constant power cuts in Central Africa Republic
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00:00 It is 10 o'clock in the Benzvi district.
00:03 Like every morning, Agnes is getting ready for work.
00:07 For two years now, to support herself and her family, she has been selling iced water.
00:13 And to prepare her goods, she only needs water, plastic bags and electricity to freeze them.
00:20 But for some time, her professional activity has been threatened.
00:24 In my old neighbourhood, I had electricity 24 hours a day and my business flourished.
00:29 After my husband died, I moved here.
00:31 We only have three hours of electricity a day, and sometimes power doesn't even come
00:35 for two, three or four days.
00:37 I am completely stuck.
00:40 For the past 10 years, Bangui and its suburbs have been powered by two hydroelectric plants
00:46 located in the north of the capital, providing an average of eight hours of electricity per
00:51 day.
00:52 If we have electricity at 1pm, it cuts at 9pm.
00:57 This has a negative impact on our work and we lose the confidence of our customers.
01:05 To meet this demand, a solar power plant has been built in Sakai, south of Bangui.
01:11 This plant was opened on March 27 this year.
01:17 In Central African Republic, we have a total of 72 megawatts for now.
01:23 We have projects for many hybrid power plants in the towns of Berberati, Bosambile, Bamburi
01:28 and Boer.
01:30 Within three months, these plants will be operational.
01:33 A small industrial revolution for these artisans, both formal and informal, which will also
01:39 benefit the inhabitants of Zongo, a Congolese town located opposite Bangui.
01:45 Three pylons are being built on the Obangi River to interconnect the cities of Bangui
01:51 and Zongo.