Power Up Gambia

I got a chance to talk to Kathryn Cunningham about her project - Power Up Gambia. It was an hour long interview which took place on SARFM radio. Gambia, is a country which is often times associated with Senegal because of their close proximity, but unlike Senegal where the official language is French, the official language in Gambia is English. Power shortages is often seen as a norm in many homes but often times people do not think about the impact of power shortages in the hospital setting where the lack of electricity often leads to a loss of lives. Kathryn watched many lives lost when she worked at the Sulayam Jungkung Hospital in the Gambia and this pushed her to start Power up Gambia with the aim to raise funds to provide solar panels for a hospital in Gambia. She started working on this project when she was twenty years old (20). This is her story!

What actually took you to Gambia?

I was a premed student at Penn. I was really interested in doing volunteer work in Africa just to get involved. I applied to a program called Operation Cross Trek Africa out of New York. So I sent in an application and they told me that they were going to place me at a hospital in the Gambia , West Africa for two months.

What was your first impression of the Gambia?

I was a naïve American who had never been to Africa. I was expecting to see poverty, the things you see in the news. I met very happy people , very warm, who greeted everyone, who cooked a magnificent meal for everyone in the group. It really was the best welcome I have had anywhere.

What is the story behind your site (www.powerupgambia.org)?

After we pulled up to the hospital - I was actually disappointed at the time that I will be spending there. We have nineteen buildings, more than two hundred medical staff so I felt that they didn’t need my help, it took me a few days to realize that they do need me. I realized that the hospital does struggle because of the result of lack of constant electricity. They have three generators and two of them are broken and they couldn’t afford to run the third generator for more than eight hours a day. There were many moments through out my time when this resonated with me. One of them was when I was in an operating room observing an emergency C-section and they took the baby out and the baby couldn’t make it. If they had the electricity to do the surgery earlier in the day, the baby would have survived - that is if they had the ultrasound machine on, that baby might have survived. There was a situation in which a woman needed blood, without the refrigerator to store the blood, the lady had to rely on a live transfusion.

Why do you think that the Gambian Government isn’t involved in this issue? I mean ensuring that there is constant electricity in facilities that deals with human lives?

The government actually gives the hospital about 300,000 dollars every year. We are talking about a huge amount of capital up front. They have to pay for the drugs, medical supplies, salaries, up keep of the facility. It such a huge amount of money upfront. But the government will be maintaining the panel.

Do you think that the government has the ability to maintain this panels? Is there a culture of maintenance in the Gambia?

We have been very careful about that. We do not want to install panels and walk away. We are determined not to be one of those projects. The infrastructure exists for electricity to keep going. The hospital will employ two people to ensure that these panels are maintained.

What exactly is a solar panel? How does it work?

It is a huge micro crystalline sheet that turns sunlight into electricity.

Why do you think that many governments in West Africa aren’t turning to solar panels as an alternative and cheaper source of electricity?

I think it is because solar panels are recently gaining credibility. It has been around for a long time - just recently the price has started to come down, now it is going to be less expensive. Solar is perfect in homes, hospitals and schools - I think this is really going to take off.

What other issues did you notice in the Gambia?

Electricity was the central issue - everything seemed to come off this issue. There is also a shortage of doctors, specialists, but there are very well educated nurses. The hospital relies almost solely on doctors from different parts of Africa, U.S, Cuba and Taiwan. They really do need the human capital. There is a shortage of resources, you can have the best doctors and electricity but if you don’t have the microscope and ultra sound machine you can’t really do anything.

Didn’t you find life a bit too simple over there? Did you ever feel frustrated when you were in the Gambia?

I am used to running water and electricity but you get used to it. But in the hospital setting this lack can be really bad but I really enjoyed the different pace of life.

How many patients do you think that this hospital loses as a result of this lack?

The hospital sees about 20,000 patients every year - think about all the lifesaving equipments that use electricity. One incubator will save a lot of lives and all the people that need a running oxygen machine to sustain them. I can’t give an exact number of how many people we’ve lost. All I can say is so many people have lost their lives as a result of lack of electricity.

How much are you looking to raise and how much have you raised so far?

We started this project in October 2006 - our goal was to raise 300,000 for this project. As of earlier this week, we have raised 240,000 dollars. We will get there!

What did you do to generate interest in the project - in terms of marketing?

We polled together a group of volunteers. We formed a board of directors. What we have done so far, is that we have people who are interested in supporting power up Gambia and they throw a party, invite their friends and that is a way of reaching out to different groups of people. We rely on the individuals of people to have these Power Up Events.

Have you tried getting the hospitals involved in your project?

There was a newspaper article about our progress in the local papers. A PA (Physician Assistant) read it and decided to join our boards. The PA eventually came with us to the Gambia with two of her friends. They were so impressed with the level of education of the people, as well as the commitment of the people that they started a spin off our project which they called delmedaidforgambia for Delaware physicians and other health professionals. They are recruiting doctors, nurses and physician assistants to volunteer their time. There is a huge buzz at the Christiana Hospital about this project and a lot of med professionals have given equipments etc to the Gambia.

What measures do you have to ensure that the panel isn’t stolen?

The hospital is walled , has 25 guards, anti-theft screws will be used on the panel and we will have a security camera.

Extra:

This is a little excerpt of the interview that took place on Saturday. I feel it is completely amazing what a twenty year old student in Delaware, U.S.A can achieve when she puts her mind to it. Beyond, raising money for this solar panels for the Gambia, she has ignited such interest in Delaware on the Gambia, that little children are giving up their lunch money with hopes to help. As I always say, If a little girl can give up her lunch money for a week because she understands the importance of saving lives via providing constant electricity, then why can’t those with more than lunch money give a bit more towards this project. For some who are inspired by this interview, maybe we can start our own Power Up organization. Can anyone say Power Up Nigeria??