Upholding Responsibility
Power Construction Corporation of China fulfills social responsibility in southeast Africa
Welcome to the heart of power, the heart of energy, the source of energy. Thank you, the days and nights I worked here have kept my heart in my thoughts…” Shangwaya Reuben, an employee of Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) Zambian Branch, sang.
Reuben has been working for the company for nearly 10 years. Although he is not very eloquent, he has put his respect for Chinese people and love for POWERCHINA into the song, which not only expresses the feeling of gratitude of millions of Zambian people, but also vividly highlights the valuable friendship between the two peoples.
As the first large-scale hydropower project developed by the Zambian Government over the past 40 years, the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station (KGL) manifests friendship and cooperation between China and Zambia. The plant will increase Zambia’s power supply capacity by about 38 percent after its completion, and will promote development in various areas.
Having operated in Zambia for more than 20 years, POWERCHINA has been building high-quality projects, while also actively fulfilling social responsibility and giving back to local communities.
Since the very beginning, cement, steel, fly ash, diesel and other raw materials for the project have been supplied locally, which has greatly boosted the demand in the local building materials market and generated more than 10,000 local jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.
Zambian President Edgar Lungu has made several visits to the site of construction. He said China has provided great help to Zambia in terms of capital and technology for both KGL and Kariba Hydropower Station, and thanked the Chinese Government for its long-term support to the Zambian side in all aspects, hoping that KGL will serve as a new milestone for Zambia-china friendship.
Since its entry into the African market, POWERCHINA has always fulfilled its social responsibility and contributed to fighting epidemics, disaster rescue and relief, social welfare, among others.
Combating COVID-19
On April 8, 2020, a donation ceremony was held in the Ministry of Health of Uganda, where POWERCHINA Ugandan branch handed over food supplies including corn flour and cooking oil, emergency communication equipment, as well as 50 million Ugandan shillings in cash to the Ugandan side.
Ugandan Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng expressed gratitude to POWERCHINA for the donation, while showing her admiration for China’s success in fighting the epidemic. The generous donation to help the government and people of Uganda to fight the epidemic shows the close and friendly brotherhood between the two countries, Aceng said.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni also spoke highly of the donation and praised the construction project of the
600 MW Karuma Hydropower Plant & Its Associated Transmission Line Works built by POWERCHINA in a nationally televised speech on the day.
Museveni said after the completion of the project, the annual power generation capacity of Uganda will increase to 1,868 megawatts, which can meet the needs for the country’s economic development and accelerate its industrialization process.
In the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, just like the Ugandan branch, branches of POWERCHINA in other African countries including Zimbabwe, the Republic of the Congo and Mozambique also responded quickly and actively made donations to the local communities.
While completing their own work, Chinese workers and technical experts worked hand in hand with the African friends to combat the virus, contributing to the fight in their host countries.
Volunteering on the way
On July 25, 2020, a cargo ship with about 4,000 tons of fuel oil in its tanks ran aground off the southeastern coast of Mauritius, with the hull damaged and fuel leaked. If it was not effectively dealt with in time, it would cause serious pollution in the marine ecosystem and pose a serious threat to local food security and economic development.
Upon the request of the Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, POWERCHINA Mauritian branch dispatched a team of 14 employees from local projects to the seriously polluted area to support the oil spill cleanup. By August 13, 2020, the volunteer team had successfully deployed more than 1,000 meters of oil booms and set up more than 100 square meters of safety nets.
Local residents expressed their gratitude to the team for their efforts and provided food and water. “We are very touched that so many Chinese friends are helping us in the first place, and we express our heartfelt thanks to all of you,” Bhojrajsingh Napaul, a local resident, said.
Caring for children
The younger generation is essential to the development of China-africa relations. Getting involved with them, listening to them, and caring for them is a key part of fulfilling the social responsibility for Chinese enterprises in Africa.
On May 31, 2019, POWERCHINA Mozambican branch organized an activity at the Sunshine Coast Primary School, donating footballs, school bags, workbooks, pencils and other stationery items on the eve of International Children’s Day on June 1.
In addition to expressing his gratitude at the donation ceremony, Silvestre Magaia, the principal of the school, also wrote a letter expressing deep appreciation for the construction of a road in the area that opened to traffic just two months ago.
Road connecting hearts
In early April 2019, the village road funded by POWERCHINA Mozambican branch was officially completed. It starts at a roundabout near the Pescadores Hospital and goes straight to the Sunshine Coast Primary School, with a total length of 850 meters.
“They built this road through to the school because of their love for the kids and they are genuinely trying to help us,” Magaia said, adding that the road has provided great convenience for the nearby residents, especially the teachers and students.
With the improvement in traffic conditions, roadside vendors have increased gradually. “Whether it is morning or evening, we can see people enjoying the convenience of the road,” said Zhang Yuanli, Office Director of POWERCHINA Mozambican branch.
During the month before the donation ceremony, many areas in Mozambique were hit by a strong tropical cyclone and the sequent heavy rainfall for days, resulting in interruption in electricity, water supply, communication and transportation.
In the face of the disaster, POWERCHINA Mozambican branch immediately organized its staff to assist with the disaster relief work: two 550-kilowatt and one 1,300-kilowatt power generators were deployed to Beira City to run the water supply system; and Chinese technicians and emergency vehicles were dispatched to the severely affected areas to carry out rescue operations and ensure smooth road traffic.
Meanwhile, upon the request of the Chinese Embassy in Mozambique, the branch organized Chinese enterprises to donate $30,000 to the Mozambican Government to provide financial assistance to the affected people.
Upholding the concept of truthfulness and sincerity, POWERCHINA is connecting one road after another in the vast land of Africa, which helps improve the lives of local residents, promotes people-to-people contact between China and Africa, and contributes to building an even closer Chinaafrica community with a shared future.