Catholic Sisters break ground in orthopedic care in Zambia

By Derrick Silimina

As patients flock to seek orthopedic therapy in a country already grappling with obsolete medical facilities, health care at the St. John Paul II Mission Orthopaedic Hospital is vibrant.

Lumbiwe Mutale, 32, arrived at the hospital with her 10-year-old son. The mother of two brought her son for a checkup at the orthopedic hospital based in Lusaka, Zambia's capital, where he recently underwent knee surgery to treat Osgood-Schlatter disease, an overuse condition or injury of the knee that typically affects kids during their pre-adolescent growth.

"I'm really impressed that my son is able to walk now with ease after his knee proved problematic. This state-of-the-art health facility is indeed a treasure to our country because my son has been treated at no cost, and thank God the sisters are doing a great job." Mutale said.

Long before orthopedic surgery was a priority in the southern African country, schools or institutions managed by sisters for children with disabilities would evacuate patients to Italy for specialized orthopedic treatment, but the humanitarian initiative became unsustainable.

"We started sending our children for surgery to Italy through our sisters' benefactors from Italy, but that proved to be a problem," Sr. Marjory Mwansa told Global Sisters Report. 

Children would stay for six months or more and it was a challenge to return them to their families or provide specialized treatment for them in Zambia, she said.

Mwansa, a member of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi, said the sisters in the 1990s initiated a plan to establish a hospital that could treat children with a variety of life-limiting yet treatable disabilities. Most of these vulnerable children were from the  Kabulonga Cheshire Home in Lusaka, the Dagama School for Physically Disabled Children, Ibenga Girls Secondary School and the Ndola Cheshire Home, all run by the religious sisters.

She said that based on that history, the sisters spoke with their benefactors in Italy, such as the Rotary Club of Italy, and funds were raised to establish an orthopedic hospital in Zambia to treat children in need of orthopedic services.

Mwansa, a physiotherapist by profession, noted that the state-of-the-art medical facility is a beacon of hope among children with disabilities, especially those identified through the sisters' outreach programs who receive free orthopedic services.

"We've been working with Italian doctors and Zambian doctors. The Italian doctors come once in a while, but mostly, we have the Zambian doctors operating on the children," she added.

Mwansa, also administrator at the St. John Paul II Orthopaedic Mission Hospital, stressed that sustainability became a problem, so the missionary sisters at the hospital opened the facility to the public since Zambia then did not have a specialized orthopedic hospital. 

Private patients pay for the service to supplement the surgeries for children with disabilities who get free services.

The hospital has been of great significance to Zambia and other neighboring countries, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi and Tanzania, among others, whose nationals in need of specialized orthopedic services also receive treatment. The hospital also helps patients from outside Africa.

GSR: Tell us about your work and ministry.

Mwansa: When I wake up, I have morning prayers and Mass. On Mondays, there is no breakfast, which means it's straight from Mass into the morning briefing because we have our planning. First, we look at what we did the previous week, then plan for the week. I work with six other sisters and 75 staff members at this medical facility.

When this hospital started in 1995, I came here as a novice. I stayed because I was already trained as a physiotherapist. And then, when I made my vows, I came back to start the Physio Department, but we didn't have enough personnel, so I even used to work during night shifts.

Some of our staff participate in an outreach program with one sister around Zambia to identify children with disabilities so that surgery can be done early because it's difficult to do surgery on some of the children if brought in late.

What other medical services do you offer apart from orthopedic therapy?

We have a lab, an X-ray department, a pharmacy, a theater, physiotherapy, a dental clinic and a restaurant to prepare meals for patients admitted to the wards; those who come just for consultation are seen by the outpatient department.

How does your charism align with vulnerable children?

For me, I feel as a congregation, we are indebted to God because only God brought us here. And so our being part of this institution is not just our own making. God has called us to come and witness. So, it's not so much the surgeries taking place but our witness to the people and the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

How has your ministry evolved with time with your medical practice?

Before I joined the sisters, I was in a group known as the Vacation Club at secondary school. 

And in that club, we looked at careers taken by sisters. Essentially, I wanted to be an accountant or a doctor. As we were sharing during our meetings with the sister who used to come and mentor us, she talked about physiotherapy. I was already exposed to children with disabilities, so I decided to do physiotherapy before I even joined the sisters. They told me that I needed to do nursing, although I don't like wounds. So, I applied to study physiotherapy, and I was accepted.

My passion is to serve, and I respond to what the Lord tells me to do each day when I wake up. My motivation is what I do through prayer every morning to go and serve God's people. It requires a lot of listening to what God is asking of me to go and serve the people since I love children with disabilities.

How many patients have benefited from your medical services?

We attend to many children. From 10 since inception, we have attended to thousands this year alone. From January 2000 to 2024, the total number of patients we've seen was over 22,000, and of that, the children who accessed free services are over 5,000 and that includes the cost of medication.

What challenges do you face in the daily operations of the hospital?

We have some children, apart from any other condition requiring surgery, who have epilepsy, and the drugs are very expensive. Whenever surgeons attend to a disabled child with epilepsy, they have no option but to procure drugs for epilepsy, which are costly, and treat the patient before orthopedic surgery is done.

We no longer receive support from our Italian counterparts for material supplies, medical supplies, equipment and all that. There is no donor funding that comes in. So, this hospital is purely self-sustained, and it's quite challenging because we can't attend to too many patients. As I have said, 5,000 wouldn't be our aim. We may want as much as possible, like, if we see 22,000, we may want to have 10,000 because these numbers are dependent on the private patients and what they are paying to help maintain the hospital. We have to align ourselves to the budget and money is also used to pay our employees' monthly salaries, and we need to pay them a gratuity. We also need to pay utility bills and subscribe to other statutory obligations. 

Zambia totters towards energy poverty

By Derrick Silimina

To observers, it is incomprehensible that countries like Zambia with active perennial waterways such as the Zambezi River sway back and forth on the verge of energy poverty. 

With up to eight hours of rolling blackouts daily, Zesco’s woes have a negative ripple effect locally and on its neighbours who benefit from Zambia’s excess power generation during the bygone times of plenty. 

“The ongoing load shedding programme implemented on March 11, 2024, is a necessary measure to address the national power deficit caused by low generation capacity,” Zesco Managing Director Victor Mapani said recently. 

Mapani hinted that power generation was expected to decrease to 214 megawatts, a significant drop from the 386 megawatts generated in 2023. The decline was attributed to the reduction in water levels at the Kariba Dam. 

Erratic power availability has compelled businesses to go nocturnal, run expensive diesel generators or face bankruptcy. Zesco’s failure to adhere to its load shedding schedule has aggravated matters for small enterprises. 

LOWER 

According to the hydrological outlook at Kariba Dam, the Zambezi River flows at Victoria Falls are significantly lower at 550 cubic metres per second than those recorded on the same date last year at 2,595 cubic metres per second. 

“It should be noted that the lake level is lower during this period than was recorded last year during the same period. Furthermore, the lake level has been receding since the last update of 26th March 2024, dropping from 477.51m to 477.46m recorded on 10th April 2024,” Zambezi River Authority Chief Executive Officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa recently said. 

Feeble attempts by the power utility company to explain the dynamics of low water supplies from the Zambezi River have received little sympathy from electricity-starved citizens. Water led into the turbines is monitored and controlled by the Zambezi River Authority, which is at liberty to limit its flow at will. 

EFFICIENCY

Energy experts say keeping utilities like ZESCO in state hands impedes efficiency, adding that private-public partnerships or outright privatisation are a medium-to-long-term option. 

They observe that it is unlikely that state-owned enterprises can attract enough finance to recapitalize generation equipment and transmission infrastructure considering the woeful record of corporate governance. 

As long as Zambia languishes at the bottom of energy poverty, it will take time to make a strong push towards industrialization. 

In this respect, poverty and darkness beckons. Consequently, there is an increased appetite to invest in alternative sources of renewable energy such as solar for various socio-economic needs.

Zambian dynamo rounds up 60,000 farmers into agribusiness

By Derrick Silimina

Ruth Sibanda is a Zambian who heads the Remnant Farmer, a network of over 60,000 farmers countrywide and abroad including USA and Canada who attend virtual training. 

“I came up with the Remnant Farmer to save farmers that are doing it as a way of living so that they do it as a business. I train Remnant Farmers every day on the cycle of crop production. So we have training in crops, in livestock and in aquaculture to change farmers’ mindsets and connect them to a defined market,” she says. 

She notes that farmers ought to be aware that a hectare of garlic for instance is equal to 14 tons worth of production which can give a farmer K1.2 million cash when one is looking at the venture as a business. 

To demonstrate her worth as a real Remnant Farmer, Sibanda owns three irrigated farms in Lusaka under the umbrella of Remnant Limited Company where she produces garlic, chili, maize and red onion with each crop yielding not less than 50 tons. 

“Most of the time, I must have a defined market before I go into production and so far so good. As of now the market is available but unfortunately, other small scale farmers are unable to meet the local demand,” says Sibanda, 40, a teacher in the Natural Science Department of Lilayi Secondary School of Lusaka since 2006. 

OVERWHELMING 

In 2020, she opened up an out grower scheme after an overwhelming response from Remnant Farmers who are grouped into 10 cooperatives that are spread in each province countrywide. 

In her quest to transform the lives of fellow farmers, especially women in hunger-plagued Zambia, Sibanda is an inspirational force drawing other small scale farmers to start taking farming as a business. 

“I was raised in the village both from childhood and in life itself, believing that we have to pluck money from the soil. Hence my brain wiring system is that money is plucked from the soil by the process of farming,” Sibanda told Solwezi Today. 

As a typical agripreneur, Sibanda, a single mother of three, realized that dependence on a Government pay cheque could neither meet her family’s needs nor lift her out of poverty. 

In 2016, she started from scratch in a backyard garden and before she knew it, she became a supplier of vegetables to some chain stores around Lusaka city. Her humble beginnings inspired her to acquire her first farmland in the Chongwe area. 

EXPLOITING 

“When I look at how those who are farming as a way of living are being exploited by agents, I feel sad! They are being taken for granted because after production they do not calculate anything. They will just plan to sell whatever they harvest to buyers. Mostly, these agents determine their own prices and farmers allow it since they’re doing it as a way of living and not as a business,” said Sibanda. 

She believes that in Zambia, many small scale farmers are in agriculture as a way of life, thereby becoming vulnerable to briefcase farmers who rip them off their hard-earned money. 

For this reason, she came up with an initiative to make agriculture attractive, especially among women and the youth in the country. 

A check at Soweto market reveals that briefcase farmers are buying garlic from farmers at K15 per kg and offloading the garlic at K95 per kg. 

Monica Chota, a farmer from Kapiri Mposhi in the Central province is a keen follower and member of the Remnant Farmers. 

“This group is very resourceful, I’m learning new things every day. How I wish ZNBC TV could allocate this team even 30 minutes of air space every week to educate the masses. The information here is a game changer for Mother Zambia and a permanent solution to food security. “Our vision is that by 2030, Remnant farmers will be the top 10 richest farmers in Africa and that will come to life.”

Instruments of change

By Derrick Silimina

Lucy Wahome stumbles and struggles to maintain her balance and walk as a nurse rushes to lend her support, soon after she gets admitted at the clinic. 

Wahome, 30, initially sought medical treatment at her home clinic in Kiambu County, Kenya, which seemed well organized; but she later realized that constant power outages at the facility seriously compromised the quality of care at the clinic. 

“I discovered that I had fibroids two years ago and decided to take some herbal medication, thinking they would disappear. However, my condition worsened, and then I got admitted at our local medical facility for a surgery. But the facility could not schedule one due to constant electricity shutdown,” Wahome told ChinAfrica. 

Prolonged power blackouts have paralyzed vital installations, including the equipment at various hospitals. The power outages have been attributed to factors including an aging transmission network, staffing challenges at the state-owned power utility - Kenya Power, extreme weather events and vandalism, among others. 

On the brink of death, Wahome was referred to the Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya’s largest referral hospital, located in the north of capital Nairobi.  

“Had it not been for this medical facility’s initiative to invest in a power gadget to help provide uninterrupted electricity which enables surgeons to do their surgery nonstop, I would have been dead by now. Today, despite a painful operation, I am on a road to recovery,” Wahome stated. 

Life-saving investment  

As of 2022, the hospital has over 1,800 beds, more than 6,000 staff, 50 wards, 22 outpatient clinics, 24 operation theaters (16 specialized) and an accident and emergency department, according to Kenya’s Ministry of Health. 

The massive health facility previously relied on outdated and unreliable gasoline-powered electricity generation equipment to supply power. Power outages were common and posed risk to the life of patients, especially in intensive care units. 

The recent installation of a substation at the referral hospital has brought huge relief to patients who queue up early in the morning to access quality medical care.  

Beijing Sifang Automation Co., under a partnership with World Bank-funded Advanced Distribution Management System of Kenya Power, has established a ring main unit (RMU) to ensure stable electricity supply, not only to the hospital, but also to numerous public and private facilities in Nairobi and neighboring districts. The unit is equipped with automated instruments manufactured in China.  

The head of the hospital’s electrical section Peter Onyango said the installation of Sifang’s RMU has effectively eliminated power supply disruptions, notably enhancing the quality of care for patients with critical medical conditions. 

“My baby recovered quickly in the incubators after she was born prematurely at seven months, thanks to the continuous electricity supply. I cannot imagine what would have happened if the power supply was erratic like other medical centers,” Hellen Kamau, a patient, said. 

Onyango revealed that the previous gasoline-powered equipment to manage electricity supply was unreliable, and posed risks to patients in the intensive care wards due to power outages. 

“With Sifang’s equipment, we can now remotely detect faults and promptly restore power, mitigating risks to patients,” He stated. 

Francis Maina, project manager at Kenya Power, said that through a competitive bidding process, the Chinese company secured the tender to install RMUs, ensuring stable electricity supply at the country’s primary referral hospital. 

“The partnership with Beijing Sifang has significantly contributed to the utility’s digitisation efforts, enhancing grid reliability while cutting down on fuel and maintenance costs for clients,” Maina added. 

Digital infrastructure 

The RMU is a prime example of China’s contribution to Africa’s ongoing rapid urbanization and regional integration, which will accelerate the pace of digital transformation on the continent and raise the prospects of the digital economy. 

From the Internet and e-commerce to mobile payment and digital infrastructure platforms, Chinese companies are actively participating in Africa’s digital transformation, helping the world’s second-most populous continent to catch up with other regions of the world. China has delivered to most African states innovative solutions in the realm of telecommunications, smart manufacturing, electrical automation and e-commerce, among others. 

In Botswana, for instance, Chinese companies are actively involved in building a robust digital infrastructure. China Jiangxi International and Technical Cooperation Co. Ltd. is setting up the Digital Delta Data Centre. The state-of-the-art facility is housed in a two-storey building in Gaborone, the country’s capital, and is well equipped with support facilities. It will become the country’s largest data center once completed. 

“This facility is vital to ensuring Botswana’s network data security and we believe that it will transform the ICT ecosystem in Botswana,” said Keabetswe Segole, acting chief executive officer of Botswana Fibre Networks, the wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure in Botswana. 

For instance, Transsion, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, has been Africa’s top smartphone seller for years. Through its popular mobile phone brands such as Tecno, Itel and Infinix, the company is now expanding to the area of mobile applications, attracting more and more users with its music streaming platform Boomplay, news aggregator Scooper News, and short video sharing platform Vskit, among others. 

E-commerce is another area where China-Africa digital cooperation is rapidly expanding, which allows a growing number of Chinese companies to share their expertise in digital payment and entertainment, thereby boosting people’s living standards on the continent.  

“I can’t remember the last time I took a flight to order spare parts from Beijing. China’s e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba have really facilitated my business and enhanced my profitability,” said Clement Chilufya, an auto spare parts dealer from Lusaka, Zambia. 

Nc’wala festival ignites business ingenuity

By Derrick Silimina

In the midst of Nc’wala fanfare, wads of Kwacha notes exchange hands among entrepreneurs as they scramble for limited time trying to cash in from the traditional ceremony.

Situated about 560 kilometres from Lusaka, Zambia's capital, Chipata town was swarmed by local and international tourists who had come to witness one of the country's top traditional ceremonies.

As traditional leaders and residents of Chipata town in eastern province celebrated in pomp and splendour of the Ncwala ceremony to mark the first harvests of the season, but for local SMEs, it was a rare moment to eke a fortune out of the three days’ event.

“Nc’wala is a platform for us to display our quality services to our valued clients no wonder why our lodge is already fully booked and we have been so busy as response from clients has been overwhelming especially during the Nc’wala ceremony and business is on point,” Eastern Comfort Lodges Supervisor Rachael Banda told Solwezi Today Magazine.

Banda is optimistic that the future of the hospitality industry in the district is bright as Comfort lodges has widely spread its footprint in the district and that plans are underway to expand to Petauke district. Considering that during Nc’wala, hospitality business in Chipata is always at its peak as tourists from across the globe trek to the border town to have a glimpse of the lively traditional showpiece as well as to sample the local cuisine.

However, ahead of the Ncwala traditional ceremony, Chipata district is always hit by a critical shortage of accommodation forcing people to seek lodging in nearby towns of Katete, Petauke and Mwami districts as well as neighbouring Malawi due to an overwhelming number of Nc’wala enthusiasts.

A check at Chipata’s Royal Orbit lodge located right next to SGC filling station along the great east road found an executive room pegged at K3,500 each while a standard room was going at K2,500 each respectively for the N'cwala weekend but these rates are revised downwards immediately after the Nc'wala ceremony.

For Aaron Gondwe, it's that time of the year again to make cool cash for his taxi business especially that booking rates are doubled during the Nc’wala ceremony.

“I anticipate a profit margin of not less than K20,000 as my five cars get busy during the event ferrying clients prior, during and after the event,” said Gondwe, a taxi operator who operates from within Chipata’s Central Business District. 

Gondwe disclosed how the traditional ceremony has been a game-changer in transforming his transport  business as he now plans to establish a car hire company this year.

Just like transporters, hoteliers as well as lodge operators take advantage of the event and boost their sales, traders of various goods and services are not left behind as they too jump on the bandwagon of tough tested entrepreneurs to cash-in from the once-off annual event. 

“I anticipate more sales for my artwork before the end of the event. This festival has always remained a pillar of our industry considering that most of our buyers are tourists who come to attend Nc’wala,” said Martin Jere who specialises in artefacts such as sculptures.  

For this reason, the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EPCCI) has over the years positioned itself for business opportunities that come with the ceremony.

“It being a social, cultural and tourism event, it means that even those who are involved in tourism, hospitality, catering and transport related businesses at least derived some benefits out of the Nc’wala ceremony. Therefore, from the cultural and economic point of view, this year’s event was a success,” Chamber President Thomas Mtonga said in a telephone interview adding that as a cultural heritage, Nc’wala festival has continued to contribute to the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in the province.

Mtonga noted that as the profile of the traditional ceremony grows, it brings out the corresponding corporate interest in sponsorship as it has become inevitable for the corporate world to get on board and compete for attention by being sponsors.

For instance, Seedco has long been associated with the Nc’wala as a key sponsor for many years due to its business interests in the Eastern Province where it has a huge footprint. However, it is not the size of sponsorship but spirit behind the contribution to the successful staging of the event which matters. 

Some cultural pundits are of the view that commercialisation of traditional ceremonies is the way to go as it will boost the local economies via demand for accommodation and sale of artefacts as well as as promote revenue generation via visiting historical sites especially that much of this revenue will be in foreign exchange which is critically need as a country.

Meanwhile, as the main event reached its climax on the final day, paramount Chief Mpezeni left Laweni - his resting place as he led hundreds of impis to Mtenguleni - venue for the annual Nc’wala traditional ceremony. Thousands of onlookers were mesmerised by ngoni warriors clad in animal skins amidst songs of jubilation.

 

The event was characterised by the Ngoma dances, where the dancers artistically stomp the ground while waving their clubs. The ceremony culminated when one of the Ngoni warriors spears a black bull to death, while another slits its throat and collects the blood for the paramount chief to drink, a signal that people should now start eating the produce from their fields.

This years’ Nc’wala has been described as special since Paramount Chief Mpezeni is clocking 40 years on the throne and 40 years since the resumption of the ceremony. The ceremony is commemorated by the Ngoni people based in Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and South Africa. The Ngoni people are believed to be descendants of the Zulu people of South Africa who settled in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique after fleeing from wars.

The 2023 Nc’wala ceremony which was attended by various traditional leaders across the country, Malawi and Mozambique was commemorated under the theme; “40 years of love, peace and unity.”

“This ceremony makes us keep the tradition of our forefathers alive and helps the new generation know where they came from,” said Monica Mbewe, a Ngoni based in Lusaka.

Cholera outbreak unleashes economic shocks

 By Derrick Silimina

Zambia is grappling with one of its worst cholera outbreaks in recent years as more than 350 people have died and nearly 10,000 active cases have been registered. 

As a result, lady-driven businesses are in danger of closure or failure after the negative impact of cholera and the Covid-19 pandemic, the Zambia Federation of Associations of Women in Business (ZFAWIB) now fears.

ZFAWIB have expressed concern that barely two years out of the Covid-19 experience, the cholera outbreak has financially stressed local businesses, especially those run by women. 

“We are foreseeing a situation where most female-run businesses will fail to grow, worse still shutting down over the years after Covid-19 and cholera outbreak coupled with the high cost of doing business,” ZFAWIB Chief Executive Officer Maureen Sumbwe says. 

She urges women in business to be resilient and “think outside the box” if they are to rebound because millionaires are usually made amidst crisis. 

Sumbwe has implored Government to come up with a deliberate business policy that will help cushion female-run businesses amid calamities if they are to continue contributing effectively to the country’s national coffers. 

“We appreciate the Government's concerted efforts to have local SMEs access finance but we also anticipate a situation where our locally-produced goods may be promoted for them to access markets locally and internationally.” 

WATER 

Commonly known as a disease of poverty affecting people with inadequate access to safe water and basic sanitation, cholera is spread by consuming contaminated water or food, and causes severe dehydration from vomiting and diarrhoea. Left untreated, it can kill within hours. 

As health workers scramble to contain the crisis that has the potential to be the worst the country has seen since the first in 1977, financial experts say the epidemic is likely going to negatively affect the country’s already struggling economy. 

“Cholera is forcing the Government to spend more resources to try and deal with the public health crisis in an already stressed health sector. This epidemic is also slowing down an industry which is already growing, especially the hospitality and recreation sectors which are forced to slow down their activities,” observes Lusaka based economist Munyumba Mutwale. 

Mutwale argues that cholera is a drainage and sanitation issue that ought to have been resolved a long time ago in lower income areas by converting human waste into raw materials for charcoal industries. Such industries would create a sustainable business model and in turn put free toilets and sanitation facilities in lower economic areas thereby knocking out cholera once and for all. 

He notes that it is high time the local authorities consider drainages and toilets to be of economic value, as well as set up modern markets where refuse disposal is channeled to paper and plastic recycling industries. 

OUTBREAKS 

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Zambia is among 18 countries in the world experiencing cholera outbreaks. Studies of cholera epidemics in Zambia and elsewhere suggest that such costs can be significant—up to 2 percent of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

In response to a surge in cholera cases, the Government recently announced the deferment of the 2024 Term One schools opening from the scheduled January 8 to January 29, emphasizing the need to prevent and mitigate the spread of the disease. 

“This postponement applies to all public, private, aided, and community learning institutions, including Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers, primary, and secondary schools. Learners at all levels are expected to resume classes on January 29, 2024, after a three-week extension from the initial opening date,” Education Minister Douglas Syakalima recently said. 

The education sector has also been affected, especially private-owned institutions whose budgets have now been disrupted, as many of them expect tuition fees from learners to help finance their operations. 

“Our operations here are solely dependent on the school fees that we collect from our learners, so this deferment has really affected our school budget, making it difficult to pay our staff, pay utility bills and rentals along other bills with or without an outbreak of cholera,” says Clement Mugala, a school administrator based in Lusaka. 

CLEANING UP 

Certainly, the cholera outbreak does not only pose a health risk but also poses an economic risk as the cleaning up of the informal trading areas has brought many small businesses to a halt. 

This has negatively impacted SMEs that depend on Lusaka’s Central Business District (CBD) and surrounding areas for trade. 

A check at Lusaka’s sprawling Matebeto market, renowned for its mouthwatering cuisine, found the eatery with scant customers. The place usually swarms with enthusiasts of traditional meals. 

“When business is at its peak and on a good day, I usually make between three thousand and five thousand kwacha. But now, since the onset of cholera, I make less than one thousand because clients are hesitant to come to order food,” moans Agness Chibwe, a restaurateur at the Thornpark market.

Journey to the next destination

 By Derrick Silimina

As the train engine roars, doors of the wagons gently open at 07:30 a.m., with crew members waiting for the passengers to board before starting the journey for their next destination. 

An hour before the departure, Marriam Gadesa heads to the locomotive cabin and quickly tests the locomotive’s power supply, and then starts the engine.  

“After the engine is started, I do the electrical and air brake tests. Once all the passengers are onboard, the driver is given a signal to make final preparations for the journey from Addis Ababa to Djibouti,” Gadesa told ChinAfrica.  

Despite being an electrical engineer at Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Share Co. (EDR), Gadesa, 30, aspires to become a train driver, especially as this traditionally male-dominated career has transformed significantly over the years, making it more common for women to work as drivers. 

Chinese investment 

Considering the significant role railway plays in land transportation, trade facilitation, and economic and social development, railway experts say rail transport in most African countries has suffered from decades of low direct investment, poor infrastructure management and inefficient train operations. 

Since 2001, Africa has recorded a very modest increase of 7 percent in freight transport, and a drop by the same amount in passengers, while the worldwide railway transport for freight and passengers has increased by more than 40 percent during the same period. These figures show that the development of the railway system in Sub-Saharan Africa still faces serious barriers, according to a recent study by the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Programme. 

Chinese investment is playing a big role in changing this situation. For example, a Chinese sponsored programme is equipping young African train drivers with technology and skills training. The initiative has become the backbone of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway as it safely chauffeurs across the vast East African plateau. A joint venture between Ethiopia and Djibouti, EDR operates the 756-km rail route from Addis Ababa to the port of Djibouti. The daily passenger and cargo services of the East African railway contribute greatly to the socioeconomic growth of both countries. 

In 2019, Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College (ZZRVTC) in Henan Province signed an agreement with EDR to train electric locomotive drivers for the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway - thanks to the Chinese government-sponsored program. 

The first batch of 28 trainees from Ethiopia and Djibouti recently got fully trained in driving, monitoring, and maintaining electrified trains after they underwent eight months of study at the Chinese college. 

“Every single encounter and activity during the eight-month training in China has benefitted us a lot and has enriched us all. That will forever remain in our memory. A big thank you to the Chinese teachers for their careful guidance during the training and study period,” Tilahun Girma, the only woman in the class of 28 trainees, told ChinAfrica.  

Yidnekachew Mekonen, an Ethiopian train driver who took the same training, echoed Girma’s sentiments, “Our training was adapted for our country’s locomotives. That knowledge will help me to contribute effectively to my country’s railway system and in turn to our socioeconomic emancipation.” 

After becoming commercially operational in 2018, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway became the first electrified cross-border railway in Africa. It is a flagship project under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. 

Designed to help to drive industrial development of the two neighboring nations, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway has created over 50,000 jobs in the two countries, laying a solid foundation for the development of railways, and has trained more than 3,000 professionals, according to the Ethiopian government. 

Information from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics shows that with the help of Chinese technology, the railway has also cut the transportation time for goods between the two nations from more than three days to less than 20 hours, and reduced the cost by at least a third, substantially bolstering the imports and exports of Ethiopia, a land-locked country in the Horn of Africa. 

According to EDR, the railway has operated a combined total of more than 1,800 passenger trains, carrying nearly 530,900 passengers, and 6,133 cargo trains, transporting about 7.32 million tons of goods since it was put into operation in January 2018. 

Serving the country 

“The skills and technology transfer to the local staff will greatly enhance Ethiopia’s economic prospects and help Ethiopia to embark on the road to prosperity,” Liu Yu, minister counselor for economic and commercial affairs of the Chinese embassy in Ethiopia, said, adding that training for local train drivers is an important part of cooperation between the two countries. 

Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Communications Dagmawit Moges Bekele has since urged the young train drivers to use their skills to serve the country and contribute to the improvement of the railway sector in Ethiopia. 

With the rapid advancement of China’s rail system, in particular the high-speed rail, ZZRVTC has indeed become a world-leading institution in the field of rail technology education. 

“We actively cultivate talents for different countries. We have trained railway transportation technical personnel for Ethiopia, Laos, and Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, we have established overseas branches to enhance vocational education and actively develop vocational training standards. We have already developed eight vocational standards in collaboration with Tanzania and Ethiopia,” ZZRVTC President Li Fusheng noted.  

Given the prospects of the railway sector, Gadesa looks forward to switching from being an electrical engineer to becoming a fulltime train driver, and is waiting for another Chinese training opportunity to sharpen her career prospects and make strides in Ethiopia’s railway industry.  

“My passion for the railway sector is hard to describe. Each time the train runs along a curve and I look behind and see more than 50 wagons being pulled gently, I feel awesome knowing that I am in charge of its powerful engine,” Gadesa said proudly.