Solar Lighting Donation

This was a nice letter received from the Anglican Church in Livingstone, and there’s a photo of the donation being made!

11th June 2014

Dear Mr. Chanter

RE: APPRECIATION

I hereby write to acknowledge receipt with great appreciation of the Solar Charging and Lighting
Kit that you bought and donated to through Mr. Mwamba one of the trainees that was trained by
us under the Lights For Learning Trainer of Trainers Solar Project.

We are happy to inform you that the above stated kit was on Friday 6th June 2014 donated to Lugwalo Basic School which is about 300 kms from Livingstone. The donation was greatly
appreciated by the school and they will independently write to you and acknowledge receipt of the same.
Thanks for partnering with us in making a difference in the community. We pray that God richly

blesses you and your business.

Yours sincerely

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Y. Chikoya
LIVINGSTONE ANGLICAN CHILDREN’S PROJECT
BOX 60092, LIVINGSTONE, Tel: 0213320694

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The Massaj Experience!

Meet Davison Munsanda Junior, better known to Livingstone residents, especially club goers, as Pivot Massaj, well known DJ, MC as well as clearing and forwarding agent, pictured above centre with Jay-Hillz (left) and Milli Jam (right). Pivot was our Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay-Hillz, our regular Sunday night radio show airing at 20.30 hours for an hour every week on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station.

Pivot told listeners that he had chosen the stage name ‘Pivot’ because he felt at the time that the music scene in Livingstone revolved around the music he was playing in clubs, and the rap he was singing in shows. He added ‘Massaj’ because his music soothes the nerves as well as the soul. He is not a young man ‘backward in coming forward’ as my late mother might have said! Currently he is studying events management, whilst being a regular DJ at East Point, one of Livingstone’s most popular night spots, located near the temporary bus station close to the old North Western Hotel. He is also working in the family’s clearing and forwarding business.”How do you find time to do all that you do”? Milli Jam wondered and Pivot’s quick reply was “99 Jobs”! He was referring to a hot Zambian hit of that name recorded by Chef 187 about the need for young Zambians to move from one job to another every day to make a living!

Pivot went on to explain that when he first started in the music business his family had been very keen to for him to have a ‘proper job’ and although he’d initially resisted the call, later he’d been obliged to work for the family’s clearing and forwarding agency ‘to keep the peace’. “What’s your biggest problem”? Milli Jam wondered. “Getting enough sleep!” Replied Pivot.

The music on the show was great. We opened as usual with ‘Hey Brother’ from Avicii, quickly followed, after the introductions, by Aloe Blacc’s ‘The Man’ and John Martin’s first solo single ‘Anywhere For You’. We followed with tracks from Kapansa, Rihanna, Daft Punk featuring Jay-Z as well as Mampi, one of Zambia’s hottest singing divas. The track we featured was ‘Nikutantule’.

No-one won the prize we give each week to the first person to text us the name of the artist on our oldie of the week, we featured ‘Bird On A Wire’ from The Neville Brothers. Not even Man U supporters! Our pick of the week was The Wanted’s ‘Glow In The Dark’.

Milli Jam wondered which UK football team supported but when he said ‘Man U’ our presenter quickly moved on to a different subject, wondering whether Pivot was married. He replied that he was spoken for and that he had both a girl friend and a child. This caused some ladies to post on our Facebook page demanding that Pivot should ‘name the girlfriend’ – he failed to do so! We wondered what was the biggest event for which Pivot had been the MC and he replied that a function for the UNWTO general meeting in Livingstone in 2013 had been the biggest. He named his greatest inspiration as our very own Milli Jam explaining to listeners that it was he Milli Jam who had given him his first chance as a DJ and taught him the job. Milli Jam was chuffed to bits!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Pivot said that he would like to be marketing the country outside Zambia ‘on a bigger platform’, that his future was in God’s hands and that he wished to avoid a lot of the health hazards around in Zambia for the sake of his daughter.
It was a pleasure to welcome this self-confident, hard working, personable young man as the Guest on our show.

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Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia


This piece from Esi-Africa.com is good news for us poor consumers besieged by load shedding in Zambia. For those who have never been there, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi (above) is a beautiful place.

“In December 2012 the African Development Bank (AfDB) signed an agreement with the Zambian government for a loan agreement of US$55 million to support the Itezhi-Tezhi hydroelectric power and transmission line project. This is seeing the construction of a 120 MW hydropower plant at the Itezhi-Tezhi dam along the Kafue River. This loan was approved by the AfDB in June 2012.

Currently Zambia’s power supply stands at about 1,800 MW, and the additional capacity from Itezhi-Tezhi will help reduce load shedding. The project represents one of Zambia’s first public private partnerships in the energy sector. The Itezhi-Tezhi facility, a joint venture between Zesco and Tata, at a cost of US$240 million, is due to be in place in 2016.”

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Mining and Tourism

Interesting piece from Times of Zambia – the picture is of Sioma Falls.

“Some leading mining companies on the Copperbelt have endorsed Government’s plan to involve them in opening up new investments in the country’s tourism sector. And Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo said the tourism sector was a strategic piller of the Zambian economic future. She called on the private sector and individuals to take advantage of the various business  opportunities which will be created by hosting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation(UNWTO) conference.

Chief executive officers of leading mining companies on the Copperebelt held a closed-door meeting with Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo and Zambia National Tourist Board (ZTB) managing director Felix Chaila at Moba Hotel in Kitwe at which they were briefed about the potential tourism  investment opportunities. China Non Ferrous Metal Company Luanshya Copper Mines (CLM) deputy chief executive officer Robert Kamanga said representatives of the mining companies were excited  about the opportunities offered by the tourism sector on the Copperbelt and Livingstone.

Mr Kamanga said in an interview that most mining companies had expressed willingness to consider investing in the tourism sector. They were willing to be part of various initiatives aimed at ensuring that Zambia successfully host the UNWTO conference in Livingstone. “As mining companies we want to take part in the tourism sector development and we are now considering the various investment options which we can undertake. I must state that as mining companies we have to consult with our companies structures before any investment in the tourism sector is finally implemented.”

Mr Chaila said ZTB was excited  that the tourism sector was expected to undergo a complete transformation following the willingness by mining firms and other citizens. And Ms Masebo called on Zambians to take advantage of the business opportunities, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives and the various incentives Government was offering to those wishing to invest in the tourism sector.

Ms Masebo said during the Copperbelt Tourism Investment Forum at Moba Hotel that Government was concerned about the low levels of indigenous Zambian investments in the tourism sector. “The tourism sector is open to all Zambians and time has come for our people to take keen interest in the business opportunities being offered and team up with the Government to manage the businesses in the sector under PPP.” She said time has come for the  Zambian private sector to be active players before the management of various businesses was  completely taken over by foreigners a situation which she said was likely to happen by the end of this decade.

She said if more Zambians owned the investment in the sector most of the monies gained would remain and get reinvested within the country. Ms Masebo called on local authorities to give priority to Zambians when coming up with PPPs in the tourism sector. She directed ZTB to team up with the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) to package the tourism business opportunities available on the Coppereblt.”

 

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The Kandilicius Experience

Meet Kandilicius (above) and that’s just her Twitter name! Try Kandy Israelyt as she’s known on Facebook or just plain Kandi M’hango her real name. Kandi was the Guest on the most recent edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with The Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Kaufela da Soulchild! That’s our regular Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hours and streaming live on the internet. A popular show it is too, partly because we give away a dinner for 2 at Chanters Lodge with drinks every week – a prize for the first listener to text us telling us the name of the artist singing our ‘oldie of the week’ – this week the answer was Lionel Richie and the response was great!


Kandi has been a part time presenter on 107.7 fm since March this year, at the moment co-presenting Drive Time, a daily Monday to Friday show. She has a great voice for radio and loves being involved. She has two sons Cholwe and Israelyt (hence her Facebook name) she told us. Milli Jam wanted to know how she’d become involved with the radio station in the first place and Kandi explained that she’d responded to an advert on air early in 2011, advising that the station was looking for new lady presenters – she’d applied and was hired!
 
  
Wearing another hat, Kandi explained to our audience that she was deeply involved with the Empowered By Light Foundation, an NGO, in Zambia to donate solar lighting within Shangombo District in Western Province. So far the organization had donated 5000 units of solar light, as well as laptops, throughout schools, clinics and homes in the district. The NGO had apparently chosen Shangombo having seen from the statistics that only 5% of schoolchildren there passed exams at Grade 9 level. They’d surmised that this was because students were unable to study at night due to no light so they set out to fix the problem. “Awesome” we said, and meant it!
 
 
The music on the show was great. We opened with Olly Murs and his smash UK hit ‘Dance With Me Tonight’ back to back with Kelly Rowland featuring The Waves and ‘Down For Whatever’. George chose Oga Family with ‘Ball Pen’ – a long and (in some peoples’ opinion boring) track! This was coupled with K’Millian’s ‘Kakabalika’ – anything but boring. Milli Jam chose ‘Perfect Party’ from Naughty By Nature ft Fat Joe back to back with Keith Sweat’s ‘To The Middle’. Our oldie of the week was Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’. To close we played Taio Cruz’s ‘Shotcaller’ and Sean Kingston’s ‘Love Me’.
 
 
Kandi told listeners that in the past she’d been involved with Kara Counselling counselling AIDS orphans and for a brief time had also been involved with lodge management in Livingstone. She told interested listeners that she supports Manchester United and likes Wayne Rooney (just imagine!) She’s into R&B and in particular Chris Brown and is very proud of her Zambian roots in Lundazi in the Eastern Province of Zambia and of being Tumbuka by tribe. 10 years down the road she’d like to still be broadcasting and very much involved with bringing renewable energy to rural Zambia.
 
 
She told listeners she loves Zambia and we told her our listeners love her – which they do!








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Consumer Diaries

Here’s a good website for consumers in Zambia having a hard time at the moment! Consumer Diaries, written by Zambian consumers for Zambian consumers. The latest post involves the suspension of the air service permit for Zambezi Airlines by government – no great surprise there – they’ve been in a shambles for weeks with delayed and cancelled flights. Yesterday there were about 15 stranded travellers at Harry M Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone, negotiating seats on other airlines flying to South Africa.
We hope Consumer Diaries will soon turn their attention to Zambia Breweries and the constant annual shortages of beer and soft drinks in Livingstone and other parts of Zambia through October and November – not alright in the nominated (should that be nominal?) ‘tourist capital’.
And what about Zesco? Most Zambian consumers thought that one of the first impacts of the new government would be restoration of constant power supplies – not so – even though the President did fire the Zesco MD nothing has changed there! Just as well we have a good stand by generator at Chanters Lodge!

“The Consumer Diaries is a Zambian consumer’s mouthpiece written strictly by consumers for other consumers. It contains a compilation of reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from consumers themselves. This is done in order to help people have an opportunity to rate product/service experiences that they have had, and also to investigate new products or services in order to make informed decisions.”

Wish them the best of luck!

The picture? A bottle of Zambia’s great Mosi beer – currently unavailable from distributors in Livingstone, Zambia.

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Oil In Zambia


Is there oil in Zambia – for one I hope not, it seems to bring nothing but trouble to the African countries that have it. Anyway I guess we’ll soon find out, according to OilVoice

Frontier Resources International, Plc has been awarded Petroleum Exploration Block 34 by the Zambian Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development. The Block, covering 6400 square kilometers, is located in the Kafue Trough approximately 150 kilometers southwest of the capital Lusaka. This area has had no previous hydrocarbon exploration and may form a part of the southwestern extension of the productive East African rift system.

The Company plans to immediately proceed with the completion of the licence application process which will include the opening of a local office in Lusaka. This is Frontier’s first exploration acreage in the southern African region where it plans to pursue additional opportunities. The Company’s existing oil and gas producing properties are onshore Texas.

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Andrew & Caroline Kashita


It was a first for us when Andrew and Caroline Kashita (pictured above) appeared on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient ft George Soulchild, our regular Sunday night radio show that goes out on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm at 20.30 hrs for an hour. Why? Well, they were the first Guests ever to be asked back for a second show! Why? Because they’re great people and huge supporters of Chanters Lodge, and Andrew Kashita is a former Minister who will not keep quiet! “You’ve been in the newspapers a lot recently concerning the ERB” said Milli Jam after the introductions and the first two tracks “what’s that all about”.

“Energy Regulation Board?” queried Andrew, “let me tell you about it”! He then went on to tell us, and the listeners, exactly what he thought of the ERB who are supposed to reconcile energy providers and consumers over tariffs, but in Andrew’s opinion and most of the country, they’re simply not doing their job! They’ve given the green light to increases in the cost of petrol and diesel of at least 30% this year, and electricity prices have just gone up by another 30% as well. Mr Kashita wished that Zesco, our monopoly electricity supplier, would look into cutting their costs as hard as they look into increasing tariffs. “Lots of blokes standing around with their hands in their pockets watching other people do the job” he observed, correctly.

“How many ministerial positions have you held?” Milli Jam wanted to know. “Three” came back Andrew as quick as flash “and I was fired from every one”! He went on to tell listeners that he was variously Minister of Mines and Industry, Minister of Communications and Transport and Minister of Works and Supply. He didn’t mention, but it’s a fact, that he was one of the first overseas qualified Zambian Engineers immediately after independence. He did go on to tell listeners that he’d enjoyed his time as a civil servant more than when he was a Minister, as he found it more rewarding in terms of achievements. He was instrumental in, or involved with Zambia Airways; Lusaka International Airport; Tazara; Ndeni Oil Refinery; Zambia’s microwave system; the introduction of cell phones in the country and the dismantling of UBZ to allow for the privatization of the coach/bus industry in Zambia.

The music on the show went down well. Ace of Base “Mr Replay” represents a return to form for that particular band, while we opened as usual with Aggro Santos “Candy”. We featured my two tracks of the moment, ‘Dynamite’ by Taio Cruz and ‘DJ Got Me Falling In Love’ by Usher. Milli Jam featured Charice – ‘Pyramid’ (special request from Monica, one of the Chanters Girls) and Kelly Rowland’s ‘Forever and A Day’. George’s local numbers were ‘If It’s Love’ by Brothahood Crew ft Kaufela and Tsoya – ‘Katwayeko Umbi’ (‘Go look for someone else’, we were told was the translation’).

Caroline enjoyed talking about her family. She and Andrew will be married 30 years soon. They have a son and a daughter, son Steven is an aero-nautical engineer in America and daughter Nonde is studying at Reading University in UK. They have a grand-daughter Aisha, just 16 months old, whom they hope will soon come and live with them in Lusaka.

We gave away the usual dinner for two at Chanters Lodge which was quickly snapped up by an alert listener in answer to our simple question, and as usual we greeted Guests, family and staff alike! We had messages while we were on air from Swithin Haangala, owner of 107.7 fm and DJ Wildfire a former 107.7 fm DJ, now making a name for himself in South Africa. Great!

Luckily and surprisingly there was no message from Zesco!

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Solar Energy


With rapidly rising electricity costs in Zambia (this year will see more than a 50% rise) this, from CNN, is the future:

“In rural communities of Africa, where more than 95 percent of homes have no access to electricity, solar energy has the power to transform lives. Globally, 1.5 billion people, one quarter of the world’s population, live without electricity, according to a United Nations report.

Those who can afford any power at all spend large proportions of their income on kerosene for lamps or travel to larger towns to charge their batteries several times a week. Burning kerosene contributes to indoor air pollution, which is estimated to kill 1.6 million people each year. Kerosene lamps also lead to fires that cause severe burns and deaths.

Solar energy saves families money as well as allowing children to study in the evenings and giving families access to information through radio and television and mobile phone chargers. Lack of access to energy is a cause of poverty, not just a result of poverty. The light from a solar-powered bulb is also between 10 and 20 times brighter than from a kerosene lamp.

Among those bringing solar power to the world’s poor is Rural Energy Foundation, a Dutch non-profit organization. It has now helped 450,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa gain access to low-cost solar power. Rural Energy Foundation runs the SolarNow program, training independent retailers and technicians in nine countries to sell low-cost solar gadgets or home systems to people without electricity.

Last month, the organization was one of the international winners of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. Willem Nolens, director of Rural Energy Foundation, said: “Lack of access to energy, just as lack of clean drinking water, is a cause of poverty, not just a result of poverty.

“Gaining access to electricity can be really life-changing. People can increase their productivity, children can study, read books and watch television, which allows them to be connected to the world. “Whole villages can become self-sufficient once someone has a home solar system.” Rural Energy Foundation supports 250 independent local retailers in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Mozambique and Zambia.

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Electricity – Zambia


This from Steel Guru is welcome, though one wonders how long the project will take to complete. “Might soon be eased” strikes me as being too optimistic! Yesterday we had a 10 hour power cut and this was the 3rd or 4th power cut during the week. At Chanters Lodge we have a 25.5 kva stand by generator, bought in 2007 but it’s expensive to run, given the 30% increase in the cost of diesel so far this year. The only real solution to the “Zesco Problem” is competition, and that’s not likely to happen any time soon. Here’s the piece:

“Zambia’s electricity woes might soon be eased following the planned construction of a 600 MW plant at a cost of USD 1.5 billion to tap into the nation’s power deficit and avert load shedding to households and flourishing industry, chiefly the mines. Mr Situmbeko Musokotwane finance minister of Zambia and Energy counterpart Mr Kenneth Konga said that they recently returned from China where they signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the project.

According to Mr Musokotwane, the construction of the new hydro power project to be situated in Southern Zambia is expected to commence next year in April, and will help the country reduce on its power deficiency and meet the demand. Mr Musokotwane said that the construction of the Kafue Gorge (pictured above) Lower power project in southern Zambia would start around April next year with initial financing of USD 1 billion expected to come as a loan from the Chinese government. A new JV company, to be formed by state run power company known as Zesco, China’s Sino Hydro Company and the China Africa Development Fund, will borrow the initial funding of $1 billion from China to start the project.

Mr Musokotwane said that the new company would sign a power purchase agreement with Zesco by April 2011 to facilitate the investments into the plant. Zambia has in recent years faced power outages because of the deficiency in the supply to the industrial, domestic and chiefly the mines that have forced the increased demand for power to mine copper, as well as to provide goods and services, as well as to meet domestic demand.

The insufficient capacity by the state owned Zesco to meet demand has resulted in regular power outages, partly due to ageing equipment in the southern African country, which has had no major investments to raise power generation capacity for decades, forcing it to import power from the Democratic Republic of Congo to keep the mines running.

Mr Andoi Akakandelwa deputy energy minister of Zambia recently revealed that Zambia needs about USD 7 billion to meet energy demand in the copper rich nation to necessitate the smooth operation of the mines and other energy requiring projects, as well as to meet agricultural growth. He noted that despite Zambia’s potential, it has failed to maximize its abundant resources that include water to meet the increasing demand.”

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