Government to support electricity power inventor

By Sylvester Kumwenda

Government has emphasised on the need to support innovators to achieve their full potential so that they may be able to provide solutions to various challenges facing the country.

Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola made the remarks in an interview in Dowa on Friday when he paid a visit to 19-year-old, Ernest Andrew, who is generating electric power using water, pressure, magnet, stone, gas, combined with other elements but without the conventional use of fuel or batteries.

Matola said innovations like these can provide solutions to Malawi’s energy challenges hence the need to be supported rather than suppressed.

“I would like to appreciate the talent and innovation which Andrew has made. As a policy holder, we are going to work closely with him. Obviously, it is a waste of time to try to persuade him to go back to school.

“He has the skills to do something unique and needs to be supported with necessary tools and equipment so that he may realise his dream,” he said.

Matola said the young boy’s innovation has elements of sustainably and affordability which, he said, speaks directly to President Dr Lazarus Chakwera’s vision of having reliable power generation in the country.

He said despite the country having the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme, it might take a while to reach all villages.

Matola said instead of blocking his innovation, like with some cases in the past, government opens doors for the innovations to strive.

“We do not want anyone with such innovations to be taken to task because of the goodwill they have but rather be supported. Considering that this is electricity, it is also important to make sure that everything is safe,” he said.

He, therefore, asked the community to also support Andrew’s dream.

Andrew, who resides in Chinguwo Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Chiwere in Dowa has, currently, electrified three houses in his village.

Andrew said the power he is generating, currently, has capacity to supply around 30 houses.

He said he would like to be assisted with resources like electric wires and other components so that he may be able to supply electricity to more households in his village, and a nearby primary school.

“In the next stages of this innovation, I would like to reach a point where the power can be used for all domestic purposes like cooking, charging phones, refrigeration and to pump water from the river to the village,” he said.