The Potential of Power

By Ekari Mbvundula

The class was abuzz with chatter, and Professor Banda waited patiently for them to settle down as he usually did. But this time the discipline he had instilled in them had no effect, because they were far away from the dull pale green walls of the classroom which allowed them to focus. This time, they were on a field trip and there were endless things to see - none of them had ever been to a hydroelectric power station before! Kapichira was the most modern power station in Malawi.

“Ok, class!” Professor Banda boomed in his rumbling voice. Finally they turned away from the tons of water flowing from of the outlet below, and looked at him. “What is the key reason we need electricity?”

Hilda Ndlovu raised her hand, chewing gum as usual. “To watch TV.”

Everyone laughed, and Professor Banda quickly responded, “No Miss Ndlovu, there is a reason more important than television. And stop chewing gum. Anyone else?”

Violet, normally a shy girl, had spent her time engaged and at awe with every stage of the power production process as they had gone through the plant. She raised her hand which made everyone stare at her in amazement. Professor Banda nodded and she spoke. “To power neighbourhoods and streetlights.”

“Very good Violet, you’re not wrong, but I’m looking for a much broader answer. Anyone else? No? Ok.

What electricity does is…” Professor Banda began to explain.

***

Meanwhile, back in Blantyre, Violet’s father was asleep while his daughter was on the class field trip at Kapichira power station. He worked in an automated t-shirt factory managing the floor production and was awaiting his 10pm factory shift. At last month’s general meeting, the top management had decided to change work shifts to take advantage of the low off-peak electricity tariffs. The odd hours drove Violet’s mother crazy, but with his higher salary, he didn’t have to borrow anymore to cover Violet’s school fees, and the factory was finally operating with a profit…

***

At the same time, at a new firm called Insurafast on Victoria Avenue, Hilda’s aunt Ms Ndlovu was working as an insurance broker. She was the one who paid her niece’s school fees. She was currently doing a PowerPoint presentation for a group of potential investors from overseas. Even the lighting for the presentation had been designed just right to give them the strongest impression. A spotlight tracked Ms Ndlovu as she drove in her concluding remarks. It was going very well! Her boss Mrs Hawa was beaming proudly at her star saleswoman. There was definitely a promotion in the works when she closed this deal…

***

At that moment, Professor Banda’s mother was looking at a photograph on her office desk of her son on graduation day. As headmistress of one of the most prestigious schools in the country, she had prioritized education for her son, until that day he had earned his Phd and made rare tears fall from her eyes. She remembered all the evenings spent at the light of an electric lamp, and when she was overdue with the power bill she got all the candles in the house to light his books. They had fought many times because of the pressure she put on him, but the picture in her hand was proof that he finally appreciated it. It said Dear Mum, you made this day possible. Love Talumba. She put the photo down and composed herself before buzzing the secretary to tell another mischievous student to enter her lair.

She couldn’t let them know she had a soft spot…

***

Professor Banda’s lecture on electricity continued, with his voice raised above the roaring river. “… and it powers almost every tool you use in your life, to heat, to cool, to cook, to entertain yourselves – it is the fuel of our modern age, and without it, most of human achievement would take much more effort in much longer time.” He had the whole class’s undivided attention, as tons of water flowed out of the power station after having generated 128 megawatts of clean energy.

“So I ask again. Why do we need electricity?” he asked them.

Hilda, for once with no gum in her mouth, said, “For progress.”

Professor Talumba Banda smiled. Wisdom sometimes came from the most unlikely source.