Seeing the light in Kadanak

FARAH PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

11.04.2009

Story by 2nd Lt. Karl Wiest 

Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah

FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan — The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and winter is right around the corner.

Luckily for the people of Kadanak, their village will soon have electricity thanks to the efforts of the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team along with Mr. Abdul Ghani, a local contractor and entrepreneur who has started his own business that currently employs 15 people.

The electrification of Kadanak will provide many advantages for the village. Not only will the streets be lit and consequently much more safe, but business hours will also be able to go past sunset.

"We're extending business hours which is good for everyone involved," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jarred Close. Close and the team of engineers at the PRT have facilitated and overseen the electrification process in Kadanak.

Electricity will also allow the villagers to increase their current levels of sanitation and to operate pumps that ultimately provide running water to individual homes.

Furthermore, the new power supply will allow small appliances to be used.

Most importantly, however, the overall quality of life for everyone in the village will improve.

Kadanak is not the first small village to undergo an electrification project by the Farah PRT. Rigi was the first village in Farah province to successfully self-sustain electric power in May 2009.

"Rigi Village was proof that small villages can self-sustain electrification," said Close. "Kadanak will just be an improvement on the Rigi model."

Many of the improvements are due to the contractor hired for the Kadanak project. Ghani was not always a proficient electrician, let alone an entrepreneur. He, like a vast majority of the labour force of Farah province, lacked knowledge and experience in electrical systems, which is required to facilitate the growth of electrification in the province.

However, Ghani was able to enroll in an electrical training program taught by the Farah PRT where he learned how to understand an electrical grid system, to read schematics, and to troubleshoot problems. This training enabled him to break out and start his own company, the Abdul Ghani Electrification Company, and to ultimately win the Kadanak electrification contract.

Currently 286 electric poles have been installed in Kadanak by Ghani and his crew. Furthermore, they have stretched over 5,500 meters of power lines and are 60 percent complete with the entire project, which puts them well ahead of schedule.

Once the project is complete, a 200 kilowatt generator will supply the power for the 300 buildings in Kadanak and will allow for 600 watts of simultaneous usage per building throughout the village for four hours every evening.

"Some may say this is a small step forward in growing a sense of municipality in a local village," said Navy Lt. Stephen Feddor, one of the lead engineers for the project. "Whether big or small, it is still a step forward and that's the key."

• Date Taken: 11.04.2009
• Date Posted: 11.28.2009 01:37
• Story ID: 42083
• Location: FARAH PROVINCE, AF