STORY: Chinese-built power plant helps Ugandan woman fulfill dream
DATELINE: Sept. 2, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:55
LOCATION: KIRYANDONGO, Uganda
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the power plant
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (ENGLISH): SYLVIA MWAGALE, Electrical Engineer, Karuma Hydro Power Plant
3. various of the power plant
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (ENGLISH): SYLVIA MWAGALE, Electrical Engineer, Karuma Hydro Power Plant

STORYLINE:

As dawn breaks, Sylvia Mwagale, quickly prepares herself to head to work, deep 150 meters underground.

Mwagale must get there by 8 o'clock in order to meet her Chinese supervisors at the 600 MegaWatt (MW) Karuma Hydro Power Plant, constructed by a Chinese company.

Mwagale is among the thousands of local employees who have gained knowledge and skills from this mega project.

SOUNDBITE 1 (ENGLISH): SYLVIA MWAGALE, Electrical Engineer, Karuma Hydro Power Plant
"Engineer has been my passion ever since I was little, literally, my parents told me I would fix things. You would find me on torches, on radios. So really it was my passion from when I was little."

So far, over 19,000 local people and 600 Chinese have worked on the power plant that is constructed on the surface and underground, below River Nile.

Mwagale said working with the Chinese has been a valuable learning opportunity.

SOUNDBITE 2 (ENGLISH): SYLVIA MWAGALE, Electrical Engineer, Karuma Hydro Power Plant
"Working with the Chinese has been my best experience so far, because I just came from university straight over to here. I did my internship here for three months. I came over. They gave me internship for three months. After three months, they retained me to be an official worker because of my hard work. But Chinese to me are the best bosses ever. They can never do something minus teaching you. They make sure they teach you, then next time you do it. So they literally give you all the chances of learning."

The Karuma Hydro Power Plant, with 85 percent financing from the Export-Import Bank of China, will be the largest power-generating installation in the East African country once completed.

The plant, according to experts, is critical in meeting Uganda's increasing electricity demand in efforts to fast track the industrialization.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kiryandongo, Uganda.
(XHTV)