Guinean teacher builds a dam to power up his entire village

The West African nation of Guinea has significant hydroelectric potential (estimated at 6,000 MW) but, currently, only 2% of that amount is being exploited, providing access to only one out of every four Guineans. Last April, the government said it intended to connect 721,000 homes to electricity between now and 2020. But the population is growing impatient and there have been increasing numbers of protests, many of them extremely tense. On September 13, a young man was killed and about 30 people were injured during a protest that spiraled into violent clashes with the police in Boké, a town located about 300 kilometers northwest of the capital, Conakry. The protesters were demanding to be added to the water and electricity distribution networks. But now thanks to a groundbreaking project started by a math teacher named Ibrahima Tounkara, Bolodou a small, isolated village will have electricity 24/7. Read more http://observers.france24.com/en/20170922-maths-teacher-guinea-made-dam-powering-entire-village Photo: Ibrahima Tounkara – The Observers, France 24