Dar es Salaam, July 18th--China Foundation for Peace and Development and Tanzania-China Friendship Promotion Association (TCFPA) co-hosted here today on the morning the launching ceremony of the Lightening Africa in Tanzania. Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Ke, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania and President of the TCFPA, Ngez, former Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi of the Kagera Region of Tanzania, and more than 800 people from all walks of life of Tanzania attended this event.

The Lightening Africa project is a public welfare project for African countries jointly sponsored by China Foundation for Peace and Development, China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) and Hanergy Holding Group Ltd.. Its goal is to meet the basic needs for lighting and solve the shortage of electricity in African households by donating a kind of mobile energy equipment named “Humbrella” to African countries in need. In the coming year, Hanergy will provide 500 “Humbrella” as charitable donations to African countries. China Foundation for Peace and Development will be responsible for the implementation of specific projects.

Energy and education emerge as two major problems facing Africa’s development. According to a report released by the World Bank and the International Energy Agency, over 1 billion people in Africa do not have stable access to electricity, and the per capita electricity consumption there is the lowest in the world. What’s more, diesel generators remain as the major source of power supply in Africa, which causes ever-present air pollution and potential health hazards. “Humbrella” uses the thin-film solar penal electricity-generating technology to enable lighting, charging and other functions so as to achieve “zero emission” in energy utilization, demonstrating great social significance for Africa, a continent with insufficient power but sufficient sunlight.

Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said in his speech that though China and Tanzania are geographically far apart, the Chinese people always say that “True friends who feel so close cannot be separated by distance even though it can stretch thousands of miles”. The China-Tanzania friendship enjoys a long history and solid foundation. China Foundation for Peace and Development, TCFPA and other non-governmental organizations adhere to the friendly traditions and embark on pragmatic cooperation, making active efforts to effectively improve the lives of people in Tanzania’s power-deficient areas and promote the development of education for children. This is another blooming flower on the evergreen tree of China-Tanzania friendship. The CPC and government of China encourage and support both sides to carry out more extensive and in-depth cooperation, especially in the non-governmental sector. We hope that more non-governmental organizations, enterprises and individuals will join the efforts of promoting development, improving people’s livelihood and deepening China-Tanzania friendship for building beautiful homes and sharing prosperity and development with people of Tanzania.

Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania and President of the TCFPA said that Tanzania and China are all-weather good friends and brothers. China’s assistance and support for African countries including Tanzania are sincere and unconditional. He was very glad to see the donations from Chinese civil organizations, and also felt the goodwill and sincerity of the Chinese people. He believed that the non-governmental exchanges between Tanzania and China will usher in a brighter future for the friendship between the two countries.

China Foundation for Peace and Development is a non-governmental organization registered in China, aiming at enhancing mutual understanding between the Chinese people and the people of other countries as well as boosting common development through international non-governmental exchanges and cooperation. Since its establishment in 2011, the organization has launched nearly 60 public welfare projects in 14 countries.

Enditem