Hydro-electricity transforms a Peruvian village

In the coutryside around Porcon in the Northern Andes local people struggle to feed their families in the harsh winter months. Meagre shacks have dirt floors and plastic sheeting for roofs. At night the temperatures drop below freezing.

In the village of Porcon there was little food, no school, no health care and no hope. Then Practical Action installed a micro hydro-electric scheme and everything changed.

It was not easy to do. The water had to be piped over several miles to the turbine. We supplied the know-how and the local people supplied the labour to build it - together we made it happen. To the people of Porcon electricity means a lot.

It means they can grind their grain in a mill rather than by hand. It means they can dry fruit and vegetables to last them the winter. And it means they can power a school, health centre and workshops. In fact, it has brought a whole community to life.

You can see more video footage as our staff are visiting project work in Peru this month - follow their journey through their blogs and twitter pages. 

► Video: double-click the photograph on the right to view Practical Action's micro-hydro work in Peru

How micro-hydro works Read more about how small-scale hydro power works to change lives. Case study: water-powered computers For a Sri Lankan school facing an energy crisis, a small ‘pico’ hydro scheme has come to the rescue.

Case study: Kenya The Tungu-Kabri micro-hydro power project in Kenya is an example of a cheap, sustainable and small-scale technology. Our work in Peru Read more about Practical Action's work with poor communities in Latin America.

Other energy stories in Small Talk March 2010 :

Podcasting in Zimbabwe |Stove maker in Kenya | Biogas in Sri Lanka |