Ministry of Information and Media Director and Spokesperson, Henry Kapata says the electrification of rural communities has helped to promote entrepreneurship among local people.
Mr Kapata said the country has seen more rural communities engaging in lucrative businesses since the government’s decision to connect communities to the National power grid through the Rural Electrification Authority (REA).
Mr Kapata observed that even far-flung areas that had no hope of having electricity are now enjoying the benefits of having electricity.
ZANIS reports that Mr Kapata explained that the government desires to see local people have electricity, adding that it will help to transform communities and educate the rural-urban migration.
” We understand the challenges you were facing to run your business using generators, we have now come to cushion the high cost of running businesses by connecting to electricity to rural communities,” he noted
Mr Kapata said the government, through REA and Zesco, have helped to improve thousands of livelihoods of people in communities.
” As a government we are happy to have people running viable businesses such as butcheries, salons and barbershops this way poverty levels will be reduced in rural communities,” he noted
Mr Kapata said this when he visited Maheba Boarding Secondary School in Kalumbila District, where he was impressed with how the school is utilising electricity to sustain itself.
He has expressed confidence that once more schools are connected to electricity across the country, learning will be made easy.
” We understand the challenges you were facing when you had no electricity but the government has come to your aid and ensured that you run projects that will sustain you,” Mr Kapata said.
REA Engineer Moonga Muungo stated that the authority is happy to see the benefits of connecting electricity in rural communities.
He said North-Western is among the provinces that are receiving a fair share of projects under REA.
Mr Muungo disclosed that the electrification of Maheba Boarding Secondary School was made possible through the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR) at a cost of K16.3m, which will see Maheba A, B and Jangaimo areas benefiting.
” This project will not only benefit public facilities such as schools, markets and health facilities but households and business centres will also benefit, ” he noted
Meanwhile,Provincial Permanent Secretary Col Grandson Katambi (rtd) has thanked REA for ensuring that the province gets a fair share of projects.
Col. Katambi is optimistic that once the projects are completed, the Province will see people venturing into businesses that will help generate income for their families.
Maheba Boarding Secondary School Acting Headteacher Musanya Musanya has hailed REA and Zesco for installing electricity at the school.
Mr Musanya said the coming of electricity to the school has helped to reduce the cost of running the school.
He disclosed that the school depended on a generator for electricity.
” We were spending K90,000 per month but thank you to REA we are now only spending K10,000 a month on electricity this is a big relief to use,” he added
Mr Musanya has expressed confidence that the availability of electricity will improve learning performance.
” Our children are now able to learn computers without any challenges and have adequate time to study,” he said
Has further appealed to the government through REA and ZESCO to continue transforming community members in the Meheba and surrounding areas.
