Solar power will now change our lives, villagers say
Kasulu. Residents of Kagerankanda Village in Kagerankanda Ward, Kasulu District, in Kigoma have witnessed the first ever installation of electric power; a 44 kilowatt solar energy plant in the village.
Ms Doricas Joel, a villager, says her family would buy a small fruit processing machine and add value to their farm products.
“In the past we used to drink juice from industries, but now we are going to process it by ourselves. We will now sell juice and earn money. We have plenty of fruits here,’’ she says.
Over 336 households had their properties connected to solar power while 396 others had been registered for the same purpose as the aim is to reach 1,700 residents in the village, thanks to a solar power project by Power Corner Tanzania Ltd.
The project, launched in the village, means that wealth production opportunities would now increase through processing.
Mr Musa Nyagiye, one of the village residents who is a carpenter, says the time had come for him and colleagues to do away with using jack planes and saws and instead they would use electric machines for sawing and cutting wood.
Apart from switching on lights, watching TV programs and playing the music in her home, the villagers say solar power may raise their economy. Power Corner Tanzania director Frederick Mandy said they had constructed the project after realising that the village was located in a remote area, where, he added, it would take some time to enjoy power services provided by the Rural Energy Authority (REA).
He called upon members of the public to give cooperation so that the firm could keep providing quality services to them. Kigoma Tanesco regional manager Masingija Lugata thanked the firm for installing the solar power plant in the village, saying it would have taken sometime for villager to enjoy Tanesco’s services.
