FROM a distance, Misheck Mlambo’s thatched kitchen hut appears weak to withstand the next rainy season as it requires refurbishment.
As one draws closer, copper pipes attached to its walls cannot be ignored.
The hissing sound emanating from the tiny hut can also be heard some metres away prompting those new in the area wanting to know more.
Mlambo (44) is one of the many beneficiaries of a biogas project implemented in Mufukwa Village, near Hakatwa area, in rural Chipinge.
“The hissing sound is from a gas stove. I have plenty of it here all from the biogas digester. I just need cow dung and my wife has been cooking using gas. We are no longer scavenging for firewood,” Mlambo said.
The father of seven boasts of a six cubic meter biogas digester installed at his homestead as part of the measures to promote green energy use in rural areas. The exercise is being implemented by the Rural Electrification Fund and funded by development partners among them the United Nations Development Programme and UKaid.
“Modernity has visited Chipinge; we are now using gas for cooking, we have plenty of it this side,” said Mlambo’s wife, Jane Ndina (36).
About 90 homesteads in this area, about 30km east of Checheche growth point, have biogas digesters.
A few kilometres from Mlambo’s homestead lies Hakatwa business centre, an area that is bubbling with activity.
The centre is electrified, thanks to the solar mini grid installed recently that has benefited the community which is near the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border.
About 108 homesteads, a clinic and a primary school in Hakatwa are electrified from the 200kw solar power plant.
As of last week, the beneficiaries were consuming about 108kw of power resulting in an excess of 92kw being lost.
“As you know that the new school curriculum comprises a lot of information and communications technology and without power it was a challenge for both learners and teachers. But we are happy that the local school is electrified and that there is no longer a difference between those learning in urban and rural areas. We exepect the pass rate to improve.
“Moreover, the school will be able to retain teachers. A settled teacher is efficient. It is good to have empowered teachers for the betterment of our children. The learners now attend evening classes and do studying unlike before,” said a community member, More Tumbare, whose three children are enrolled at the electrified Hakatwa Primary School.
The Hakatwa mini solar grid project cost US$960 000.
As part of the project, authorities are set to launch an irrigation scheme that will benefit villagers in the area.
Rural Electrification Fund acting chief executive officer Felistas Makumbinde said the parastatal remains committed to transforming communities through energy provision.
“We remain mandated to the provision of universal access to energy to all the rural areas in the country for economic development and empowerment,” Makumbinde said.
“We are installing solar-powered systems through grid electrification for areas within the grid and electrical infrastructure. We have several ongoing solar projects in each province. Apart from mini solar grids we also have what we call institutional micro solar grids whereby we electrify an institution like a school.
“We then have a solar home system project whereby villagers get solar systems for lighting and charging mobile phones. We are happy that we are on course in achieving the Vision 2030 target in as far as providing energy in the form of electricity to rural areas,” Makumbinde said.
Both solar and biogas projects are being run under the Climate Adaptation, Water and Energy programme.
Government’s Vision 2030 targets to increase the number of households accessing electricity to 72% by 2030 from 52,2%.
Rural households’ access to electricity will also increase to 60% from 27,7%, while urban households’ access will increase to 95% from 86%.
“It is a milestone for all the beneficiaries here in Chipinge in that we have our homesteads electrified. The women are now cooking using electric stoves and the use of other important gadgets.
“The installation of the mini solar grid has made our lives easier; we all love modernity and we hope that other villagers in Chipinge district will benefit like us,” said Debra Mwandipa (32), a beneficiary of the project.
According to the Rural Electrification Fund, more than 10 000 institutions, including government sub offices in rural areas, have been electrified.
Rural Electrification Fund’s planning and technology director Cliff Nhandara said that they are currently implementing several projects in the remote parts of the country.
Notable successful solar mini grids that have improved lives in the rural areas implemented by Rural Electrification Fund include the Chiwe project in Muzarabani (45kw), Chiwore project in Uzumba-Maramba Pfungwe (60kw), Dete project in Hurungwe (120kw), Soti Source project in Gutu (160kw), Gandavaroyi project in Gokwe (96kw) and Beitbridge’s Chitulipasi project (120kw), among others.
Zimbabwe is currently grappling with acute power challenges fuelled by low water levels at Kariba, the country’s largest power generation plant, during the El Niño-induced drought.
The government has licensed independent power producers to increase power generation sources.