N$28 million project brings electricity to Hakahana settlement - nbc скачать в хорошем качестве

N$28 million project brings electricity to Hakahana settlement - nbc

The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, the Omaruru Town Council, and Erongo RED have co-funded a project worth N$28 million to electrify 290 homes in the Hakahana settlement at Omaruru. Life was difficult for residents in the Hakahana settlement before they had access to electricity. According to Anna Hawanga, they "used to go into the bush to collect firewood and cook in the open when there was no electricity. It was hard. Electricity has transformed my life, and I'm happy because I can now cook on the stove." Another resident, Josephina Hamundaba, shared that "I have lived here for more than ten years. I used to walk long distances to collect firewood. But today I am so thankful that Erongo Red has brought us power. We couldn't charge our phones or keep food in fridges." The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development contributed N$16 million to the project, while Erongo Red and the Omaruru Town Council provided N$8 million and N$4 million, respectively. Representing Minister James Sankwasa, his Special Advisor, Dr. Simasiku Mutumba, highlighted how government entities rely on one another to achieve development goals for communities. "This is your moment; take pride in this development, protect it, and use it to build a better future for your families. Let Hakahana be a shining example of unity, cooperation, and progress. Let us continue working together – the central government, the private sector, and, most importantly, our communities – to ensure that every Namibian has access to the tools needed to succeed in our quest for development for all." Erongo RED CEO Tino !Hanabeb revealed that it has allocated N$8 million to electrify more homes in the settlement within the next six months. "We are going to invest another eight million dollars, and in the following year, we'll add another eight million, because our plan is to continue doing things that will improve people's lives." He added that "they have already done the costing, the mapping, the layout – everything. The homework is complete. What's left now is construction: planting poles, bringing cables, installing transformers, connecting households—and, at the end of the day, switching on our electricity again. That's it; we won't need to talk about electrification in Hakahana anymore. Next, we'll focus on water, sewerage, and other services." The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development considers the electrification project a milestone, as the last recorded electrification initiative in Omaruru took place in 2013.