Senkobo Village Embrace Solar Power

RESIDENTS of Senkobo Village in Chief Musokotwane’s Chiefdom of Kazungula district have taken the initiative of rural electrification in their own hands with solar power initiative.

Senkobo Village doesn’t have electricity despite being located only about 25 KM away from Livingstone town.

And haven’t they been a worried community because of lack of electricity? Well, they wouldn’t have come up with the idea of developing a power system of their own.

Last year around July, the residents decided to start a monthly contribution of k30 per month so that they would buy communal Solar power system.

The idea had the approval of the chief, who at the time said he would help his community fulfill their project.

Twelve months down the line, Senkobo village has achieved a milestone project, one that has neighboring villages admiring and probably jealous of too.

Speaking on Friday, 21^st September 2018 during the official presentation of the solar power system to the entire village, Chief Musokotwane couldn’t hide his happiness over the project.

” If I say that I am not proud of you people and headman of Senkobo then I will be deceiving my inner convictions,” he said.

Chief Musokotwane hoped that the project would not the last of its kind for the community but the beginning of many in his community.

“I hope it will not end on Solar power only, I hope my community continues to work hard without having to wait for someone to do something for them,” he said.

And if you think the Chief was the only person happy about the achievement then then you could be misled.

Villagers themselves were seen singing and admiring the solar system set on the western side of the rail line, 600 Mm away from Great South Road.

One Luckson Mutinta, a villager of Senkobo said the village had never seen a machine like that.

“We are told that the machine will help Milling maize and we will no longer have to send our phone to Livingstone for charging because it will do all that,” he said.

The Solar power initiative comes at a time when other Villages are benefiting from Rural Electrification Programme.

Speaking earlier own during the presentation of the solar energy to the community, the village headman of Senkobo Village Mr Gorge Chinyama called on his subjects to protect and keep a vigilant eye on the solar energy that the village had come up with.

Mr Chinyama said that was their money and that’s the more reason they had to protect it.

“Don’t be allowing your animals to be playing around here because we will disturb this project,” he said.

He further warned those who had tendencies of stealing community properties to be conscious and feel pity for those who contributed towards the realization of the project.