By Joseph Mbughi
SunnyMoney, a social enterprise, says it is committed to providing clean energy access in remote communities and improving the welfare of women that are organized in groups commonly known as Veseles in Chitipa.
The organization said this on Tuesday during a meeting that with district executive committee (DEC) in Chitipa district.
Speaking in interview, SunnyMoney region coordinator Christopher Kasambala said their aim is to increase rural electrification rate by providing low income households with access to affordable energy through service model.
“In partnership with local leaders, households are going be grouped into clusters and portable plug and play systems will be installed with no upfront payment, and customers pay for energy consumed paying MK70 for energy to be used in one day,” Kasambala said.
He said they will be distributing 20 solar lamps in schools and health facilities so that the number of school going children that study at night should be increased and that health personnel should be able to assist patients using the light.
“Through the project that is called Mai Wala it is going to help women to build resilience from various shocks that they face in daily life through setting up small scale energy businesses and provision of financial literacy education so as to build capacity of running the businesses,” he said.
In his remarks, Chitipa district council acting director of planning and development (DPD) Franklin Mwalwanda commended SunnyMoney for the program, saying the use of solar energy will help to conserve environment.
He said as SunnyMoney will be working with Veseles, this will help women economically and in turn help in the development of the district.
SunnyMoney will be implementing its across Malawi with 170-million-kwacha support from Solar Aid.
