By Matṧeliso Phulane
The Lesotho Renewable Energy and Energy Access Project (LRREEAP) has embarked on a campaign to introduce both grid and mini-grid electricity in rural areas around the country as well as in industrial areas such as Ha Belo and Ha Tikoe.
In a recent interview, the coordinator of LREEAP ‘Mathapelo Keke Silase said the LREEAP aims to install grid extension electricity to 12 000 households countrywide, while they have earmarked 8 000 households to be connected with mini-grid electricity in the rural areas.
“Our purpose is to serve rural areas with interim electricity supplies until such time that the Lesotho Electricity Company (L EC) has connected them to its grid,” she said.
In the mini grid, the power to be generated in the area will be distributed to power the households by using solar, water and wind depending on the type of resource available in the chosen areas.
“Feasibility and engineering design studies as well as implementation support from LEC health and safety aspects are already being undertaken,” Silase said.
She further indicated that without energy nothing can be done hence they have considered the struggle that people in rural areas go through in their daily basis.
“The selection criteria for mini grids are the villages not far from the roads, houses that are about 15km away from the LEC grid, access to the road and activities of economic purposes such as schools, health centres and milling,” she added.
Silase added that currently there are about 48-50 percent of people who can’t access electricity hence a plan for the LREEAP to implement the project.
Before the projects being implemented, the plan is to hold entrepreneurship workshops for female lead associations where they will be training them about starting and improving their businesses.
She further explained that they will provide energy efficient appliances that will boost their income generating activities, for instance there are women associations where they produce lotions, petroleum jellies and some are poultry farmers.
“We are going to teach them business prospects, how they can grow them and how they can use energy to increase what they are already doing,” she suggested. In his 2022/2023 budget speech the minister of finance Thabo Sophonea said in order to increase electricity connections in the country, around 5 407 households, businesses and government institutions have been connected with electricity. He said the Lesotho Renewable Energy Access Project will further supply 54 industries and Ha Belo Industrial Zone with electricity.
“The government is also embarking on distributing electricity to the Southern Region of the country and it will undertake the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for construction of Ha Mofoka to Qachas’Nek 132KV Line in the fiscal year.
“LREEAP has also been restructured to connect electricity to 30 additional villages with about 12,500 households. The estimated cost for these households connections is equivalent to M215 million,” Sophonea added in budgetary allocation.
Silase continued that besides electrification there is also a component which is technical assistance with an aim to improve young girls and women’s participations in energy sector in terms of education, entrepreneurship and employment.
Silase was surprised that women are shying away from taking entrepreneurial risks in energy sectors where they can own electricity and engineering companies.
“Imagine, we are only two women in the energy leadership the rest are men, meaning most of the women still have mentality that particular jobs are meant for men. Therefore, we are trying to break the status quo with this project where we will improve women’s participations in entrepreneurship and for young girsl to start adapting scientific subjects in schools to be future project leaders,” she said.
According to Silase, some training s to be offered women will be use of energy saving especially for those living in rural areas. That, she observed, will safe their time for cooking and also to reduce criminal acts like being raped while collecting firewood.
In an interview with the director of African Clean Energy (ACE), Rethabile Mafura, said her company manufactures modern cooking stoves that use biomass, LED lighting, charging phone and radios.
“ACE is providing a high quality solution for both thermal and electricity by addressing essential need of low income households. Four million people die every year from illnesses attributable to household air pollution,” Mafura urged.
She keenly observed the importance of educating power consumers especially women and young girls about the use of clean energy to beat pollution.
The Government of Lesotho prepared LEEAP which links with National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) to address the electricity demand which continues to increase with the view to stimulate the growth in economy and gains in productivity.
It is a seven-year project which was established since 2020 to 2027. It is funded by the World Bank under the ministry of energy and meteorology.
The project is also aimed to create conditions for more effective delivery of public service in Peri- urban and rural areas and contributes to enabling environment for private- sector participation in energy service delivery. There are approximately 665 schools, 64 health facilities, 14 agricultural resource centres, 6,450 small businesses, 940 churches and 188 other public building that lack electricity service.
Meanwhile, the LREEAP on Monday this week began a two-week workshop in Rothe, Maseru meant to empower women to invest in energy production as entrepreneurs.
During the opening of the workshop, the minister of energy and meteorology Mohapi Mohapinyane said the government was willing to assist women to start their business in energy production through the financial support from the World Bank. He said the initiative would empower women with relevant skills in running their businesses.
Again, the aim is to empower women to engage in energy sectors and know more about energy device to use for clean atmosphere, he said.
“There is a huge gap of women in energy sector hence it is our responsibility as the ministry of energy and meteorology to provide enough information regarding the use of energy,” he added.
He encouraged women in the Rothe area to formulate business ideas so as to know which ones could be sponsored.
Some of the envisaged projects are in agricultural farming, poultry farming, washing powder manufacturing and selling dried fruits.
In an interview with Tumisang Mohejane, a member of Mphatlalatsane ea Rothe Association formed by men at Rothe was grateful about the training and “looking forward to gain more skills and knowledge in order to implement the projects.”
He said their project focuses mainly on manufacturing washing powder with the aim to raise funds that will assist orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS.
But there is s dire need for financial support and a site at which the project can be fully implemented.
“On behalf of the association, we urge for the financial support from the LREEAP hence we want to see our business known and flourish in the next five years.” Mohejane indicated.
For her part, Keneuoe Moshetla of Reithabetse Lilala Association said the aim of the organisation is to engage the youth to be actively involved in the development projects. But she regretted the shortage of funding for growing the poultry and piggery faming projects.
