Zimbabweans in Remote Areas Embracing Solar Panels
Deep in Vesera village in Mwenezi district in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province, 34-year-old Albert Chindiro emerges from his pole and dagga thatched hut holding a medium size solar panel which he positions on the roof to recharge solar batteries for lighting when night falls.
The house of neighbour Alphios Mhike is linked to power lines from the state energy utility, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), but has long been disconnected from the after Mhike failed to keep up payments for prepaid electricity supplies. He too has now turned to solar energy.
For many countryside residents in Zimbabwe, the move to embrace solar energy comes at a time when the United Nations is encouraging countries the world over to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Kevin T. Houle