“We waited for many years for electricity, and we never thought that we could one day have energy in our homes. With energy we will be able to have the opportunity to develop our village, as first we will have the houses and some streets surrounding the station's headquarters lit up, at the same time many business possibilities will open up, which will help to accelerate the development plans”, said the head of the Muite administrative post – Afonso Camueque

In a first phase, a total of 1500 electrical energy connections will be developed in the administrative posts of Muite and Milhana, on a network extension of 30.4 km of low voltage and 5.5 km of medium voltage, through the construction of mini grids powered by solar panels and batteries. This initiative is the result of collaboration between FUNAE (Fundo de Energia) and Enabel in Mozambique, which aims to bring sustainable electricity to homes, schools, health centers, commercial establishments, police stations, churches, and public lighting in the two administrative posts.

To monitor the progress of the ongoing construction works, a joint team composed of Enabel and FUNAE visited both locations. They held meetings with various local stakeholders, such as the district administrator, head of station and a delegation of the local community. On the occasion, the Administrator of the Mecuburi district M. Orlando Pedro Muaievano was very optimistic about the installation of the project in the two administrative posts in his district. According to the Administrator, the entry into operation of the mini grids will galvanize the economy. It will bring significant changes in the respective locations, as these are regions where, without this joint effort by Enabel and FUNAE, it would be difficult for the population to dream of electricity in their homes and communities.

The original plan was to visit the two mini-grid plants, but due to the difficult weather and road conditions it was only possible to reach Muite.  It was not possible to reach Milhana, because a truck got stuck on one of the small bridges on the access road to Milhana, blocking the whole road.


The happiness and expectations of the population of Muite

Upon arrival at the Muite Administrative Post, where one of the mini-grid plants is being built, the mission was received with joy by the head of the post along with Muite's community leaders. The presence of Enabel and FUNAE representation filled the local population with hope, and they followed the visit closely to understand all the aspects covered during the mission.

The head of the post – M. Afonso Camueque, representing the entire population of Muite, expressed his satisfaction with the possibility of having electricity at the headquarters of his administrative post. He spoke about how this great milestone will impact the life of the Muite community, through creating business opportunities and improving quality of life.
“With electricity, we will be able to have the opportunity to develop our village. As first, we will have the houses and some streets surrounding the station headquarters lit up, at the same time as many business possibilities are opening up, which will help to accelerate implementation of our development plans. Traders can now think about increasing the volumes of products that need to be stored in the cold thus increasing their business. Fishermen will be able to guarantee the conservation of their fish.”

The head of the post continued talking about the advantages that electricity will bring to education and health in his village and how this will influence change.
“Currently we only have one shift, which is daytime, but with access to energy, the schools will be able to start organizing classes in two shifts, daytime and nighttime. This even opens the possibility of starting with adult literacy training. At the hospital, our maternity ward is dark, and it is difficult to deliver babies at night. By having energy, women can give birth in safe conditions during any moment of the day, and we can improve the conservation of vaccines. ”
The head of the station concluded by saying: “We are very happy and proud, because everything here is going to grow. The population around the town could grow due to the electricity and we will have more options such as entertainment places, people can now do business.” 

In addition to the head of the post, the queen of the village, Ms Joana Manuel and representing the women of the community, was one of the happiest voices with the installation of the Muite mini grid. She states that the electrification of the administrative post headquarters will add value to the entire community as it will bring development and increased business to the population of Muite.
Queen Joana says: “I am very happy with the visit we received today, because it shows that we will certainly have electricity at our station. With energy, we will be able to have the opportunity to freeze our fish that is brought from the river and this way it will no longer rot even if it comes out in large quantities, and we can also have the opportunity to have mills and other things that need energy to function.” 

Still on this mission, we had the opportunity to visit and talk to Mr. Alifo Pedro Macassa at his home. He is a peasant and owner of one of the 1451 residences that are intended to be connected to the two solar mini grids. Resident of the Muite community and future beneficiary of the electricity generated by the Muite plant, he is very happy with the implementation of the infrastructure and the possibility of soon having electricity in his home. He tells us that with electricity, life will no longer be the same because you will be able to have lighting in your home. You will also be able to purchase electrical appliances that can improve your life and that of your family, as well as you can think about opening a business with electricity (for example through the purchase of a freezer).
 “With the energy that I will have soon, my life and that of my family will definitely change because first I will be able to light my house and I will install 4 lamps, I will be able to charge my phone in my house, I can now think about buying a television to be able to watch the news and then a freezer to be able to preserve my food such as fish taken from the Lúrio River and even create a business to improve our lives.”

In addition to the construction of the mini-grid plant in Muite, the construction of a fountain around the plant is underway. This fountain could serve as a reinforcement to the water supply system for the residents and improve health conditions in that administrative post. 

These testimonies show how hopeful the population of Muite is about receiving electricity, as they have spent many years (and decades) hoping to have one day electricity in their homes with all the benefits that this can bring.

These actions fall within the scope of the Renewable Energy for Rural Development project, Phase 2 (RERD2+) implemented by Enabel in partnership with FUNAE in the development and operation of sustainable energy services in rural areas.