SINGIDA: For decades, residents of Simanjiro Hamlet in Maweni Village, Manyoni District, relied on torches and battery-powered lamps to light their homes while travelling long distances to access electricity-dependent services.
That changed on July 17 after the Rural Energy Agency (REA) commissioned electricity in the hamlet, with residents saying the connection is expected to improve livelihoods, expand business opportunities and enhance access to education and other essential services.
The project was officially launched by the Chairman of the Rural Energy Board (REB), Ambassador Major General (Rtd) Jacob Kingu.
Residents said reliable electricity would encourage entrepreneurs to establish small industries and businesses, creating jobs for young people while reducing the cost and inconvenience of travelling to neighbouring areas for basic services.
"I am 58 years old, and I never thought I would see electricity reach our community," said resident Peter Kiruma. "This gives us hope that investors will establish small industries here, creating employment opportunities for our youth."
Another resident, Rehema Chiduma, said women in the village had for years carried bags of grain over long distances to access milling services because there were no electricity-powered machines nearby.
"With electricity now available, we expect milling businesses and other services to be established within the village, making life much easier for us," she said.
For parents such as Elimika Nanachi, the greatest benefit is expected to be improved learning conditions for children.
"Our children will now study at night under electric lights instead of relying on torches and small lamps. This is a major change for our community," she said.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Mr Kingu described electricity as an essential service that should be accessible to all Tanzanians regardless of where they live or the type of houses they occupy.
He said households that have not yet completed internal wiring would benefit from the UMETA (Ready Electricity) initiative, which provides a ready-to-use electricity connection solution to enable residents to begin accessing power.
Mr Kingu also urged residents to protect electricity infrastructure and report acts of vandalism to the relevant authorities to ensure uninterrupted service.
Earlier, representing the REA Director General, engineer Thomas Mmbaga said Manyoni District has 279 hamlets, of which 157 have already been connected to electricity.
He said another 53 hamlets are at various stages of electrification under the HEPIIA and HEPIIB programmes, which aim to expand electricity access to underserved rural communities.
The expansion is expected to support economic activity, improve the delivery of social services and accelerate rural development by increasing access to reliable electricity across the district.
