Thursday, 4 April 2024
News — REAESWA kick starts Community Mobilisation Programme for Africa Minigrids Program (AMP Eswatini)
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The Renewable Energy Association of Eswatini (REAESWA) has kick started a Community Mobilisation Program for the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) Eswatini as part of a cooperation agreement signed with the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) which is the Implementing partner of the AMP in Eswatini to ensure the efficient implementation of the project through a robust and inclusive approach.
As part of its inception activities, REAESWA went on a site visit on the 2nd of April 2024 to the remote Mvundla and Bulimeni communities in Manzini region to gather relevant site information on the project. The field visit was also an opportunity for REAESWA to meet site representatives and community members and to interact with some of the AMP program stakeholders.
Speaking on the sidelines of the community meeting Mvundla community representative Sthembile Khumalo said , “We are excited to meet yet another stakeholder who will work with our community , having recently met SEDCO who came through to identify potential business opportunities for our minigrid late last year.We are confident that REAESWA will help us to understand more about our minigrid and how it reacts to different weather patterns amongst other issues.Hence we look forward to a symbiotic and fruitful relationship with REAESWA.
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Mphumelelo Gwebu who is the Project Lead of REAESWA also remarked on how the site visit outlined the the high potential that minigrids have for Productive Use of Energy through the promotion of business activities within the minigrid which can create employment and improve livelihoods amongst many other socio-economic benefits. Following the site visit, REAESWA participated in a lesson’s learning workshop with the project communications consultant, Arundale Communications to discuss the program scope, relevant interventions and to align work plans in areas of cooperation. AMP representatives also participated in the workshop to offer strategic guidance.
Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop the Chairperson of REAESWA Dr Constance van Zuydam said “…this workshop was a platform for the fusion of ideas and alignment to the program’s integral components. I am confident that it has paved the way for the expedious implementation of the AMP Community Mobilisation Program by the REAESWA team.
REAESWA will offer capacity building and awareness raising activities and will help forge strategic partnerships and networks for AMP Eswatini as encapsulated in its MOU with ESERA.
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