Luena — At least 81,000 families in seven rural areas in Moxico Province will benefit this year from electricity through housing units equipped with photovoltaic systems, a programme supported by the Global Environment Fund.

The programme, called "Promoting Access to Sustainable Energy in Southwest Angola", will cost approximately 3.5 million dollars.

The pilot phase of the project will take place in that province.

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Speaking to the press on Tuesday at the workshop to present the project, its general coordinator, Nádia Bernardo Cristóvão, explained that it aims to provide electric light to streets and residences in seven rural areas of Moxico, such as the municipalities of Lucusse, Léua, Cangumbe, Cangamba, Lumbala Nguimbo, the commune of Cassamba, as well as the locality of Tchitali.

With the goal of ensuring preventive maintenance of the equipment, based on a program led by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Energy and Water, the official reported that 100 young women were trained to work in the conservation of the equipment.

She revealed that the project will also focus on areas of entrepreneurship, by supporting women so that they can start small businesses.

In turn, the secretary of State for Sustainable Climate Action, Nascimento da Costa Alexandre Soares, said that the project will give a new image and life to the rural communities of this eastern region of Angola, thus contributing to the direct reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Vice-Governor of Infrastructure and Technical Services of Moxico, Wilson Augusto, praised the choice of the province for the implementation of the pilot phase, given that local rural communities need this resource, fundamentally because it is clean energy.

At the end of the event, solar energy maintenance equipment was given to the trained women, as well as the delivery of their course completion certificates.