Residents of Sikondo Village in Kavango West have collected about N$400,000 towards their collective goal to electrify their homes. Still, they remain a long way from reaching the required close to N$3 million to see this dream realised. 

They have now turned to the government, pleading for the state to meet them halfway through the rural electrification programme. 

For the past six years now, the residents have gathered occasionally to deliberate on how to bring electricity to their community and have accordingly begun to contribute financially towards the goal.

The residents have opened an account at NORED, and the paperwork shows that, with financial assistance from Gondwana Collections, they have managed to deposit about N$400,000 in total into the electricity distributors' account. 

But this is not near enough. 

NORED will only electrify the neighbourhood once they have honoured the entire N$3 million. 

Apart from the green scheme, lodges, and two schools located in the village, residents say the majority of households do not have access to electricity. 

The locals emphasised that they have tried approaching various leadership in the region for assistance, but the only feedback has been a lack of money. 

An official in the Ministry of Mines and Energy's electricity directorate says they have been receiving a lot of similar requests from communities countrywide. 

The ministry is currently working on structures to electrify all households by 2040. 

Residents of Sikondo village are now being asked to remain patient, as their complaints have not fallen on deaf ears.

The ministry says it's just a matter of following proper procedures and acquiring the financial resources. 

Apart from assisting Sikondo residents with funds for electricity, Gondwana Collection also joined hands with the community to build a kindergarten, supply potable water, and set up income-generating projects.