Grassroots Developmental Imprints Through Electrical Energy Production and Distribution in Kururu, Cameroon
Tende Renz Tichafogwe,
Ndzie Souga Clotaire,
Woregwe Emmerencia Edam
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2018
Pages:
64-71
Received:
15 July 2018
Accepted:
1 August 2018
Published:
29 August 2018
Abstract: Significant quantities of Energy Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa are still unexploited due to derisory technological savoir faire and funding. Close to 75% of Cameroon's electric power is obtained from hydropower schemes while the rest comes from other renewable energy sources. Despite these vast energy potentials, access to, and distribution of, electrical energy is a herculean task, especially in rural areas. Faced with acute electricity shortages and unreliable supply, the people of the Kururu village have sought for a means to produce and distribute local electrical energy. This article x-rays the strategies put in place by the local community to salvage their inadequate electricity supply. The paper advocates that local communities can synergize to develop their areas. Data collection in the Kururu village was done through the administration of questionnaires, field observation and focus group discussions. Also, 483 inhabitants of the Kururu village representing a 20% sample were questioned. A total of 53 households were administered questionnaires from the 265 households which make up the entire population. Results from findings revealed that a 9m2 surface area and 1.7m deep dam was constructed to generate some 25 to 30KW of electricity. This enabled six out of eight neighbourhoods of the Kururu village to be electrified through two distribution centres. Some 67% of funds for the electricity project were supplied by the ADEID non-governmental organization, 22% from the local community and 11% from the village development associations. The presence of electricity has led to the establishment of businesses which have enhanced socio-economic development in the area. Accessibility to electricity has also upgraded the learning process in the area and abridged the rate of rural exodus. This paper endorses that four additional electricity distribution centres be created, in order to reduce the shortages of electricity and ensure a steady supply in all the quarters of Kururu.
Abstract: Significant quantities of Energy Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa are still unexploited due to derisory technological savoir faire and funding. Close to 75% of Cameroon's electric power is obtained from hydropower schemes while the rest comes from other renewable energy sources. Despite these vast energy potentials, access to, and distribution of, e...
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