Whats New
Increasing access to electricity in the Kilamba Kiaxi and Viana
USAID, in partnership with Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) and in collaboration with the Empresa de Distribuição de Electricidade (EDEL), is promoting access to electricity in the Kilamba Kiaxi and Viana Municipalities of Luanda. On June 15th, 2006, BFA and USAID signed a Memorandum of Understanding marking the initiation of the Electricity Access Program over the next three years.
The Luanda periphery and most of Angola does not have formal access to electricity, and this is affecting economic growth, education, and the quality of life of the population. This program aims to facilitate participatory planning processes, involving EDEL, municipal officials and the people of Kilamba Kiaxi in making decisions related to electricity services, and promote the use of electricity for business expansion and improved service delivery. It will be implemented via a system that supports a micro-finance scheme, prepaid meters, and other mechanisms to make electricity more affordable for the residents of the two municipalities. Socially, the program is working towards the establishment of a democratic culture to improve governance, expand transparency, accountability and participation at the grassroots level, providing the social tools for dealing with conflict in non-violent ways.
To complement the program, USAID will also support a partnership between EDEL and a Brazilian utility, COELBA, to allow the two utilities to share lessons learned and further strengthen community outreach activities. It is hoped that by the end of the program more residents will be connected to the electrical network; more health clinics and schools will have access to reliable electricity; greater household income and business profitability; and strong, active, and constructive relationships between communities, their governments and electricity service providers.
Program partners share a common belief in the power of electricity to spur economic development. Electricity helps businesses to expand. It brings light and modern technologies to schools, runs life-saving equipment at hospitals and clinics, and enhances security by energizing street lights. By allowing televisions and computers into homes, citizens will be kept better informed. This program will help accelerate Angola's progress on its path to creating a country in which all citizens have an opportunity to prosper.
