Auleria Wakudumo
After years of waiting and living without power, community members of Okaonde–Oshitha Shembungu village in the Onesi constituency of Omusati region are celebrating the arrival of electricity for the first time.
It is a development they say has brought hope, dignity and new opportunities.
Onesi constituency councillor Festus Petrus said the electrification of the village followed the government’s broader plan to electrify all schools in Namibia.
He explained that the village received electricity last year when Oshitha Shembungu Primary School, the last school in the constituency without power, was connected.
“With the electrification of that school, all 28 schools in the Onesi constituency now have electricity,” Petrus said.
However, he noted that while schools had power, electricity remained far from surrounding households. As chairperson of the Constituency Development Committee (CDC), Petrus said engagements were initiated with relevant authorities, including the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) and traditional leaders, to ensure electricity reached the people.
“We decided to put a small contribution on the table and asked the authorities to assist us so that our people could finally access electricity,” he said.
Nored responded positively and is currently electrifying two locations, Okandjabona and Ondumbo, with contractors already on-site taking measurements and installing infrastructure. Petrus said the journey was not easy, as requests for electricity in the area date back to 2016, but persistence eventually paid off. He added that another location, Oukwanangaa, is expected to be electrified later this year.
One of the community members, Fillemon Jatileni, described the development as life-changing, saying residents had almost lost hope of ever seeing electricity in their village.
“Most of us were already making plans to pull electricity from Oshitha Shembungu Primary School, even though it is very far from our houses. Then this week, we suddenly saw tractors from Nored working in our village,” he said.
Jatileni said when community members contacted the councillor about the tractors, they were informed that nearby locations were being electrified so residents could finally access power.
Electricity poles now run through Jatileni’s mahangu field, a development he says he fully supports.
“I don’t need to pull electricity from far anymore. They cut my fence where the poles passed, but they already gave me gates. We are cooperating with the officials because this development benefits everyone,” he said.
Residents say electricity will significantly improve daily life. They no longer have to travel long distances to charge mobile phones, cuca shops can sell cold beverages and households can enjoy basic comforts.
“We don’t have to dry fish anymore because we now have electricity,” Jatileni said.
Beyond household use, community members are already planning income-generating activities. Some are considering buying mahangu grinding machines, while Jatileni plans to purchase an electric animal feed mixing machine to support livestock farming.
At the height of the excitement, a video began circulating on social media, particularly on Facebook and TikTok, showing community members celebrating, ululating and praising the government after seeing Nored tractors entering the village.
