Kacstone Record’s, a private entertainment and talent management company, has supported the Nakolo–Kaporinia community in the Kassena-Nankana West District with GH¢8,800.00 to help complete a community-initiated electricity extension project.
The support, which forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, is to enable the farming community to complete the extension and connect to the national electricity grid.
For more than a decade, communal efforts to bring power to the area had proved futile, leaving residents outside the rural electrification programme and without access to electricity.
Mr Thomas Bugase, a youth activist who has been leading appeals for support, said residents had worked tirelessly for years to mobilise funds to purchase electricity poles and other materials for the project.
“We started organising ourselves in 2012 to request electricity extension, but we were not able to get the needed support from the government or NGOs,” he said.
He explained that through communal contributions, residents were earlier able to secure six electricity poles to extend power from Nakolo Primary School, enabling a few households to drill boreholes to support vegetable farming.
Encouraged by that progress, the community further mobilised resources and purchased 12 additional poles to extend electricity to other parts of the community and a women’s meeting centre.
Mr Bugase said the community required about GH¢16,700 to cover the cost of cables, workmanship and other installation materials needed to connect the poles to the national grid.
Although the community raised part of the amount through internal contributions and donations from individuals, a funding gap remained.
Following an appeal to Kacstone Record’s, the company donated GH¢8,800, helping the community secure the remaining funds needed to complete the project.
“The whole community is excited because this support will help us complete the payment to the contractor and connect our community to the national grid,” he said.
Mr Bugase said access to electricity would enable residents to drill more boreholes for irrigation to support dry-season vegetable farming, including pepper, cabbage and onions.
Mr Michael Asagewe, Assembly Member for the Nakolo Electoral Area, said several appeals made to the District Assembly did not yield favourable results, compelling the community to initiate the project themselves.
“We realised that relying solely on government electrification projects could delay the process, so we decided to appeal to individuals who have community development at heart,” he said.
Mrs Nancy Denia, a resident speaking on behalf of the women, said electricity would empower women in the community to start small businesses and improve their livelihoods.
Mr Raymond Adda, speaking on behalf of Mr Wenawome Duriyem Aborah, Managing Director of Kacstone Record’s, said the company decided to support the initiative after conducting a needs assessment in the community.
He said the assessment confirmed that residents had already taken concrete steps by erecting electricity poles through communal labour and contributions.
“It is clear that the community has started something by themselves, and we are motivated by that to also come in and support what they have already begun to enhance the livelihoods of the people, given that electricity is a need and not a want,” he said.
Pe Gedeon Aloah, the Chief of Nakolo, expressed appreciation to the company for the gesture and prayed for blessings upon its management.
He noted that as a border community with Burkina Faso, creating economic opportunities for the youth was important to prevent them from migrating in search of jobs and exposing themselves to violent extremists.
