Lives of communities around Mantchewe in Mzimba are thriving all due to an innovation of hydro- generated electricity by John Sailesi, a form four school leaver, who graduated with a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) in 2006. Using old tyre rims to make turbines, Sailesi is able to generate hydro- electric power, which he is supplys to communities and institutions around Mantchewe.

Principal Group Village Head Mkandapansi has nothing but praise for the locally generated electricity, saying it has livened up lives and contributed to the growth of economic activity in the area. According to the chief, because of the electricity, people in the area are able to follow current affairs through watching of television and operate small scale businesses such barber shops, a maize mill, and grocery stores, where they sell cold drinks.

Again, the area has other medium enterprises such as a mushroom farm, a lodge and jewelry business that are also operating using the locally generated electricity. Yewo Jewerly is a company co-owned by an American couple Kyle Snell and Maddy McAllister says for a long time, before the Chipopoma hydro electricity, they only relied on solar electricity which they admitted, has its limitations and affected their business.

According to the co-owner, Maddy, says their business which uses electric machinery to manufacture jewelry is finding convenience in the Chipopoma electricity, thereby creating value for the business and the local people which it employees as jewelry artisans to empower economically. McAllister says their business which exports most of its products overseas, helps generate foreign currency for the nation.

So in a way, the Chipopoma hydro electricity also assist the country to get the much needed forex. John Sailesi, the innovator himself, also runs a maize mill and says before the self-generated electricity, women would travel long distances to access grain milling services.

He says to help solve the problem, he decided to put up a maize mill which is more efficient and cost effective when compared with a diesel powered maize mill plant. Priscilla Kaula, a resident of Mantchewe expressed gratitude to Sailesi for introducing electricity in the area but also for setting of the maize mill plant, saying life is much better with the innovation.

Apart from the above mentioned beneficiaries, Sailesi also cited farm Mantchewe police post, a primary school, two lodges and 113 houses from seven surrounding villages as beneficiaries of the Chipopoma hydro electricity.  To be connected, customers pay K35, 000 and a monthly K3, 500 which Sailesi uses for maintenance of the plant.

Currently, Sailesi says he is able to generate 53 kilowatts/ volts, which is more than what f his community needs so much that he throws away the extra power. He says with a dam in place, he would be able to produce more electricity to power even more houses.

“Constructing a dam would help me produce more electricity and I could contribute even up to 5 (five) megawatts to the nation electrical power grid, which could power many houses,” he said. For Sailesi, the dream is big and he has already embarked on opening other hydro generation sites to ensure more people in his area and beyond are connected.

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