Residents of Afranshie, a farming community under the Beposo Electoral Area in the Shama Municipality, remain in darkness as residents continue to live without electricity.
Frustrated by years of neglect, they are calling on the government to finally connect them to the nati onal grid, as the absence of power forces many, especially the youth, to migrate to urban areas in search of better opportunities.
As dusk falls, cities across Ghana come alive with glowing lights, bustling businesses, and students diligently studying under the brilliance of electric bulbs. But in Afransie, nightfall brings nothing but silence and darkness.
This rural community, home to hundreds, has no electricity. Residents endure nights without the hum of refrigerators, the cooling breeze of ceiling fans, or the simple pleasure of watching television.
Instead, they embark on long treks to Beposo, a neighboring town, just to charge their mobile phones or catch up on the latest news on TV. A temporary relief came in the form of a solar-powered streetlight, but even that has long since broken down, plunging Afranshie back into darkness.
Children’s education is one of the most affected by the electricity crisis in Afransie. Sandra Adjebozi, a concerned mother, reveals how her 15-year-old daughter struggles to study at night under the dim glow of candlelight, an environment far from ideal for learning.
“My child uses touch to study and when she does not return early from school, she does not study l fear it will affect her eyes. The absence electricity in this community makes life difficult?”
Afransie’s challenges go beyond electricity. The only borehole in the village, their primary source of water, has been broken for months, leaving residents desperate for clean drinking water.
Residents are compelled to share a ground water which passes across the road to the community with their livestock posing serious health threat.
Mr Adane Boakye, the Assembly Member for Beposo Electoral Area, has voiced his frustration over the authorities’ continued neglect of the community.
“We have petitioned the ECG multiple times, but no action has been taken. Am still lobbying with the new Member of Parliament so she helps in facilitating the process in getting electricity, because Afranse is not alone. There are lots of communities under my electoral area which are yet to be connected to the grid,” he stated.
The plight of the people of Afransie is a stark reminder of the growing divide between urban progress and rural neglect.
The plea of people of Afransie is for government to come to their aid.
