In Kan Seik, a remote village in Myanmar's Dedaye township in Ayeyarwady region, nights were once completely dark. Families cooked over firewood stoves and relied on flashlights for basic tasks after sunset.

For villagers, the idea of having electricity around the clock felt like a distant dream.

Now, thanks to a solar mini-grid and a reliable water supply system, funded by Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, about 150 homes in Kan Seik village are enjoying steady electricity and clean running water.

"Before the solar mini-grid system was completed, we used firewood for cooking. Now, we can use electric cookers. This saves time spent searching for firewood and is also good for the environment," said U Kyi Lin, a member of the Kan Seik Village Electrification Committee.

"If we wanted to watch TV, we had to start a generator. Even going to the toilet at night meant using a torchlight. Without electricity, it felt like we were blind," he added.

Located far from the nearest town and close to the Andaman Sea, Kan Seik was one of the last places anyone expected to see electrification. According to U Kyi Lin, many nearby villages, even those closer to towns, still live without power.

"Now, we have 24-hour electricity. We're always thankful to the governments of Myanmar and China, the countries of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, and all the stakeholders who made this possible," he said.

"Even in towns and cities, the power sometimes goes out. But here, we get electricity all day and night," U Kyi Lin said on Sunday during the ceremony to mark the completion of the project.

As of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, only 2,984 of 11,860 villages in the Ayeyarwady region have access to electricity. This included 2,927 villages connected to the national grid and 57 served by mini-grid systems.

For the families in Kan Seik, daily life used to be a struggle. Firewood had to be gathered or bought, oil lamps and batteries frequently replaced, and children studied under dim light.

"It took so much time and effort. We were tired," said Daw San San Yin, a 43-year-old resident.

Everything changed with the completion of the Kan Seik Village Solar Mini-grid Electricity Supply and Water Supply Distribution System Project.

With constant electricity, villagers have replaced firewood with electric stoves and ovens. Food can now be stored in refrigerators.

Small businesses like welding shops and ice-making units are operating without generators, creating local jobs.

Shops have modernized too. Ko Kyaw Lin, 58, who runs a store near the village school, used to bring in ice from other towns. "Now, we have our own refrigerator," he said. "We can store and sell ice packs ourselves."

Streetlights have made it safer to walk at night. Students can study under bright lights, and young people are using the internet to learn new skills, he added.

Ayeyarwady Region Chief Minister Tin Maung Win said the project, which provides round-the-clock electricity to about 750 residents, is helping strengthen local businesses, contributing to the village's long-term development.

He added that having electricity has greatly improved access to education and healthcare, and the new water system would help prevent waterborne diseases, promoting better public health outcomes for the community.

Union Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development U Hla Moe also expressed his deep gratitude to the Chinese government for its generous support, saying that their contribution made the socio-economic development of the village with the project possible.

"We sincerely hope for continued partnership in advancing rural development initiatives," he added.