Electrification project of a school and localities isolated from the conventional electricity network, by a solar photovoltaic system in Benin
With the support of Synergie Solaire, the project of electrification of a school and localities isolated from the conventional electricity network, by a photovoltaic solar system, is carried by ODES, member of IDAY-Benin and Énergie Pour Tous (EPT), French foundation.
This project is driven by a solicitation of the local authorities and the communities having had knowledge of the previous actions of EPT, providing access to electricity by providing material and a sustainable support to the most deprived populations. Moreover, this request follows the positive results obtained in the evaluations of previous projects, especially at the school level. Indeed, the evaluation done in the previously electrified schools has shown that the performance indicators in these schools have considerably increased.
Context
Since 2006, the Government of Benin has prioritized increasing the availability of and access to energy. This national policy is one of the main ways to reduce poverty. In this context, the increased deployment of renewable energy is considered a major focus. However, despite the national action plans implemented in recent years, the energy sector in Benin remains underdeveloped. While there is a growing demand for electricity in Benin, the number of households connected to the national grid remains low, particularly in rural areas. The Energy Information System of the Ministry in charge of energy in Benin notes that in 2020, the electrification rate is 68% in urban areas compared to 6.4% in rural areas. Thus, due to the low population density, the small number of houses and the remoteness of the various infrastructures, many schools in Benin are still not electrified.
Problems for children and their families
Students live in homes with little or no electricity, mostly lighting themselves with candles or oil lamps. This results in many problems, especially in education, as children have difficulty studying at night and writing is less well mastered. These problems affect the academic performance of students. It was necessary to provide a solution to the children to improve their schooling and education.
Solution
From this observation was born the principle of this project: to distribute daily a lamp to each child, this lamp being recharged naturally by the sun during the day while the child is at school.
Some villages also benefit from the project, notably the lakeside villages of Ganvié and Veky, where the technology and cost of electrification by the conventional national grid is beyond the reach of the Beninese government. The energy problem of all these villages is real, considerably preventing certain development factors from acting, notably school education.
Impacts of the project
Family
> Use of light by all members of the household. The lamps will light the house and thus facilitate the life of women who have developed income-generating activities during the day.
> Facilitation of inter-family exchanges and the realization of daily tasks.
> Obligation to send the child to school to have light every day.
Health
> Reduction of respiratory diseases in children and adults: by reducing the release of harmful substances and fine particles (from kerosene lamps, candles, lanterns and generators) the members of the household will suffer less from lung problems. This is especially true for women who spend much of their time at home and children who are less resistant to this health problem.
Environment
> Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and protection of the environment by replacing oil lamps with solar lamps.
> Raising awareness among children and their families about the benefits of using solar lamps on the environment and the dangers of abandoning batteries in nature.
Gender equality
> The distribution of solar lamps will be done in an equal way between girls and boys. However, particular attention will be paid to the regularity of schooling for little girls, whom mothers tend to keep with them in their homes for housework. A follow-up with parents will be carried out for the most vulnerable girls who are absent from school too regularly. During meetings with pedagogical teams and parents’ associations, the project team will make sure to pay attention to the specificities linked to gender.
Safety
> Elimination of the risk of fires and burns caused by kerosene lamps, candles or lanterns.
Communication
> Facilitation of access to means of communication: the system allows for the charging of telephones for the teachers of these schools, which allows them to have access to professional information such as the reception of circulars from their hierarchy.
Objectives
The general objective of the project with Synergie Solaire is to electrify a school as well as several villages by providing them with solar lamps and photovoltaic charging kiosks.
The specific objectives are to:
> To reinforce the autonomy and the “100% local” performance of the management of the solar lamp kiosks for the benefit of the beneficiary populations.
> To increase the quality of school results thanks to the possibility of studying more at home in the evening.
> To develop income generating activities for women and men responsible for the beneficiary households. Being able to produce more thanks to light is a reality for many professions: farmers, breeders, fishermen, cooks, craftsmen, etc.
> Reducing domestic accidents, intoxications related to combustion products and incidents.
This project is part of a larger project, in search of funding, concerning 15 schools that you can discover on our Project Grant by clicking here!