Project Detail

Improving energy efficiency and comfort in mobile kindergartens of Shoghakat and Byureghavan communities

Almost 60% of 3 to 5-year-old children in Armenia don?t have an opportunity of preschool education. Moreover, 80% of them live in rural areas. For communities with an average subsidized annual budget of about 10,000 USD, operation of a traditional kindergarten is expensive, especially as regards to energy costs for heating and sanitary needs. Therefore, rural kindergartens gradually stop functioning, depriving rural children of pre-school education, which further affects the quality of school education.
As a complex solution of the abovementioned issues, ?Astghatsolk? NGO is proposing an economically viable model of mobile kindergartens in the rural communities with installation of solar systems and application of energy efficiency measures to reduce the operational costs of kindergartens. Mobile Kindergartens (MK) provide pre-school education for children aged 3-5 with multi-disciplinary mobile teams (teacher, social worker, psychologist). One team is assigned to serve in 2 MK, allocating 3 hours per day for groups of 15 children in each community. The educational program is implemented on the basis of the minimum standards defined in the "Mobile Kindergarten Passport" and is in compliance with the relevant state standards.
Within the framework of the project, it is envisaged to implement thermal insulation and minor repairs of the pre-school rooms, purchase necessary furniture, and install three 3.5kW and one 5 kW photovoltaic grid-connected systems in 4 MKs in Drakhtik and Tsapatagh settlements of Shoghat community, and Nurnus and Jraber settlements of Byureghavan community.

Loading map...

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

"Astghatsolk" NGO for Sustainable Development Initiatives

Country:

Armenia

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

OP6 -Y4 (Jul 18 - Jun 19)

Grant Amount:

US$ 29,500.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 8,176.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 8,180.00

Project Number:

ARM/SGP/OP6/Y4/STAR/CC/18/13

Start Date:

11/2018

End Date:

11/2019

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

As the project direct beneficiaries are children aged 3-5, it is expected to have active involvement of young women (about 70% of the audience). However, the project team will strive to ensure equal participation of men and women in trainings organized for community population. Besides, among preschool age children benefiting from the project 50% are girls. All 4 educators working in the MKs are women.

Policy Impact

It is expected that the project will have a significant impact on the attitude and the behavior change of the beneficiary community members and local authorities in particular. It is expected that the project results will stimulate further use of solar and other low-carbon technologies as a viable alternative to woodfuel energy for heating and cooking, leading to cumulative environmental effects in conserving forest resources and ensuring childrens? health, confort and safety.

Capacity - Building Component

It is planned to involve beneficiary community memebers and interested CSOs in project implementation and monitoring. Moreover, to ensure replication of project activities, a broad media campaign will be held aiming to raise awareness in beneficiary communities on low-carbon technologies and establish links with partner-NGOs, experts and donors. Through developed materials and practical trainings, "Astghatsolk? NGO and mobile kindergarten staff will gain additional information, knowledge and skills to teach basics of energy saving and renewable energy elements in their classes.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

N/A

Linkages gef projects

N/A

Planning gef grant

N/A

Planning non gef grant

N/A

Policy Influence

N/A

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Operation of PV systems and application of energy-efficient measures in 4 pre-schools will ensure around 515 USD savings annually for each community budget and will enable uninterrupted education for 60 children aged 3-5. The saved funds will be directed to address other essential needs of children.

Project sustainability

Reducing the expences for energy consumption in 4 preschools will be an insentive to multi-settlement consolidated communities to support and sustain preschool alternative services. This will ensure uninterrupted functioning of low-cost preschool alternative service model. Saved money can be channeled to solve other social problems in communities as well as cover some costs for preschool services (stationery, minor repair and maintenance, cleaning and children hygiene supplies). Beneficiary communities jointly with ?Astghatsolk? NGO will ensure operation and technical maintenance of the installed PV systems. Through this project the community members (children, youth and adults) will develop understanding of power saving green energy systems and their knowledge and awareness will help them to consider use them in their households and small businesses in future.

Replication of project activities

Taking into consideration that the issues addressed by the project are typical for rural communities in Armenia and that the project is in line with the national policy processes and strategies in the area of promoting climate change mitigation and development of local capacity in use of low-carbon technologies at community level, it has a good potential for replication. Both multi-settlement consolidated communities are very interested in presenting the results to promote replication in other settlements, especially in those that do not have natural gas supply and mainly use firewood for heating.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The project will ensure weekly photo and video coverage of the project activities through the "Astghatsolk" NGO Facebook page, website (www.astgh.com) and other media outlets. Besides, a media tour will be organized with participation of 5-7 media representatives, aiming to ensure public outreach and wider dissemination of knowledge about innovative low carbon energy solutions.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

To ensure knowledge transfer during and after the project implementation, the project will cooperate with ?The Armenian Center for Green Technologies? to conduct training sessions on renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies within the communities. Through developed materials, practical training and mentoring support provided by ?Astghatsolk? NGO, the expert group of preschool teachers will gain additional information, knowledge and skills to teach basics of energy saving and renewable energy elements in their classes. Information on the project implementation will be posted on on the Facebook page and website (www.astgh.com) of "Astghatsolk" NGO.

Notable Community Participation

Within the framework of the project implementation special attention would be paid to the involvement of youth. For this purpose the project team will encourage local youth to participate in installation works, meetings, discussions and trainings to increase the level of their awareness and knowledge on the issues related to global environmental issues, promotion of climate change mitigation and development of local capacity in low-carbon technologies.

Project Results

The project will produce the following results:

1. Grid-connected PV systems are installed in 4 mobile kindergartens in Drakhtik, Tsapatagh, Nurnus and Jraber settlements to ensure reduction of at least 14 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and prevention of about 60 m3 firewood use for heating annually;
2. The grid-connected PV systems (three systems of 3.5kW and one of 5 kW capacity) are normally operating, ensuring annual financial savings of approximately 2,000 USD for both consolidated communities;
3. The classrooms of all 4 pre-school alternative services have comfortable warmth in line with the state standard for an uninterrupted educational process;
4. Knowledge and experience on renewable energy sources and other low carbon technologies are disseminated among beneficiary communities? residents, particularly high school pupils, students, school teachers, decision-makers and entrepreneurs.

+ View more

Indicators

Biophysical

Tonnes of CO2 decreased or avoided by energy efficient and renewable energy technologies or applying environmentally sustainable transport practices introduced by SGP Project 14

Livehood

Total monetary value (US dollars) of ecosystem goods sustainably produced and providing benefit to project participants and/or community as a whole (in the biodiversity, international waters, and land degradation focal areas as appropriate) 2000

Back to search results

Countries

Regions

Project Snapshot

Partnership

SGP Country office contact

Address

Country Website