Project Detail

Youth-led Solar Library initiatives for nature-based solutions to climate change

This project titled "Youth-led Solar Library initiatives for nature-based solutions to climate change"
aims at supporting youths using innovative solutions to tackle environmental issues in their communities with the hope that such actions can be replicated in other areas. The project aims at ensuring that youths and PWDs participate at all levels of environmental challenges facing their communities and are at the same time actively involved in productive and viable economic activities that will lead to sustainable livelihood and creating a healthy environments. Achieving this objective will increase the participation and productivity of young people in the development process at the same time help in tackling environmental challenges facing their communities.
The main objective of this intervention is to deliver a ?library? of solar lights to selected public schools in rural areas of Kambia District to enable students to study after dark at home. These interventions will also contribute in raising awareness about renewable energy, specifically on it economic viability that will enhance livelihoods, the health benefits of using solar lamps at against kerosene lamps or candles by children to study at home and most significantly the impact of lithium battery to the environment. This project will also address youth leadership by main streaming leadership as part of the life skills component and increase access to renewable energy in rural Kambia and socio economic empowerment of youths. The solar libraries will be run and manage by youth led enterprises that will receive trainings in both renewable energy, recycling and basic business management to enable them render services in schools and their communities. The youth led enterprises will also serve as environmental ambassadors that will help in raising awareness on environmental challenges and benefits of using solar lamps at against what is considered as their traditional source of energy like kerosene lamps and candles.
The primary objectives of the project is to increase access to, and use of, solar lights, and increase awareness of direct and indirect financial and non-financial benefits of using these lights. This will be achieved through youth led enterprises using the solar library model. This will provide jobs for 2 youth?s groups per chiefdom made up of 15 members, thereby actively engaging 300 youths in Kambia district and making them self-employed.

The specific objectives are Create jobs for 300 youths including PWDs in Kambia District Provide solar lamps to 20 public schools in Kambia District

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Women Yearning for Equal Rights

Country:

Sierra Leone

Area Of Work:

CapDev
Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

OP6 - Y5 (Jul 19-Jun 20)

Grant Amount:

US$ 25,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 1,000.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 1,000.00

Project Number:

SLE/SGP/OP6/Y5/CORE/YCC/03/12/2019/62

Start Date:

12/2019

End Date:

12/2020

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Knowledge acquire from this implementation will be shared with key partners and the donor. However such reports or data will only be shared via electronic means to avoid the use of paper and the cutting down of trees.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The 50 youth that will go through on the job vocational skills training will either be employed by their business mentors or enter into a business partnership with them or join forces to set up small enterprises. The choice will be made by the youth themselves on a case by case basis in consultation with WoYER. The process will be based on market opportunities and business coaches will tutor youth throughout.. They youth led enterprise will be supported to register their businesses and a business plan will be developed for them to make growth easy through links to market and financial institutions. The youth led enterprises will charge a token per night for borrowing the lights of Le. 2,000 (less than US$0.01) for the entry-level lights (lighting only) and Le 3,000 (~US$0.05) for the mid-level lights with phone charging, the use of the library is available to all with the added benefit that the youth led enterprises can raise a small fund to replace the lights at the end of their lifespan, purchase additional lights, or to use for other innovative entrepreneurship ideas as decided by the monitoring committee. In addition, charging a token fee may mean that the lights are valued more than if they were available free of charge.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The direct and indirect beneficiaries will be selected among rural communities and also indigenous people will be part of the project management committee.

Notable Community Participation

The project delivers a ?library? of solar lights to selected youth groups in rural areas of Kambia District to enable students to study after dark at home. The lights will serve as the start kits for the youths groups after they will have received training in the handling of the solar lamps and the recycling of the lithium batteries that comes with them; they will also receive training in business management and leadership. These solar lamps will remain the property of the youth groups. They will be monitored by the school management committees and the project management committees that will comprise of the ministry of youths, national youth commission, Kambia district Council and tribal authorities. This will make for productive youths in the rural communities and provide access to, awareness of, and exposure to, peco-solar lights for all. Schools can choose to priorities exam-year students, but other than legitimate prioritization, all students should have equal access to the light

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The result of the project will be report during progress report and at meeting. The project will work with council and youth groups to for communication of results and to ensure the local policy is fully implemented especially areas that have to do with youths

Gender Focus

They youth led enterprise that will receive support from this project will be made up of men, women and youth with disability. They will be supported to register their businesses and a business plan will be developed for them to make growth easy through links to market and financial institutions. These solar lamps will remain the property of the youth group. According to the 2015 national census women accounted for 50.8 per cent of the entire population in the 2015 Census, with an overall sex ratio of 96.8 males for every 100 females. Females out-numbered their male counterparts at both the regional and urban-rural levels. the project will use this gender statistics to include women in the project at every level.

Capacity - Building Component

WoYER staff will require training in climate change and business development service, this is to empower them to be able to deliver project activities. They will also require a refresher training in project management and implementation

Policy Impact

e Local Government Act 2004, among other functions, devolved youth affairs and local sport to the LCs and emphasizes women participation at all levels. The Act also gives both LCs and LAs powers to raise revenue to fund service delivery and community development. However, some young people believe that Local Councils still face serious institutional and capacity constraints that make it difficult for them to effectively serve their needs. This proposal therefore aims to improve and maintain an environment in which youth programs can be sustainable and enable them realize their full potential as drivers of economic growth. Therefore the project will work with council and youth groups to ensure the local council Act 2004 is fully implemented especially areas that have to do with youth

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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 400

Livehood

Number of individuals (gender diaggregated) who have benefited* from SGP project 300

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