Solar technology is sustainable and through the building of local capacity in th care and maintenance of the system, the intervention can be sustainable.
Planning non gef grant
The project can be up scale to a larger one through the use of non-GEF funds.
Policy Influence
The project is influenced by the national policy on rural electrification which seeks to promote the use of solar in communities that are off grid the national system.
Project Results
- This project aims to promote the use of green technology for socio-economic development in 2 rural communities in the Central River Region of The Gambia. It seeks to achieve this goal by installing solar panels in selected households in each community for solar household lighting and other domestic purposes. By providing electricity generated from solar, household would be able to light up their houses, school going children would b able to study at night, some can watch television and charge their mobile phones to facilitate communications.
- The following activities were implemented and results achieved as well;
1: Stakeholder Meeting: The stakeholder meeting engaged the presence and participation of the FFHC board members, staff and representatives of the villages of Kaolong Alieu and Dingiraye. The FFHC board chairman opened the meeting by welcoming all the participants to the meeting. He emphasized on the importance of the meeting as it was the first ever project implemented by FFHC in the region and funded under the GEF small grants programme.A total of 80 community members drawn from the 1st village2 pilot villages attended the stakeholder meeting.
- The benefiting communities of Dingiraye and Kaolong Alieu are remotely located and experience frequent fire outbreaks resulting from candles used for lighting. Candle lights are normally used in illuminating rooms and also used by students during their night studies.Prior to this project, many incidences of fires on houses due to candles, were reported by the community. On an average, it was reported that there would be 3 - 4 such incidences. Though too early to gauge the impacts of the project on fire incidences, it is however believed that those household supplied with solar technology are expected to be free from house firs all together.
- According to the beneficiaries, the possibility of enjoying the benefits of electricity to replace the current use of lighting system in their community are far fetched as the 2 communities are far from the national electricity grid. It is not very likely to happen in the near future.This has in a way ceased their right to watching the National Television, effective and efficient use of mobile phones limited by regular battery charging and also the constant living in darkness both in our rooms and the streets of our villages. This situation makes us vulnerable to to social devices including theft.
- With reference to the SGP- OP7 Country Strategy Paper on Low-carbon energy access co-benefits, the past two decades, climate change has emerged as the single most important global environmental challenge facing the world. Despite earlier efforts by the global community to curb rising greenhouse gases, global targets continue to fall short. At the same time, the world is witnessing a rise in global temperatures coupled with frequent devastating floods, typhoons, hurricanes and droughts.
Access to electricity remains a major challenge for most rural communities thus limiting many development aspirations. Even though great strides have been made in rural electrification programmes, most rural communities in The Gambia are yet to be connected to the national electricity grid and as such depend on traditional sources of energy mainly in the form of biomass to meet demands. It is against this background that this project was designed and executed.
2: Procurement of 25 solar lighting Package for 25 households: Following the agreed and recommended contractual procedures of the GEF, and based on the provision of section 1 Responsibilities of FFHC and sub section 1.3, FFHC management wrote to the GEF coordinator to request for approval for the engagement of a contractor for the procurement of 13 solar units for 13 households in Kaolong Alieu in the Central River Region. This was because the cost involved was more than 10% of the total project cost. This was approved thus paving the way to the collection of three quotations for the award.
Upon review of the three quotations by the FFHC management, the contract was awarded to The Proprietor of Seedus Electrical of Soma, Jarra West District, LRR. The phase of the contract being the procurement of 13 solar units for 13 households has been accomplished and delivered to the community. For each of the 13 households, the package includes 10 bulbs and holders, 2 sockets, 2 batteries [Boliden flooded & recommended] 1 inverter [DC/AC Converter] of 600 watts and 1 solar module of 250 watts.
3: Installation of 25 solar lighting kits in 25 households: Alongside the award, the contract workmanship has been paid to effect the actual installation which has also been accomplished and being used by the beneficiaries.
4: Designing and production of 2 signboards: In consultation with the GEF National Coordinator, a design for the project sign board was accomplished and a contract awarded for the production of the signboards. As at now, work has been accomplished and the sign boards erected at their identified locations in Kaolong Alieu.
5: Community meetings, sensitization and consultations: In collaboration with the FFHC board, Staff and beneficiaries, FFHC conducted a general village meeting to enlighten the community on the project. Issues on the spotlight included the identification criteria for the beneficiaries, the total number of households to benefit and the purpose of the project. Furthermore, it was also agreed at this meeting that the community will identify at least 6 youths [3males and 3 females] to be attached to the contractor as apprentices to acquire basic maintenance skills after the end of the project. This will not only promote sustainability, but equally, it will be a stepping stone for job opportunities for the attached youths.
6: Community Orientation session on green energy: Understanding the linkage between climate change and the livelihood of the farming community of Kaolong Alieu was deemed very relevant. The project made provision for a sensitization activity to engage the beneficiaries on the causes and consequences of climate change and how the use of green energy can contribute in reducing the effects of climate change. A daylong session was devoted to this activity and facilitated by FFHC staff
