- The Solar Panel Project Report to Canada Fund
Introduction
In August 2009 a request was submitted to Canada Fund by Together for
Sudan for funding a solar project. The aim of the project was to provide
solar panels to 10 centres to be used for educational, medical and
community social purposes among impoverished and displaced persons.
Canada Fund approved funding of the project in November 2010 and the
agreement was signed on 28 December 2010. Funding was received in the
TFS account on 20 January 2011. The amount received was SDG 77,000 as
the total budget requested by TFS to install ten solar panels and train
community members responsible for supervising the solar panels.
The project application was proposed for a one year period including
monitoring. However project application was amended to a three months’
period for installation and training of the community supervisors.
The installation of ten solar panels started before the funding was
received as it was necessary to select appropriate sites which met the
aims and requirements of Together for Sudan for providing a solar panel.
Purpose: The purpose of the project is to
improve the educational services of community schools and to encourage
adults and students to study during evening hours in areas for displaced
and/or impoverished persons live off the electricity grid.
Specific objectives:
- To provide ten solar lighting systems to ten adult education or health
centers at remote areas in Nuba Mountains
- To train two community members at each centre to maintain the solar
lighting system.
Project Activities:
After TfS received the grant from Canada Fund in late January 2011, a
market survey was made with the assistance of a solar technician to
select the best possible agency for solar panel supplies. There were
different agencies/ working with solar systems but only one company
offered reasonable prices.
Selection of potential sites:
Together for Sudan received more than 17 applications from different
community based organizations requesting placement of a solar lightening
system. The panels were distributed equally between educational and
medical centers and were installed according to the applications
submitted and locations around Kadugli locality for easy monitoring.
The criteria guidelines set by TfS in order to select suitable sites:
1. All Solar Project sites must be off the
electricity grid and not likely to be supplied by electrical power lines
in the near future.
2. Favoured sites are schools and
community centres and no site will be selected which denies use of its
facilities on the basis of ethnic or religious identity. In other words,
a church site would need to be one which welcomes use of its premises
for community, educational, medical and other functions which include
non-Christians.
3. Before placement of a solar panel,
agreement shall be signed between Together for Sudan and two responsible
individuals of the centre at which the panel is to be placed. The
agreement shall verify ownership of the panel by Together for Sudan
which retains the right to remove the panel at its discretion. The
agreement shall also verify the willingness of the responsible
individuals to insure that the solar panel is used for community
purposes as listed above and commit them to maintain the panel.
4. The responsible persons at the Solar
Panel site shall ensure proper use and safeguarding of the panel and
shall submit quarterly reports to TFS office on the use of the panel.
5. Solar panels are placed for a trial
period of one year.If during this year TfS is satisfied that the
community is using the panels in accordance with the guidelines; the
panel will be handed over to community responsibility. If the site fails
to maintain the panel or uses it improperly, the solar panel may be
removed by TfS.
Those sites which most closely met the guidelines of the solar project
were recommended to the Together for Sudan Director by the TfS Country
Coordinator in Khartoum.
Responsible persons at each chosen site received a copy of the Solar
Project Guidelines (both in English and Arabic). Then agreements with
the community based organization (CBOs) were signed by the person in
charge of the solar sites.
An agreement to install the ten panels at ten different sites was also
signed by the solar technician and the TfS Field Representative who
attended the installation of the panels.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR SOLAR
PANEL SITES:
- The solar panel would be placed after recommendation of the TfS Field
Representative and approval of the TfS Director in United States The
recommendation is based on cross-check of the information which is
written in the solar application form by the TfS staff responsible for
supervising the solar project.
- The area should be far from an electricity network but close from town
for easy monitoring.
- The place should be well fenced or guarded by a watchman or both.
Two people in the community would be selected to be responsible for
supervising the panel and TfS would provide maintenance training.
- The solar panel should be installed in an impoverished community
including, when possible, people of different religious and ethnic
groups.
- There should be evening activities where the light would be used.
The solar panel should be sited where it could be used by the maximum
number of people.
Outstanding Activities:
We plan next to train solar panel supervisors on simple repair and
maintenance of the panels and will require them to report on usage of
the panels on a quarterly basis to the TFS office in Kadugli. This
training will be conducted in April 2011.
Periodic monitoring visits will be paid to all sites by the TfS Director
and by staff from both Khartoum and Kadugli offices
The technician installing a panel at Kofa basic school.
Project Monitoring:
The project is monitored by the Field Representative with directives
from the Project Coordinator in Khartoum who will periodically pay
monitoring visits to the Nuba Mountains to ensure maximum and proper use
of the solar panels.
Achievements:
Although the process of procurement consumed a lot of time due to
unavailability of some solar items required at the time planned for
installation, the ten panels were installed successfully.
Because school children will sit for basic and Sudan School Certificate
examinations in March 2011, installation of the panels was received with
great happiness and enthusiasm among students and their parents. The
panel will assist children to study at night and allow teachers to
organize remedial classes for weaker students.
Additionally the panels will allow medical assistants and midwives to
work after dark in cases of medical emergency. Moreover, community
members at the sites are now able to organize night activities such as
meetings to discuss community issues.
The population of the selected areas is about 14,050 and people who are
expected to benefit from the ten solar panels are almost 6,180.
The panel at Lima clinic with the lamp switched on.
Challenges:
Due to market inflation, much time was spent in surveying the market for
reasonable prices. This delayed implementation of the project in terms
of procurement and installation. Consequently the training of solar
supervisors was postponed until after mid March 2011.
Conclusion:
Together for Sudan is highly appreciative to Canada Fund for its kind
generosity. After installation, the TfS Kadugli sub office received a
considerable number of applications from many areas in the Nuba
Mountains requesting solar panels. We hope our partnership with you will
continue for the sake of the underprivileged people of the Nuba
Mountains.
The table below lists the newly installed panels including the name of the site, date of installation and whether this is a school or a clinic.
|
S/N
|
Name of the site
|
Date of installation
|
Remarks
|
|
1
|
Comboni Sisters
|
02/03/2011
|
Basic school
|
|
2
|
Logori
|
02/03/2011
|
Clinic
|
|
3
|
Damba
|
03/03/2011
|
Clinic
|
|
4
|
Tokko
|
03/03/2011
|
Basic school
|
|
5
|
Chororo
|
04/03/2011
|
Clinic
|
|
6
|
Kanga
|
04/03/2011
|
Basic school
|
|
7
|
Lima
|
05/03/2011
|
Clinic
|
|
8
|
Kofa
|
05/03/2011
|
Basic school
|
|
9
|
Elmashaish
|
06/03/2011
|
Basic school
|
|
10
|
Alharazaiya
|
06/03/2011
|
Clinic
|
Note:
1. Each Solar Lighting System consists of the following components:
One Solar Panel
Three lamps (2 feet)
One dry battery (100AH)
One battery – cage with a lock
One panel stand
2. Each solar site has received the following documents:
- A copy of the Solar Lighting Project agreement between the sites and
Together for Sudan
- Solar guidelines (in both Arabic and English )
- English and Arabic solar maintenance checklist for supervisors at each
sites
- Solar reporting format to facilitate the monthly monitoring visit by
TfS personnel
- A log book to record daily activities of the solar lightening system
at that site.
What you can do: Donations in any amount are much
appreciated. But please consider whether you are able to support work
such as this – and contribute to maintaining peace in Sudan – by
providing regular donations. Regular donations allow us to plan ahead
and work more effectively..
Contact us now :-
enquiries@togetherforsudan