SOLAR/ICT PROJECT CONCEPT

Statement of Need:

Sub-Saharan Africa and especially Ghana are burdened by extreme poverty and are facing significant challenges on their way to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Out of a population of 22 million 44,8% are living below one dollar a day while a total of 78,5% are living below 2 dollar a day. Poverty and Climate Change are the biggest threat to humanity today and VPWA is initiating a project to help minimise the impact by introducing clean renewable energy to rural Ghana. Already, VPWA has shown leadership by introducing a Microfinance scheme in Ghana estimated to benefit 1000 women in the first 2 years. Over 40% of Ghanaians have no access to electricity and therefore rely on burning fuels such as kerosene and wood for light and heat, which is highly toxic and expensive. Having solar power improves people's health, income and education. That's because solar power can enable poor people to cook food, pump clean water, run fridges, light homes, schools and hospitals, farm more effectively, and much more.

Project description

Volunteer Partnership for West Africa (VWPA) is constructing a Solar/ICT training Centre in Ghana that will train community youth from various parts of the country how to build small scale solar devices such as solar powered radios and lanterns - and installs small solar systems for community centres, medical clinics, schools and other such communal infrastructure.  This is expected to equip them with skills and a career in Solar Technology in their communities.

The strategy will be to

1.      Focus on rural Eastern Region of Ghana, where the need is greatest. This will allow us to benefit from synergies as we develop a programme of activity that is geographically focused

2.      Focus mainly on training rural youth, who reside in the most impoverished and marginalised from energy networks..

3.      Focus on programme sustainability through a micro business approach that encourages trainee beneficiaries to develop their own solar or solar-powered businesses; sustainable technologies; and a gender approach.

4.      Develop from the outset a solid system for monitoring and evaluation.

The Project will partner with solar agencies to provide resource and training materials for the training to commence in Ghana once construction and set up is completed.

A 100x120 ft land has been acquired for the facility construction which is expected to cost $ 150,000. Funds for construction will be sourced from individuals, donors, churches etc. The centre hopes to train 180 youth within the first year.

In addition to the provision of skill training in solar technology and ICT, VPWA will support the beneficiaries with essential entrepreneurial business skills training including finance and marketing.

Goals and objectives

Our initiative is designed to train and create a sustainable business in ICT/Solar Technology for young people in rural Ghana who might otherwise think of migrating to the cities to look for non-existing job and might end up in social vices.

The main goals are to support economic participation of trainees, reduce green house emissions and promoting renewable energy, promote gender equality and improve economic welfare of the beneficiaries.

One objective is to expand our programme across West Africa.

Methods

The training programme will run with an average of 15 trainees per month in the first year and gradually increase as we expand our cope to bring more youth for the training programme.

The centre will be staffed with high quality trainers recruited with Solar agencies and supplemented by our International Network of Volunteers with experience in Solar Technology. We will give priority to training youth from rural Ghana and they are expected to be taken care of by the centre. Community Radio stations that provide free publicity to social responsible projects will be use to inform communities about the centre.

Organizational information

VPWA is an African indigenous non-profit non-governmental organization that seeks to promote good development of sustainable education and improving the life and quality standard of those in deprived communities.

VPWA activities support achieving the MDGs initiated by the United Nations to reduce extreme poverty; to foster democratic governance; to promote education to reduce illiteracy; to promote energy and environmental policies; to strengthen resources to prevent and respond to crises; and to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases.