SUN LIGHTS HOPE IN KENYA

Solar Energy Brings Light and Hope to Girls in Africa; Rural Kenya School and Clinic Use Education to Break Cycle of Poverty and Build Peace
February 8, 2011 (Solar Electric Light Fund)

"The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF)…announced the successful installation of a centralized solar electric system to power the new Kisaruni Girls Secondary School and Baraka Health Center near the village of Bomete, Kenya. The school and clinic are operated by Free The Children.

"Kisaruni means ‘land of peace.’ The community members named the school in honor of the new and growing cooperation between members of the Maasai, Kisii and Kipsigis communities. The school will give young women the chance to come together and continue their education beyond middle school, bridging both ethnic gaps between them and socioeconomic gaps around them."

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"Kisaruni’s faculty hopes to encourage the students to be role models and visionary leaders in their communities, empowering them to create positive change within their society…[through] education, better access to clean water and sanitation, consistent health care and sources of alternative income…In the Narok South District where Free The Children focuses its efforts, one in 10 Kenyan children die before the age of five. One third of children under five years of age are stunted, reflecting chronic under-nutrition. This proportion is 14 times higher than the level expected in a healthy, well-nourished population.

"The Baraka Health Center is host to the community’s first ultrasound machine for prenatal care. Solar electricity powers this device as well as a vaccine refrigerator, defibrillator, microscope, centrifuge, examination lights and computers…To power the clinic and the school, SELF’s team designed and oversaw the installation of a custom 8.4 kilowatt solar-diesel hybrid system. The array of solar panels also provides electricity for lights in Kisaruni’s eight classrooms; and for 10 laptops, a color television, printer, VCR and radio cassette player. A diesel generator serves as a backup to ensure power is available on cloudy days…Almost 30 percent of Kenya’s current population lives in extreme poverty, having a per-capita income of less than $1 USD per day…"

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[Marc Kielburger, co-founder, Free The Children:] “We’re very excited to be introducing computers to the Kisaruni Secondary School, thanks to our new solar-powered computer lab. The girls will learn basic typing and computer use to give them employable skills and to learn more about the world outside their communities. For most—if not all—of these girls, this will be their first time using a computer.”

[Marc Kielburger, co-founder, Free The Children:] “The transition from diesel to solar is critical…Currently many of our sites rely on diesel generators that only provide 5 hours of power per day. With solar electricity providing power to schools, clinics and visitor centers 24 hours a day/7 days a week, Free The Children’s projects can have a much greater impact on the people and communities we serve.”