EA – Energy Assistance

22

March

Project n° 643 : Control and reception of the P.V. installation at Les Cajoutiers school, Warang, Senegal

March 22, 2023 EA, Senegal

The school group ‘Les Cajoutiers’ in Warang, welcomes about 700 poor children from the region and also organizes inclusive classes for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Following the extensions of the school’s buildings to also accommodate children with Down’s syndrome, Energy Assistance was asked to review and adapt the installation completed in September 2016, thanks to the support of the ENGIE Foundation.

For this purpose, the existing installation was divided in two and powered by two new inverters, two lithium batteries, additional solar panels on the existing part and a new solar field to power the new part of the added buildings.

The work was carried out by a local electrician, Djibril Traore, who supplied and installed the locally ordered equipment. Regular monitoring by project manager Freddy A. ensured that the modification and installation of the equipment was completed successfully.

In addition to technical advice during the implementation, Freddy also provided a lot of administrative advice to this local contractor. The transfer of skills is also one of the missions of our association. While he had no official documents proving his professional existence, he now has a trade register and all the documents allowing him to have contracts with the government, and he is one of the few in the region! And he did not fail to thank Freddy for insisting on this.

. .

At the beginning of March 2023, Freddy A. and Patrick D. went to Senegal to check and accept this new solar and electrical installation and to give a certificate of competence to Djibril.

The electrical supply of the buildings allows not only the lighting of the classrooms in the evening but also the use of projection equipment and the supply of the fridge, which is indispensable for the conservation of food for the preparation of the midday meals offered to the children.

We are convinced that the upgrade of these installations will bring a plus to this beautiful work set up by Sophie Corynen-Camara and all her team.

Thank you to our volunteers for their investment in this beautiful project!

28

December

Project n°609, Umphang 2, electrification of the boys’ orphanage and the farm-school

December 28, 2022 EA, Thailande

On November 10, 2022, our three volunteers Jacques T., Georges D.M. and Julie T. arrived in Umphang for the realization of photovoltaic installations in the boys’ orphanage and in the central building and also in the school-farm a few kilometers away.

The first step was to check the photovoltaic installation at the girls’ orphanage, realized in 2020 by Jacques T. and Georges D.M. It works perfectly!

After receiving and checking the solar equipment and accessories, supplied by a local company, and after a fine-tuning with the beneficiary of the work to be done, our volunteers happily set to work with many local helpers, including a painter who decorated the wall of the orphanage with our logo!

The installation delivers a power of 5kVA and allows in particular the lighting and the supply of electricity to the orphanage welcoming about thirty boys. The orphanage is located a few kilometers from Burma. As a result, most of the children are Burmese refugees having lost their parents due to the repression of the Burmese military junta.

The farm, used mainly to supply the orphanage with fruit and vegetables and to house the farmer and his family, benefits from a photovoltaic installation with a power of 3 kVA. This installation provides them with electricity and will soon be used to extend the farm’s activities to livestock.

Our volunteers have, of course, taken the time to inform the beneficiaries of good practices to ensure the sustainability of the installation.

Thanks to Jacques, Georges and Julie for their dedication during this beautiful mission as well as to the project manager Jacques H.

16

December

Project n°612, PV installation at Boko hospital, Benin

December 16, 2022 Benin, EA

In Boko, Benin, the Saint Jean de Dieu hospital is supported by Médecins sans vacances and the “Hubi & Vinciane” foundation.

Our volunteer Sarah O. tells us about this beautiful mission, realized with Steve B., Vincent M. and Jean-Marie T. :

“In September, a team of 4 volunteers left for Parakou – in the center of Benin and 9 hours drive from Cotonou, to install solar panels and batteries and allow the Saint Jean de Dieu hospital in Boko to continue to function despite the power cuts.

As a mother, it was very emotional for me to work in the maternity, neonatal and pediatric departments. And it was so satisfying to be able to provide a minimum of electrical safety so that mothers-to-be would no longer give birth in the dark, and that very fragile babies and young children could be cared for with medical equipment.

Accompanied by a nice motivated team, we installed the 42 panels and 4 solar installations and no doubt we also inspired a few young people to continue their studies in electricity – with the fun (climbing on the roof) and not so fun (not rushing and making sure the work is good) sides ????

. .

How lucky we were to have met so many great people in 2 weeks! Special thanks to Madame Clémence who took care of us and the wonderful Rafiath from ENGIE Parakou who was very helpful with the paperwork and helping us find the missing equipment.

My dream for the next mission? To have a young woman electrician in the local team and to inspire the next generation! Rafiath showed us that it’s possible! Weren’t the Amazons of Dahomey from Benin? “

12

December

Tractebel Challenge: EA gives the fighting spirit award

December 12, 2022 Belgium, Belgium, EA, Uncategorized

Last September, the Tractebel Challenge gathered the most enthusiastic sports teams around different disciplines: cycling, mountain biking, orienteering, shooting, etc.).

Energy Assistance was very proud to award the fighting spirit prize to team n°5 of Aï-Na, Maximilien and Chloé!

‘Never give up’, ‘go all the way’ are also part of the values conveyed by the EA volunteers who always find solutions to realize their missions and photovoltaic installations and thus allow many beneficiaries to improve their daily life.

30

November

Projects n° 631 and 632 : Electrification of schools in Kashakashaso and Chaba Beles (Ethiopia)

November 30, 2022 EA, Ethiopia

For the mission in Ethiopia in November 2022, the project manager Miklos A. (ENGIE – United Arab Emirates) called upon volunteers from different Engie entities: Armando O.S. (ex-Tractebel – Belgium), the mission manager, was accompanied by Sangeeth S. (Engie Solutions – United Arab Emirates), Muddasssar N. (Engie Solutions – United Arab Emirates) and Ashenafi G. (Tractebel – Ethiopia).

This multicultural team, mixing experienced volunteers with others without field experience, allowed a sharing of knowledge, but also a beautiful human adventure with multiple challenges, meetings and new friendships.

Thanks to our partnership with the University of Arba Minch, the projects contributed to the development of local skills, while ensuring the sustainability of the facilities.

To provide lighting and power to two secondary schools, we installed 6.4 kWp and 10.2 kWp of solar modules in Kashakashaso and Chaba Beles respectively. Lithium batteries of 14.4 kWh and 19.2 kWh respectively ensure the storage of energy.

These electrical installations, respectful of the environment, have considerably improved the educational conditions of more than 1000 students.

Congratulations and thank you all for your commitment and for this great achievement.

Thank you to the NIF Foundation which, by co-financing this project, has made it possible.

Have a look on YOUTUBE and watch the video made by the team :

30

September

Project n°646 : Evaluation of electrification projects on the island of Idjwi, Congo

September 30, 2022 Congo (DR), EA

MMS (Mothers and Midwives Support) called on E.A. for the electrification of 25 health and birthing centers on the island of Idjwi, DRCongo.

After the inauguration of AMISI in Panzi, our colleague and director Tony MdH went to the island of Idjwi to assess the needs, accompanied by the MMS manager (Claire Thibaut) and an administrator (V. Lemercier).

. .

The visit of 8 centers allowed us to notice that they were all slightly electrified by small, outdated and unsuitable solar systems and that the electrical installation was insufficient and needed to be renovated.

The study of the project has been entrusted to Jacques H. and will be carried out when MMS will have obtained the budget to modernize the birthing centers. Furthermore, MMS will prioritize the centers to be equipped.

29

September

September 2022, 28th : Inauguration of the AMISI in Panzi

September 29, 2022 Congo (DR), EA

On Wednesday 28 September 2022, François Hollande, former French President, inaugurated the African Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery (AMISI) located in the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, South Kivu.

This new health structure, electrified by solar panels thanks to the support of the ENGIE Foundation and Energy Assistance, will serve as a setting for the treatment of women victims of sexual violence and other pathologies by minimally invasive surgery. It is also intended for the training of doctors from all over the African continent.

Doctors Denis Mukwege and Guy Bernard Cadière, who are pioneers of this technology in medicine, point out that they and their team have already treated 1,800 patients in the last 10 years.

For his part, François Hollande mentioned that this African institute is a reference in the world, and Energy Assistance is especially proud to have contributed to it.

Furthermore, Professor Guy Bernard Cadière reiterated his thanks to Energy Assistance and underlined the essential role and efficiency of our project manager Luc H.

It should also be noted that this health structure was inaugurated in the presence of the Minister of Health Jean-Jacques Mbungani, the Minister of Human Rights Albert Fabrice Puela and the Governor of South Kivu Théo Ngwabidje Kasi. Our General Manager, Tony Moens de Hase, was also invited.

Read also our previous news on the same subject :

https://energy-assistance.org/project-506-work-is-processing-well-at-panzi-hospital/

https://energy-assistance.org/energy-assistance-receives-congrats-and-thanks-from-dr-mukwege/

https://energy-assistance.org/projet-n-506-bloc-operatoire-de-panzi/

21

September

Projects n° 621 Kabinda, 644 Cibombo and 645 Kilengi-repairs

September 21, 2022 Congo (DR), EA

At the end of August 2022, our colleagues Michaël dM and Pierre VK realized a triple mission!

The first step was to Kilengi, 2 days away from Kinshasa (and what a road!!!). Our two volunteers repaired the solar installation supplying the health center as well as the one supplying some classrooms which were not working anymore since the lightning struck in April 2021. They also replaced a solar pumping system that brings water from a well to the village center, to everyone’s great joy!

* * *

In Kabinda, the second stage of this mission, our volunteers rehabilitated the photovoltaic system that powers the Radio Veritas transmitter. They also replaced the regulator and rebuilt the radio’s electrical system, which had become outdated.
In this video, Radio Véritas thanks Energy Assistance

Supported by the Diocese of Kabinda, Radio Veritas is a socio-educational radio station that broadcasts over a range of about 250 km around Kabinda, in Kasai Oriental.

A few steps away from the radio station, our volunteers also repaired and restructured the solar panel installation of the youth Center, rebuilt the switchboard, revised the lightning conductor installation, and made an inventory of the electrical material needed to equip the premises.

Throughout this mission, Michaël and Pierre trained a team of technicians who will be in charge of the maintenance of the radio installations and the realization of the electrical installation of the Youth Center.

We thank Norbert Mervilde, director of the radio and the youth center, and his collaborators for the beautiful tribute to our late colleague Claude Gastout, who initiated this project and many others!

* * *

Cibombo is a camp for Kasaians refugees expelled from Katanga, managed by the IPAMEC association supported by the Abbot Stanislas Kanda, about ten kilometers from Mbuji-Mayi.

Two Energy Assistance missions, in 2009 (project 163) and in 2014 (project 371), have provided photovoltaic installations and rainwater pumps to improve the quality of life of the 15,000 inhabitants of this camp.

During this third stage, our two volunteers carried out an inventory of the installations. They also analyzed the needs and collected the necessary elements to develop a larger project, including the power supply of a hospice under construction.

Back in Mbuji-Mayi, they were warmly received by the Governor of Kasai Province.

At last, a very short visit to Kinkole allowed them to collect useful information (layout, needs, dimensions…) to allow the two volunteers who will go there very soon to prepare their mission.

A big thank you to our volunteer colleagues Michaël dM and Pierre VK for their efficiency and for this fantastic mission!

2

July

Project n° 603, Solar power for the orphanage, the school and a well in Notsé, Togo

July 2, 2022 EA, Togo

Our 4 volunteer colleagues Olivier D.R., Sébastien V., Laurent R. and Stephan D. have successfully completed their mission in Notsé, 90 km from Lomé, Togo.

During these two weeks of missions, organized in partnership with the local association ‘Soleil des Nations’, they equipped the orphanage, the school and a well with photovoltaic installations.

Our volunteers were warmly thanked by the local authorities and the result of this project was widely reported by local television and radio stations as well as by the Togolese press agency, ATOP, whose article you will find below:

. .

4

June

June 5, World Environment Day: Bloc Sefa, Senegal, and Ifesfas, Morocco

June 4, 2022 Assoc, EA, Morocco, Senegal

By equipping wells with solar installations in villages or near schools, Energy Assistance supports local populations and encourages reforestation.

The respect of the environment, celebrated all over the world on June 5th, is at the heart of Energy Assistance’s concerns.

In Bloc Sefa, Senegal, since the electrification of the well by our volunteers, the schools have rehabilitated the vegetable gardens!

At the elementary school, the students, supervised by the environmental managers elected by the school management committee, are in charge of the garden.
The production is consumed in the school canteen and the surplus is sold to feed the school cooperative which manages the school supplies grants. This alternative pedagogy of initiations to gardening techniques is an own component initiated by the school and adds to the Senegalese program.

http://energy-assistance.org/projetcs-en-casamance-adeane-and-bloc-sefa/

In Ifesfas, Morocco, the 20m3 tank is filled, thanks to the solar pump installed by our volunteers and allows the irrigation of the market garden. The planting of trees by unemployed youths of the village has also started!

http://energy-assistance.org/fr/projet-n642-pompe-solaire-a-ifesfas-maroc/

Archive

22

28

16

12

30

30

29

21

2

4

Search

Archives

Categories