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:

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At the end of December, 4 new projects were completed in Koutoukpa (Togo), 180 km from Lomé.

The health post has been equipped with a solar installation allowing the production of electricity to power some medical devices, the fridge, to store medicines and vaccines, as well as the lighting in the different care, delivery and rest rooms.

Photovoltaic installations have also been installed in the elementary school, the secondary school and its administrative building, as well as the school farm. Evening classes can be held there.

These 4 buildings have been equipped with 450 WC solar panels, an OPZV OKAYA 24 x 2V/300 Ah battery pack and Victron inverters.

The covid-19 pandemic having caused a significant delay of these 4 projects and not facilitating the travel, the realization of these installations was entrusted to the local electricians of the company ARESS for the electrical and solar part.
The progress of the work was followed on a daily basis by our project manager, Freddy A., through the exchange of photos and videos showing the different phases of the work, the laying of the casing, the laying of the cables, the connection of the appliances and the electrical boxes.
This way of proceeding remotely from day to day (sometimes even from hour to hour) is not always easy, neither for the project manager nor for the local workforce, and requires a lot of exchange and adaptation, but allows our volunteers to share their expertise and know-how.

A short mission, in February 2022, allowed us to control and receive the installations on site.

Located in the center of Togo, about 350 km from Lomé, the medical center “La Source” in Sokodé called on Energy Assistance to secure its electrical installation. This region of Togo is supplied from Ghana but is subject to numerous power cuts.

This medical center also includes a maternity ward, an analysis laboratory, an X-ray room, an operating room, pediatric and cardiology consultations and welcomes approximately 100 patients per day. There is no doubt that stability and continuity of energy are important to ensure the various services.

The 2018 preparatory visit was critical in preparing for the mission and allowed for near-optimal sizing of the equipment.

A co-financing of almost 2/3 of the project by the beneficiaries, supported by doctors from the Ardennes who regularly visit the hospital, allowed the project of the installation of solar panels and a no-break solution.

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Delayed for almost two years by the covid-19 health crisis, the mission was finally able to take place in the first half of November 2021, with our fellow volunteers Benoît R., Christoph H. and a newcomer, Fabrice N.

The hospital was equipped with 30 panels delivering 9 kilowatt-peak, 24 high capacity batteries and 2 inverters of 5 kW each, managing the different energy sources: solar, batteries and Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo.

Apart from the numerous PCR tests to be undergone and a few missing lightning fuses, the mission went very well, especially thanks to the valuable local help, both the center’s management staff and the local workers who participated in the various works!

These works were often the occasion to train the locals to new techniques for the future maintenance of the installations, which they will also be able to use for their own future.

Thank you to our volunteers and their hosts for this great mission realised beginning of November 2021 !