As part of a humanitarian initiative in Morocco, the village of Douar Igourdane, located in the province of Essaouira, has benefited from a vital project supported by Energy Assistance asbl-vzw. This village is facing severe drought, making access to drinking water extremely difficult for its inhabitants.
The project involved the installation of 28 solar panels, each rated at 560W, as well as a well and a water pump. These installations now ensure access to drinking water for 100 families in the village, while providing a renewable energy source to support the pumping systems. The aim is to meet immediate drinking water needs while promoting sustainability through solar energy.
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In parallel, another important project is planned: the construction of a crèche with an annex for the women’s cooperative. This project aims to improve women’s quality of life by giving them more free time, while ensuring a suitable environment for their children. The crèche will enable the women to concentrate more on their activities and work, while ensuring that the children receive the care they need.
Have a look at the video telling their experience : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E82ISAArH18
The support of Energy Assistance asbl-vzw has been instrumental in bringing these initiatives to fruition, thereby improving the living conditions of local residents. These projects are part of a range of ongoing and future initiatives designed to meet the needs of local communities and promote sustainable development.
Thank you to Yasmine, Anan en Aziz for this great mision !
In January 23, our colleagues Patrick D and Juanito R F went to Lokpo and Gbessou in Benin to receive and control the installations realized by ARESS, mandated for the realization and remotely controlled by the project manager Freddy A.
The mission was complemented by visits to 9 additional sites, 5 sites built by EA Belgium and 4 by EA France, as well as visits to potential projects (6 schools and 3 health centers) in the So-Ava region.
Patrick tells us:
“During this mission, we travelled more than 1200 km by car and more than 20 hours by canoe (a little is nice, but that much …)
During our journey, we were accompanied by Joel Kiki, member of ENGIE Benin, in charge of offering solar kits in the most remote Beninese villages, and depending on the place, some other members of ENGIE Benin joined us.
We started with the elementary school of Gbessou but we noticed several deficiencies both electrically and aesthetically, despite the follow-up via Whatsapp of the project manager Freddy A. It appears that the team was mainly composed of novices with little experience in electrical installation and we are therefore very far from the quality encountered on other projects carried out by ARESS
In Lokpo, another surprise: while we expected to find a completed site, everything was still in progress.
We therefore asked and showed the teams in place what we expected of them so that the installation would be carried out according to our criteria of safety and aesthetics, as well as how to connect certain electrical devices.
And we decided to continue our journey towards the other projects to be controlled
First stop in Cocotomey, where we checked the work requested from ARESS, following reports of recurring breakdowns. The problem was solved to the satisfaction of the beneficiaries.
We continued our journey to the Bohicon region where we visited 3 facilities built in November 2018 by our colleagues from D’EA Belgium
In Lokosoum, everything is in perfect working order and maintenance to the great pleasure of the beneficiaries, who asked us for the extension of two buildings that were abandoned in 2018 and recently returned to activity following the increase in the number of students attending the school. .
In Todo, unfortunately, the solar power supply of the large multipurpose hall is completely abandoned, following the death of the contact we had on site.
Finally, in Saclo, the installation was still functional, but the basic project of a school-farm has been abandoned due to lack of water (a pirate connection had been made to the inverter for the connection of a pump which was too small and did not work). The solar electricity is used only for the housing of a family and we noticed a flagrant lack of maintenance of the panels, covered with a beautiful layer of sand, the lack of water undoubtedly explains that. .
The next stage brought us to the north of Parakou, 420 kms from Cotonou. Boko hosts a large hospital complex, partly equipped with solar installations that could help overcome the deficiencies of the Beninese network. The beneficiary contacted us because, after the installation of the system, an error code informing of a too high load was frequently appearing on two of the three inverters. Based on our recommendations, the hospital’s electrician split the installation to connect only consumers up to 4.5 kW to reduce the load of each inverter.
We then went to the capital to visit 4 installations realized by our colleagues from EA France.
In Djomon, a very large school with morethan 1000 students was partially equipped with a photovoltaic installation to organize evening classes. Except for the fixing and the frame of the solar panels eaten by rust, everything is in perfect state of maintenance and functioning.
For the 3 other installations, the result is very disappointing: the solar installation in Allankpon does not work anymore, the batteries are swollen and the inverter has been used as a nest for ?
The Avrakou nursery, which was supposed to finance the operation of Ste Bibiane, is no longer functioning and has been transformed into an office.
In Ste Bibiane, the installation is no longer working either, both the inverter and the batteries, which have already been replaced once, are out of order.
Back on the two initial projects, we had the great satisfaction to see that the work requested was quickly executed by the “ARESS” staff who were very attentive and eager to learn!
During our visit, we noticed that the roof was not 100% waterproof and that the solar components could be flooded! This remark was quickly taken into account by the installation of a new roof.
And finally, we spent the time we had left to “size” several projects located on the lagoon in the town of Sô-ava: 6 schools from 200 to 850 students and 3 health centers.
Thank you all, and thank you to EA for having allowed us, once again, to live a very enriching human experience.”
And it is a huge thank you that we address to Patrick, Juanito and Freddy for this rich and long mission and for the time they gave for all these projects.
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.
In parallel to the EAF038 project, Bernard, David and Gaëlle’s team electrified the basic health center which includes a hospital, a maternity ward as well as a lodge for the mobile staff and the janitor in Ambodiharina.
An additional 24,000 villagers now benefit from a health center with lighting.
This new mission, carried out end of January in Kenya by our volunteer colleagues Gregory H., Antoine D. and Tony MdH., allowed the electrical securing of a dryer and dehumidifier for spirulina.
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These devices are essential to the production of spirulina produced by this Kenyan farm, set up by the association ‘Secteur 10’ in 2015, association active in the fight against hunger in Africa. The spirulina is then free of charge distributed to deficient or malnourished children in nearby clinics and schools. For this reasons, the association Secteur 10 has requested the help of Energy Assistance to overcome the numerous power cuts of the Kenyan electrical network, which hinder the drying and the production of spirulina.
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After nearly 3 years of work to realize the feasibility study, the study of the needs, the purchase of the material and the sending to Kenya with its multiple rebounds related to problems of customs clearance and covid-19, the mission of our volunteers could finally be programmed at the beginning of 2022.
Warmly welcomed by the team of Secteur 10 on the spot, our volunteers, with the help of their hosts, installed 3 WKS inverters of 5kVA each, 10 Lithium batteries of 2.4 kWh as well as 36 panels of 320 Wp which allow the spirulina farm to be independent from an energy point of view.
And of course, this week of work ended with the necessary training of the local managers in the operation of the installation.
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Discover the video of the mission by clicking on the image below:
Thanks to Gregory H., Antoine D. and Tony MdH for their dedication and thanks to Secteur 10 for the welcome, for this beautiful collaboration and for the beautiful Energy Assistance logo hand painted by the beneficiaries.
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Our beneficiaries thank us:
“Just a quick email to thank you for making the installation of the photovoltaic panels possible on our spirulina farm in Kenya. The mission on site ended mid-February for the Energy Assistance volunteers. Since then, everything has been working and the time with them went very well.
We are delighted to be totally independent from an energy point of view, to no longer have to suffer power cuts from the network, and also to be able to make big savings (about 1500 to 2000€ / year). The funds will be used to finance concrete humanitarian actions rather than to finance energy.
So, a BIG thank you ! And we look forward to being in touch again.”
After long months of waiting due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it became essential to realize these 6 projects in Casamance, Senegal, in order to support the local population. Indeed, the majority of the projects concerned the power supply of health posts.
In Adéane, a town of 9,000 inhabitants near Ziguinchor, the 5625 Wh installation with 15 PVs of 375 Wp now supplies the health post, but also the reception, the pharmacy, the laboratory and the accommodation for the staff on duty, and provides the electricity needed to operate the lighting as well as some medical equipment and a fridge for storing vaccines and medicines.
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In the surrounding villages of Tambacoumba and Banghagha, the two dispensaries have been equipped with photovoltaic installations of respectively 2250 Wh with 6 PV of 375 Wp and 3750 Wh with 10 PV of 375 Wp, allowing to ensure a proximity care of the patients day and night.
Groupe Média Sud and Freddy A. explain everything in this report :
On the other side of the Casamance River, inBloc Sefa, 15 km from Sedhiou, a 3240 Wh photovoltaic installation with 12 PVs of 270Wp recovered, also equips the health post. The elementary school and the secondary school also benefit from photovoltaic installations of respectively 2720 Wh with 8 new PV of 340 Wh and 4080 Wp with 12 PV of 340 Wp allowing to organize remedial classes in the evening.
In these 2 schools, the wells have also been equipped with solar pumps, each powered by 4 PV of 260Wp recovered, which allows them to ensure basic hygiene but also to rehabilitate the vegetable gardens around these buildings.
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All the solar and electrical equipment was purchased from local companies and these 6 projects were carried out by local companies: ARESS, for the solar part and Mané & Frères for the electrical installation in Adéane and neighboring villages, and in Bloc Sefa: Synergie Plus and the NQE hardware store in Ziguinchor.
These different work sites were supervised remotely and almost live, by video and photos, by our volunteer project manager Freddy A. (Thanks Whatsapp and Gmail ?). Faithful to its objectives, Energy Assistance continues to transmit the know-how of its members.
At the beginning of October, our two volunteers Freddy A. and Marcel B. went to Casamance for a short mission of control and commissioning of the installations, warmly welcomed by the local populations.
In conclusion, we can only be satisfied with this first post-pandemic mission! Thank you to ARESS, Mané & Frères, Synergie plus and NQE for their seriousness and this beautiful collaboration and thank you to our volunteers for their unfailing commitment!
For several months now, Energy Assistance has been investing in terms of analysis and technical and feasibility studies of the Panzi Hospital. After a period of interruption due to the COVID-19, the renovation works have just started.
Energy Assistance is the main contractor for the electricity production and for the internal installation of the renovation of the Operating room of the General Reference Hospital of Panzi. This project supported by the ENGIE Foundation is obviously realized in close collaboration with the team of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Doctor Mukwege and Professor Cadière.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you want to participate in this beautiful project!
This March 8th is an opportunity to honor all women and reaffirm the right of women to benefit from quality care, to be able to give birth in equipped and enlightened maternity and health posts, and to all women (young and old) to be able to attend classes in enlightened schools and to have access to the internet.
Energy Assistance is proud to be part of this goals thanks to the missions of our volunteers (women and men).
We take this opportunity to thank all those who contribute to the life of EA and encourage all others to join us, whether for training, communication, as volunteers in the field or simply as (full)members.
For this last project in 2018, our volunteers, Xavier D., Paul H., Florent P. and Armando O. S. went in Ethiopia, in rural area of the Mirab Abaya woreda (district), more than 100 km away from national electric grid. Electrification with solar photovoltaic technology is particularly appropriate thanks to the excellent solar radiation throughout the year ranging from 5-5.6 kWh/m2.
The custom clearance took a very long time and we had to postpone the execution of the mission several times. Arrived in Addis Abeba, our 4 volunteers took a local flight to Arba Minch. It took then almost a full day of drive to arrive to Shella Dida.
The The Shella Dida High School is composed of 5 buildings in concrete, rather recent.
The electrical wiring was completely redone and the photovoltaic panels installed.
Our volunteers went then to Done Ela,where they electrified a High School composed of 4 buildings made of wood and earth. Although the living conditions in these two regions are extremely poor, our volunteers have received a wonderful welcome from the local population.
Both projects, largely funded by ENGIE Foundation, where performed in collaboration with the Arba Minch University, who contributed by transporting the equipment from Arba Minch to the sites and providing technician to help for the installation and ensure the follow-up for the sustainability of the project.
Thank you to the volunteers of Energy Assistance and all those who have contributed to the success of this mission.
« Where there is light, there is LIFE », said a wise men met during this mission.
This first mission to Guinea, in the Kankan region, Mandiana prefecture, took place in 3 stages.
It is in the small village of Gbillin (900 inhabitants), about 15 km from any roads suitable for motorized vehicles, that our volunteers first dropped their luggages and tool bags. The program : electrify the health clinic with photovoltaic panels and install a fridge, to keep vaccines and medicines. The village’s primary school also received the same type of equipment, allowing evening classes and catch-up classes. In fact, one of the first students of the school who had completed his studies at university. A very symbolic moment !
With this experience, the team performed similar missions in record time and always in a good mood in 2 neighboring villages, Loïla (3900 inhabitants) and Faranindoun (8447 inhabitants), each building bringing its share of surprises and technical specificities.
In the evening, the women sang and danced, to the sound of calabashes and djembes, in front of the health clinic, happy to be treated and give birth in better conditions.
A big thanks to the residents of Gbillin, Loïla and Faranindoun for their help in carrying out these projects and for their generous welcome. Thank you Dramane K., electrician in Kankan and our guide and translator on site. Thank you Dominique K., Marcel B., Geoffroy R. and Sylvia B. for their dedication on the field and thank you Roland R. for the good follow-up of the project.
As part of a humanitarian initiative in Morocco, the village of Douar Igourdane, located in the province of Essaouira, has benefited from a vital project supported by Energy Assistance asbl-vzw. This village is facing severe drought, making access to drinking water extremely difficult for its inhabitants.
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The mission was complemented by visits to 9 additional sites, 5 sites built by EA Belgium and 4 by EA France, as well as visits to potential projects (6 schools and 3 health centers) in the So-Ava region.
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The next stage brought us to the north of Parakou, 420 kms from Cotonou. Boko hosts a large hospital complex, partly equipped with solar installations that could help overcome the deficiencies of the Beninese network. The beneficiary contacted us because, after the installation of the system, an error code informing of a too high load was frequently appearing on two of the three inverters. Based on our recommendations, the hospital’s electrician split the installation to connect only consumers up to 4.5 kW to reduce the load of each inverter.
We then went to the capital to visit 4 installations realized by our colleagues from EA France.
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