Solar Power for Village Schools in Rural South Asia
A key principle of EAEI is long-term enhancement of the technical, economic, and social situations in the target regions. This project addresses this principle by providing underprivileged village schools with sustainable sources of energy.
The Challenge
The target region for this project faces constant power outages that can last from hours to days, especially in the more remote districts as the demand for energy is far higher than the current system can supply. With the future of education rapidly shifting towards technology-driven classrooms, these constant power outages pose a major problem in many schools.
Most schools don’t even have light fixtures or fans in their classrooms, with the students sitting through hot and humid conditions during peak summer relying on just the open window for light and ventilation. As for older students who have to work in the fields during daylight time, the situation deprives the schools of the option of offering evening classes for education as they have no lighting available.
The Solution
EAEI seeks to support development in the area by installing solar PV panels for the benefit of the most important infrastructure and stakeholders pertinent to the future of the region – the village schools and their students.
With the power stability that the project would bring, the next step in bringing the schools up to par with the demands of the current educational landscape is introducing technology to classrooms. The global shift towards increased technology in the classroom will only continue to grow, and to help the schools keep up with this, we plan to provide the schools with a few functional PCs and monitors.
EAEI is following the development goals as defined in the SDGs at the UN Paris Agreement and in similar agreements by other unions such as the EU and ASEAN. SDG 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning of all’) is the focal point for this project, as better school infrastructure and facilities are conducive to the quality of education provided.
Along with project coordination, we will also be directly supervising the installation of appliances onsite to ensure quality and to train community members on how to maintain the systems themselves, transferring knowledge and relevant skills.