In the recent past, WriteCanvas created case studies on the impact of solar power adoption across eight industry verticals. Noticeably, we have seen amazing examples of how solar has transformed energy consumption in enterprises, but the impact on the lives of the marginalized segment across the country. This impact story from the West African resonates with our belief at WriteCanvas that renewable energy has a social impact; it touches the spirit of `Bharat’—makes it an inclusive part of the larger Indian society.

Similarly, in Africa/globally, where one in eight people rely on unelectrified or under-electrified healthcare facilities; one in four people lack access to clean drinking water, solar energy is bridging the gap. While a large segment of the African people, especially in the rural areas, have daily challenges to access clean water, regular electricity, food, transportation and medical facilities etc, the local governments ably aided by local NGOs, the World Bank, IMF and other international agencies are looking at RE, especially solar power to address the issue.

Today, I want to focus on how solar power is empowering more than 40,000 people in the Kalale District of Benin, West Africa. Till some time back people did not have access to regular electricity. Translated, they did not have access to potable water and refrigerators to store vaccines.

A solar power adoption initiative which included installing 24 solar-powered water pumps and five solar-powered vaccine refrigerators—all operational, changed the lives of the communities living in Kalalé. The project handled by Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), with funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)—an independent U.S. foreign assistance agency—in collaboration with MCC’s counterpart in Benin, the Millennium Challenge Account, is witnessing the social impacts.

The project:

For this project, a solar array was hooked up to a water pump in each of the 24 villages. During daylight, the pump draws water from an underground source into an elevated reservoir. The water is then gravity-fed to a distribution station, where local people can access it. A small, affordable fee is charged for water, which will cover repairs indefinitely. Because these systems are direct-drive (i.e., battery-free), maintenance needs are minimal.

The vaccine refrigerators are direct-drive as well. This improves reliability, but the lack of a battery also means there’s no way to store surplus power generated during peak sunlight hours. To make good use of this electricity, the refrigerators are equipped with an energy harvest control (EHC) mechanism. The EHC diverts surplus energy to charge ancillary devices in the clinic, such as battery-operated lights or cell phones. As an additional measure of accessibility surrounding the five clinics, solar-powered streetlights were installed to help light the way for patients at night.

The social impact:

Solar power is providing the citizens with their foundation right to basic healthcare, food and water, and education.

Women, especially girls who missed school because they had to walk miles to fetch water, are now regularly attending classes. The households have access to clean water. The drip irrigation project which was implemented earlier is hearing fruits. It is helping villagers to grow vegetables and fruits thus giving access to nutritional food. This is also an additional income source for women.

Secondly, the vaccination drive against waterborne and other diseases has gained momentum because the vaccines being stored in refrigerators. Experts estimate that the number of fully vaccinated people in the region to rise significantly as against the present … percent, because of solar power adoption.

“In the past, we suffered a lot to get water. This was a major problem for us,” says Koulou Démon, a Kalalé District resident. “We are praying for other communities to get the same system to alleviate their water scarcity issues.”

“Water access meets many fundamental needs of course,” says Dr. Cardinal Akpakpa, a physician in the Kalalé District village of Gberougbassi. “Reliable access to clean water will not only improve hygiene measures, but it is also critical for the prevention of waterborne diseases.”

“As a society, we don’t often think about lack of electricity as an underlying cause of health disparities,” says Robert Freling, SELF’s executive director. “You can provide all the vaccines in the world, but if a clinic doesn’t have the ability to refrigerate them, it doesn’t matter. Electricity is a prerequisite for healthy communities.”

“The Millennium Challenge Corporation invests in country-led solutions that reduce poverty and foster economic growth,” says Jason Bauer, director of finance, investment and trade at MCC. “This investment helps address health constraints that bind economic growth for thousands of people in the Kalalé District, while adapting to growing climate challenges.”

Both clean water and vaccinations are vital for improving local health. Waterborne illness is a leading cause of death in Benin. Only 58% of children in the country are considered fully immunized. The new solar infrastructure will help the people of the Kalalé District defy those statistics.