SEED’s Project Masoandro, meaning Sun in Malagasy, is a pioneering solar energy accessibility project, designed to use rural schools as a hub for solar systems that provide “light libraries” and rechargeable power packs for communities that rely on dangerous kerosene and carbon fuels for light, cooking, home work and livelihoods activities. 

 

Just one third of the total population (33.7%) has access to grid-electricity. In southern rural regions like Anosy, on average, only 10.9% of the rural population have access and community members have to walk several kilometres to access basic electrical services such as phone charging.

Access to electricity in rural communities typically relies on carbon fuels which are harmful for the users’ health and the environment; ingesting the fumes is associated with high risks of cancer and asthma, and by-products emitted are damaging climate change pollutants.

Why Schools?

The lack of electricity in schools impacts the quality of education and restricts educational performance for the students. During the school day, limited natural lighting in classrooms can make reading, writing, and concentrating challenging. The absence of electrical light is also an obstacle for students wanting to engage in extracurricular activities or additional educational support outside of school hours, after dark. Students needing to study, and teachers needing to mark and prepare lessons, are limited to performing these activities during daylight hours or using dim kerosene lamps after dark.

Solution

SEED has partnered with a local enterprise, Jiro-VE which specialises in the installation and management of the solar systems which will be installed on school classroom roofs to generate and store solar power.

Through these systems, electricity for lighting is supplied to the classrooms and teachers’ accommodation, and a “Light Library”  which will be managed by a locally-employed franchisee, empowering local entrepreneurs and serving communities with affordable clean energy at the same time.

 

Solar United Madagascar

In order to pursue our mission for clean, affordable energy for even the most remote communities in Madagascar, SEED has partnered with three other NGOs working in Madagascar to form a new consortium: Solar United Madagascar. Through this consortium we aim to raise awareness and funds to improve energy accessibility for communities across Madagascar. 

Please donate today to help us bring light, power and better health to the communities in Anosy.

It costs just 25p to rent a solar-powered rechargeable power bank which will light homes for homework and livelihood activities, charge phones and power a radio for a whole week. 

• A power bank device costs just £14.40
• Training a franchisee to run the Light Library costs just £88
• A three-panel solar system that re-charges the 48 power packs every day costs £288.