Bid to light up schools in 14 poor counties gains momentum

Pupils of Nalekat Primary School in Baringo County studying under a tree on February 15. Their classrooms were destroyed by strong winds. [File, Standard]

In Kilifi County, 26 per cent of schools are privately run, and so are 36 per cent in Garissa County, according to the Kenya Open Data.

In the health sector, the proportion of clinics outside the State system averages 41 per cent, with 63 per cent of clinics in Kilifi being privately run.

Powering these facilities will open up the possibility for improved education and healthcare services to many marginalised families.

With the increased focus on digital literacy programme by the Government and the rapid development in educational software, demand for electricity in schools is growing.

Tracked and evaluated

In the 14 poorest counties of Kenya, about 16 per cent of schools are outside the public sector.

It is these revelations that have forced a partnership between a non-profit organisation and a foundation to upgrade education and healthcare services in remote Kenyan communities.

Standard sized solar power systems are being installed, with an ongoing maintenance contract in place to guarantee the supply of power to run schools and dispensaries.

How the school or clinic then makes use of the power supply is being tracked and evaluated, both through remote monitoring systems and also through regular field visits, to assess what else needs to be provided to maximise the impact of the intervention.

The aim is to provide reliable and appropriate power, which can support better quality teaching and healthcare for some of Kenya’s most vulnerable communities. The programme targets facilities which are off the national power grid.

Many people in the country’s poor counties rely on schools and clinics run by religious organisations, community groups or NGOs.

These facilities are typically far from the national grid and lack power supply.

This limits the quality of education and healthcare which can be provided.

Some piecemeal provision of solar panels through charitable donation happens, but these systems frequently fail after a short period for lack of maintenance.

Migodomani Primary School in Kilifi County, for instance, serves 290 students, some of them boarders.

800W system

The school was connected to the grid, but a few months after connection in 2016, the transformer blew up and the school has been without power ever since, apart from what is provided by a small solar panel for lights and phone charging.

With the 800W system now installed, the school can meet all its power needs, including charging the tablets they were given by the Government but they have never used.

Staff and students at the school were excited to see one of these tablets finally come to life on the day of installation.

Mitsajeni Dispensary in Kilifi is a Government-run facility serving around 80 patients a week is one of the beneficiaries of the noble initiative, thanks to OVO Foundation and Energy 4 Impact partnership, which aim to deliver reliable power to all privately operated, needy education and health facilities in Turkana and Kilifi counties.

The dispensary has relied on kerosene and gas to meet its energy needs.

“We are very thankful for this help, we were not sure when we would get electricity neither had we expected that we would be able to use some of the equipment we had.

“This marks a new era for our medical operations,” said a member of staff at the dispensary.

So, far 20 pilot installations have been completed in 16 schools and four clinics in the two counties.

During the initial site assessments for the pilot, Energy 4 Impact staff found that government electrification plans for some state schools and health posts remain a distant prospect.

A few public schools were therefore included in the programme.