The Akwasiho Village is located 60 miles from Kumasi, Ghana and suffers from the same malaise as many rural villages in developing countries. The number of able workers far exceeds the work opportunities. Few modern conveniences exist in the village and life is difficult. Many drift away from the village into Accra looking for work where it is also difficult to find. With very few skills, they find it very difficult to sustain themselves and to improve their quality of life.

Objective

The major objective is to foster the development of a solar energy technology based industry in a rural village where current work opportunities are very restrictive and life for many is characterized by dire poverty. The project will provide villagers with skills and a cottage industry which can be used to make a living. Several spin-off benefits will be realized as well. The health conditions of the village will be improved by providing safe drinking water by pasteurization of water using the sun; reduction in respiratory problems caused from smoke produced by wood burning will result as the solar energy is used to supplement wood. Fewer trees will be cut to fuel fires for cooking and thus the fuelwood shortages which are predictable will be alleviated. Living in the village will become more attractive for young people. Using a three phase approach, solar energy concepts will be taught to villagers, workers will be trained to manufacture, market and distribute solar products, and a Solar Village Living Center will be built.

Overview:

The Solar Energy Project for Akwasiho Village is a part of a long term development project to create a Solar Village Living Center in the village. The project is a simple cost efficient way to improve the living conditions of the people of Akwasiho by introducing the use of solar energy technology as a source of sustainable development.

This village provides an excellent environment for the success of the project. Traditionally, the Kwahu people are known for their entreprenurial spirit. Today the young people’s potential is unrealized or they leave to find opportunity in the cities.

The Kwahu Region is a peaceful stable population of approximately 300,000 people. The population is tri-modal-the old-over 50 years old; more than 40% under 15 years old; and those establishing families. The average education level is less than 8th grade which is the highest level of education available in Akwasiho Village.

Akwasiho Village is located in a rich fertile rural area where 60% of the adult labor force is dedicated to small scale peasant farming of crops such as cassava, corn, and bean. Excess crops are sold in the Market. Nearby to the Village are lumbering and mining industries which provide very limited work opportunities. Unemployment is very high among the young adults. The tendency is for this age group to migrate to the nearest cities. Much of the land is heavily treed. There are two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season.

The core plan of this proposal is to train villagers to make and assemble solar products ; to use, market and distribute the products not only in their own village, but also to neighboring villages and beyond. Solar technology is being introduced as a ecologically friendly means of cooking, as well as, a means to improve health conditions by pasteurizing the water supply for safe drinking water, and for cleaning items to reduce the presence of germs and control diseases associated with the germs. The Solar Village Living Center concept is a multi-stage project. Preliminary planning and development of the concept started in October, 1995. The project will be implemented in three phases. The first steps of Phase I were initiated in July, 1996 with a solar cooking demonstration followed by several teams of villagers building their own cookers. A Solar Project/Cooker Committee has been established to provide the onsite ongoing activities. They will serve as bridges to other villagers and encourage them to try the solar energy concepts. Thus far all of the work on the project has been provbodies aided through volunteer services of the collaborators from use of personnel funds.

The introduction of solar cooking was successful and has sparked a real interest in the use of solar technology. The Chief Nana Keseku II and the Village Elders are very supportive of the possibilities, and have set aside land for other demonstrations of solar energy in action. Despite the initial enthusiasm expressed, the Technical Advisory Team and the indigeneous Solar Energy/Cooker Project Committee will be responsible for the reinforcement of the use of the technology. They will encourage villagers to continue the use of the cooker to guarantee that the innovation of cooking with the sun is permanently infused within the community. Supplementing the firewood method of cooking will mean an adjustment to existing lifestyles. The Committee must come up with techniques to convince people to do this.

As follow-up to the demonstration the committee will be asked to encourage villagers to use the cookers built that day, and to keep records of the results. Several promotional activities are planned. The Training guide used for the demonstration will be distributed to the schools in the Village so that classroom demonstrations can be conducted with children and design contests held. Also a contest for the best meal cook using a solar cooker will be condcuted. Solar powered lights will be placed outside of the Chief’s Palace to remind Villagers that there are many uses for solar energy technology. (See Appendix I-Phase I-Solar Cooking Follow-up Training Guide)

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Phase I-Introduction of Solar Energy Technology Principles

Phase I is designed to simply introduce the usefulness of solar energy and how it can be used to meet everyday needs. It will show how solar energy can be used in cooking to supplement the use of firewood, to pastuerize water and to can and preserve food. An indigeneous Village Solar Project/Cooker Committee was established during the July visit to the Village. (See Appendix II- Report on Solar Cooking Demonstration in Akwasiho Village) Under the direction of the Technical Advisory Team, the Committee will encourage the adoption of the technology and reinforce infusion into the village culture. They will be the primary agents of the technology transfer.

The strategy is to provide multiple introductions and multiple communication channels, allowing each time for the refining and adaptation of materials. Solar power outdoor lights will be placed in of front of the Village Chief’s Palace and the Library at the Village which has been initiated by Dr. Wades Nobles, one of the project collaborators as constant reminder of the usefulness of the technology.

The Village Commitee will be guided by the US Technical Advisory Team and continue to conduct periodic solar cooking demonstrations such as the one conducted in July, as well as, future training and retraining sessions like the following:

They will distribute the Solar Cooking Training Guide to schools to get children involved and to encourage experimentation with design and concepts of solar cooking. They will present in pictorial form and distribute information on how solar energy is being used in other villages in Africa and other developing countries will also be distributed. They will monitor the use of solar cookers and record information about problems experienced in cooking or reluctance to adopt the technology.

Budget for Phase I

* Collaborators spent roughly $3500 to develop and implement Solar Cooker Demonstration (October, 95-July, 96) . Costs were primarily travel, and are not included in this budget.Return to Table Of Contents

Phase II- Development of Cottage industry

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Building Material and Manufacturing: Solar Products designs will stress the use of materials that the villagers can readily obtain and are accustomed to using locally available materials that only require local tooling and skills will be the materials of choice in making the solar products. Inexpensive materials will be used to minimize cost for building the product.