Solar Powered Schools
“Knowledge is like a garden; if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.”
Guinean proverb
Our Impact
191
Students have access to solar powered IT equipment we installed.
22%
of students in Ghana have basic ICT skills.
8 hours
of hands-on IT education delivered to pupils each week.
30%
of schools in rural areas have access to computers.
Why is Solar Power important for Schools in Ghana?
Only 30% of schools in rural Ghana have access to computers, yet the majority of jobs in the formal sector require basic computer skills. This means people from rural areas are unfairly and significantly disadvantaged. Electricity access in schools also means students can charge phones and reading lights, and enables the school to be used out of hours for reading or homework groups.
Solar Power for Bomigo Basic School
In 2020, Bright Senam Mensah attended a Dream Renewables training course, focussing on the opportunities provided by solar power. He left inspired by the possibilities, and later travelled with fellow trainees to local schools in the region to share his knowledge. One of these visits was to Bomigo Basic School that had no electricity and therefore no computers despite having a skilled IT teacher. Having identified the need, Bright went back to the Dream Renewables team to see what might be possible to help the school move forward. Our team worked hard with him to provide the project mentoring support, the technical skills and the all-important funds. He had the necessary local knowledge, relationships and enthusiasm to make it happen. Two years later, Bright successfully opened the Bomigo IT lab alongside Dream Renewables volunteers, and members of the school and local community.
Read more about this project here
Find out what else we do
We have over 5 years experience delivering training, education and community-centred renewable energy projects in Ghana. We run practical and hands-on training programmes in solar energy, energy efficiency and clean cooking across Ghana.
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We deliver training programmes in solar power and clean cooking for people across Ghana, including rural and remote areas, schools and universities.
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In Ghana, over 500 CHPs Compounds (rural health clinics) are not connected to the electricity grid. We provide lifesaving solar power systems to improve health care at the clinics.
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Along with an ex-trainee Bright Mensah, we installed a solar powered IT lab for Bomigo Basic School, a school in an off-grid island community in the Volta Region.
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The majority of people in Ghana cook with solid biomass based fuel in inefficient stoves. This is expensive, polluting and most of all damaging to respiratory health. We educate and inform people about the options available, and run trials and research.
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We work with farmers to provide solar powered irrigation systems aiming to increase yields and reduce costs.