Lighting Up Lives with Education
Giving Technology and Light to Youth
We are so excited to be working with SEEK (Summer Engineering and Entrepreneurship Kamp) on a solar light distribution project in Benin.
Novi NGO volunteers are organizing a solar lantern distribution to middle school and high schoolers in Dagleta village, Allada, Benin. Through their SEEK program, Novi’s volunteers will be working with 60 selected students in Dagleta village (southern Benin, West Africa) to develop various science projects during a four week engineering camp.
The second week of the camp will focus on STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with solar energy as the focus project. The students will learn how solar energy works and the process of making solar lanterns, radios, etc. Also, they will learn about the advantages of using solar lantern over kerosene-based lighting.
At the end of the camp, 100 solar lanterns will be distributed to the students, volunteers, participants, and families. This will be a unique opportunity for the village to be introduced to solar light and solar energy, in general. We hope to organize a solar distribution campaign after this pilot project to include other villages and students in need.
Students in Benin
Need: $1,500 / Solar Lights: 100
Learn more about it:
- A household in rural Benin earns around $50 a month
- $20 (nearly 45%) of that money goes to kerosene and other lighting and energy related needs.
- Orphanages and clinics in the villages and surrounding areas don’t have access to proper lighting for emergency needs.
Solar lights will allow clinics in the area to save more lives; families can use their income to more important needs; Kerosene-use related risks will be minimized, and the students, especially girls will be able to study at night after afternoon long days of household work.
