Solar pumps for women in Senegal

Solar pumps for Ouonck
By consuming EKOenergy, you ensure that your electricity supplier pays at least € 0.10 / MWh to the EKOenergy Climate Fund. This fund finances projects with added social and environmental value by promoting renewable energy in developing countries.

In 2017, EKOenergy contributed € 20,000 to the financing of a solar pumping program implemented by Fondem (Fondation Énergies pour le Monde) in the village of Ouonck, in southern Senegal. The Climate Fund project aims to promote the socio-economic growth of this region where agricultural activity plays a key role. The project focuses on two areas, each managed by thirty women.

Currently, water collection is done by hand, which is a time-consuming and fastidious job for these women,” says Valentin Benoit, Project Manager at Fondem.

Thus, the instalment of these solar-powered, water-pumping facilities will increase and diversify agricultural production. The benefits are obvious: higher incomes for women (who will be able to process some of the agricultural commodities produced) and increased food security for the whole village. The efficiency of the project and the water savings will be furthered by a drip irrigation system.

The follow-up

The project does not end with the instalment of the equipment. To ensure the sustainability of the project, Fondem raises awareness and accompanies the beneficiaries. The women’s groups also pay a monthly contribution to the Ouonck Solar Electrification Management Committee (CGESO), a local operator responsible for the maintenance and replacement of broken parts.

Fondem has already successfully carried out a similar project in 2004, installing pumps at the market garden area in the village of Affiniam (South Senegal) and is promoting the exchange of experiences between these women’s communities.

EKOenergy is proud to have supported Fondem, which has been working since 1990 to promote access to electricity in rural areas while involving the local population and promoting renewable energies! This project should be an example to be replicated on a larger scale in the region. A big thank you to the consumers of EKOenergy who make projects like this possible!

For more pictures about this project, see EKOenergy’s Flickr account.

Author Mounia Tonazzini
Photos: Fondem
Posted on 20 November 2017