Improving School Grades with Solar Lighting

Halima (Left) and her two daughters, beneficiaries of the Solar Lantern Project in Isiolo County

Reading is the major activity that occupies the larger part of a student’s program. In addition to what is taught in class, those children who end up performing well in national examinations attribute their success to among other routines, putting in extra study hours during the night. But for the children of Isiolo and Samburu counties, when night falls, reading stops.

Many of the school going children in Isiolo and Samburu rely on kerosene lamps or even read over the fire. In addition to the fact that these are not adequate light sources for studying, they also expose the children to health hazards including respiratory diseases and eyesight challenges.

 A clean energy source of light for studying is a vital component in ensuring equal rights to education for these children. It is for this reason that The United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources & Regional Development Authorities, developed the Solar Lantern Project for Northern Kenya. The project which is in support of the Access to Clean Energy Programme of the Ministry of Energy & Petroleum has helped to mitigate the challenge of electricity inaccessibility for school going children and health facilities in Isiolo and Samburu Counties.

More than 2000 units have been distributed to 26 schools and 10 health facilities and in less than a year, there is a notable improvement in schools. “There is a huge difference in the school performance of these children ever since they received the lanterns. Before, teachers would complain everyday about homework not done. Now, the students have no excuse for not finishing their assignments,” says Abdi Ali, deputy head teacher Bulampya School. “Just before the school holidays, I asked the students to surrender the lanterns so that we could keep them in school. You should have seen the look on their faces, they were devastated. The day before the closing date they approached me with a proposal; that instead of surrendering the lanterns, they would present them on the first day of opening school just to confirm that they were still in good condition. And indeed, they did! The lanterns have become a very important to these children and their families,” he adds.

When using low light, the lanterns last up to 15 hours, when the settings are on medium, they can be used for a maximum of 9 hours. When using maximum light, the lanterns can last up to 6 hours, the same number of hours it takes to have them fully charged when they are facing the sun. The lifespan of the lamps is approximated at 10 years if in urban areas and 5 years for rural areas.

Amina Abdi, a student at Bulampya School is a beneficiary of the lanterns. She recounts her experience before and after she received the solar lamp. “Although the lamp was given to me it helps my whole family. Before, my 5 siblings and I would all gather around the kerosene lamp or a candle to do our assignments. We could barely see. But now, we simply place the lantern at a central point and with the maximum light settings, we are all able to see without any struggle. I have also gone a grade up in school, from the extra study hours I put in at night using my solar lamp.” 

Her mother, Halima is quick to add that although the lamp was intended for school children, it is helping the whole family. “I sometimes sell vegetables in the market. Amina’s father passed on just recently, so I am the sole bread winner. Amina has 6 siblings; 5 others in school and one barely 3 months old.   This means that my little income sustains 8 people. Before she started bringing the solar lantern home, I had to spend 20 shillings on Kerosene every day. But now, I save around 1,000 shillings a month, money that I have channeled to my children’s education kitty,” she says. “Before when the baby would wake up at night, afraid that the kerosene lamp would explode, I would light a matchstick until it flickered down, then light another, when breastfeeding the baby but now, I simply put on the solar lamp,” she concludes.

Students carry the lamps home for their evening studies and return them to school the next day for recharging. This model was initiated by UNDP to ensure that the project not only provides reading light for the children but also encourages them, especially the girls, to stay in school because they are required to report to school each day to recharge the lanterns. To ensure sustainability of the project, UNDP has also trained local artisans in proper use and handling of the lanterns.

“The importance of the solar lanterns cannot be over emphasized especially for our children who are from pastoralist communities.  In Samburu, we have something unique called ‘mobile schools’. These schools move from place to place. While we cannot carry electricity with us every time we relocate, the solar lanterns are portable,” notes Halkano Bonaya from the county office of Education in Samburu County.  “These are the kinds of initiatives that will transform our lives; that will make our children be able to compete with the rest of the pupils from the rest of the country. We expect and are almost certain that our performance will improve when the beneficiaries of these lanterns sit for their national examinations,” Bonaya adds.

One of two homes for the physically challenged in Isiolo County, Alakara Home, is also a beneficiary of the solar lanterns.  Sister Mercy Thattil who heads the home says the lanterns have been of great help to the children at night, who due to their psychology cannot settle without light. Additionally, the children who cannot hold candles can easily carry the lanterns. The institution is home to 30 children.

An entity of the Ministry of Environment, Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority (ENNDA), with head teachers from the selected schools are managing the initiative originally initiated by the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD). ENNDA chairperson Maalim Mohamed explains that the selected schools were identified by carrying out a needs assessment of schools in the counties. For some, water was the main challenge, for others it was security, other schools already had panels, the ones ENNDA settled on had not been reached by any form of lighting. 

Only about 1 in every 4 Kenyans has access to electricity. This is according to the latest data from the World Bank. Yet, scientists have confirmed that enough solar energy falls on the surface of the earth every 40 minutes to meet 100% of the entire world’s energy needs for a year. The solar lanterns project is one venture that is tapping just a small portion of this solar energy to provide electricity not just for school going children but to their families as well. The distribution of the lanterns also bolsters UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative and is in line with Sustainable Development Goal number 7; Ensuring Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All. The lamps are a donation from Panasonic Corporation.