WORLD VISION SUPPORTS COMMUNITIES IN NR, UPPER EAST (PAGE 20)

WORLD Vision (WV) Ghana, in collaboration with its partners, is supporting selected communities in the Northern and Upper East regions which do not enjoy from the national grid to acquire affordable rechargeable solar lanterns.
The initiative that was made possible through a pilot scheme dubbed: “Affordable lighting for all” (ALFA), is aimed at distributing a total of 1,500 Philips rechargeable lanterns to communities in nine districts in the two regions.
Speaking at the inauguration of the project at Gingani in the Tolon-Kumbungu District, the Associate Director, Micro Enterprise Development of the WV, Mr Harry Akama, mentioned the beneficiary districts as some communities in the Tamale metropolis, Zabzugu-Tatale, Savelugu-Nanton, Tolon-Kumbungu, Gushiegu and Karaga districts in the Northern Region.
The rest are Kassena-Nankana, Builsa and Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
According to Mr Akama, apart from his outfit, the other facilitators of the ALFA project were the New Energy, Free Energy Foundation, Deng Limited, the Netherlands Development Organisation and the Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment.
He stated that the project aimed at providing services to 10 million deprived people in sub-Saharan Africa, while developing a commercially sustainable distribution chains for the products.
The director added that “micro finance arrangements of the retailers and other forms of social marketing will be deployed to invest in recharging equipment stock and spare parts”.
He, however, expressed regret that Ghana’s rate of electrification was not the best, as only 11 million of its population had access to power supply.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Northern Sector Director of WV, Mr Daniel Salifu, observed that low-income levels, low-population density and scattered communities were among factors that had made on-grid electrification expensive and unattractive.
According to Mr Salifu, the ALFA project sought to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1 by stimulating local economic development and income generation.
He said it also sought to contribute to MDG 7 by making sustainable energy services accessible for undeserved people in our communities.
“The Philips rechargeable lantern contributes to safety at home due to reduction in fire hazards. It also improves health and hygiene at home, because it is smokeless,” Mr Salifu stated.
The Northern Sector Branch Manager of the Association of Entrepreneurial Development Programme of WV, Mr Francis Amoah, said prices of the lanterns had been subsidised, with the market price for each lantern which was GH¢350 now cost GH¢150.
He, however, stressed that mechanisms had been put in place to enable the communities to acquire the facility.
The Tolon-Kumbungu District Chief Executive, Mr Iddi Manzah Mahama, stated that plans were far advanced to connect communities that did not enjoy electricity to the national grid.