About the Project
The project consisted of purchasing and installing solar panels and batteries to support school infrastructure.
Location
Mweiga, Nyeri, Kenya
Quick Project Stats
| Funding Date | April – May 2024 |
| Luena Investment | $6,825 |
| CBO Partner | Mary Immaculate Academy |
| Village | Mweiga |
| Country | Kenya |
| # of Children Impacted | 850 |
| Community Contribution | manual labor, contribution of locally-available materials (gravel), and security |
Living Expenses Present Barriers to Effective Education
Mary Immaculate Academy has a population of 850 pupils and 40 staff. It is located in a semi-arid area, and most of the learners are from the surrounding community. Families in this area face high poverty. The lack of water makes it difficult to plant food crops without irrigation, which means that families must spend additional money on purchasing food. Mary Immaculate has experienced the same effect of lack of water leading to high cost of living. In Kenya, electricity bills have become very expensive, making it challenging to pump water and use lighting. The majority of students in Mary Immaculate pay low fees or only a portion of their school fees. Others are unable to pay at all, and some students are supported by scholarships, especially Samburu girls rescued from early marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The inability of families and the school to pay electricity bills creates challenges to learning. Often, students will go to sleep early because of blackouts, without taking remedial studies at night, which leads to poor performance. In addition, without the ability to pump water from water sources, community residents, including children, must spend time going to fetch water in a nearby river for consumption and other domestic use.
Solar Energy Improves Education Outcomes and Community Wellbeing
The donation from Luena Foundation was used to purchase 21 solar panels and 8 batteries and pay installation expenses. This project benefitted 850 learners, 42 members of the staff, 200 students of the neighboring school (Mary Immaculate Secondary), and the community surrounding Mary Immaculate Academy. 14 solar panels were installed to provide power to pump water from the borehole, which has assisted in lowering the cost of pumping water using electricity. As a result, lives of the learners, staff, and neighboring community have been changed, especially in the following areas: improvement in hygiene, consumption of clean water, and planting of food crops. The cost of electricity has been reduced by 85%, greatly reducing the Academy’s expenses.
The remaining solar panels and batteries were installed in the tuition block. This has really benefited students in their learning process, most of whom have improved in their academics. Digital literacy is one of the methodologies used in the new curriculum in Kenya (C.B.C.), and teachers have been able to implement it now that solar energy is available for technology use. Improved, reliable lighting has reduced the accidents caused by blackouts, increased hours of remedial lessons where every learner is supported, and finally, theft has completely reduced in the school and in the surrounding community at large.
Meet our Partner Community-Based Organization
Mary Immaculate Academy was begun by the sisters of Mary Immaculate of Nyeri in 1995. It was begun by the Sisters to offer education to all and especially the needy children of Kieni West Mweiga Kenya. The school is a non-profit and private school. It begins from play group up to Junior School between the ages 3 to 14 years.
