The lack of electricity supply is no longer a problem at the Saint John of God Nursing School in Mabesseneh, thanks to a cooperation project managed by Juan Ciudad ONGD in collaboration with the Sant Joan de Deu Teaching Campus and the EKI Foundation (of Solarpack), which have reached an agreement to finance the cost of the solar energy installation that was completed in November 2018 and has been fully operational throughout this year.
In total, nearly 250 people, including employees and students, benefit from this project, and now have 24-hour electricity for school lighting and the use of computers and other mobile devices.
All of this logically results in improved quality of life for students and staff, as well as the quality of teaching, as they can now develop and plan their activities without being interrupted without warning during the day or night by a power outage.
A class at the SJG School of Nursing last March 2019.
This project, therefore, has resolved two problems faced by this Nursing School, which is dependent on the Saint John of God Hospital, located very close by, next to the town of Lunsar, in a rural setting. Furthermore, for the regular maintenance of the Nursing School, they rely on the twinning of the Saint Joan de Deu Teaching Campus and the support of other organizations such as the Africa Viva Foundation and the Sant Joan de DĂ©u Maternal and Child Hospital.
An area with a poor electrical grid, which also frequently fails, forcing residents, as well as the hospital and school, to seek alternatives, such as using generators, with the resulting high fuel costs.
"This type of project is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7, 'Affordable and Clean Energy,' as well as with other future initiatives we are promoting at several San Juan de Dios hospitals in different African countries," explained Ana Meyer, Cooperation Projects Coordinator at Juan Ciudad NGO.
An EKI official and staff in charge of the facility and the Nursing School at the end of 2018, with the shed housing the solar panels and the battery system, in Mabesseneh.
The Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, which founded the hospital more than 50 years ago and the School of Nursing in 2007, makes a constant effort to maintain its social and hospital services to care for sick and vulnerable people, as well as to train future healthcare professionals.
However, these centers require constant support, as their sustainability is very complex, as they are located in a context where resources are scarce and the majority of the population lives in poverty. Therefore, organizations like Juan Ciudad ONGD work to raise funds from supportive individuals and institutions and channel them transparently, in coordination with counterparts, who are familiar with the real needs on the ground and execute the projects, so that they benefit as many people as possible.
Source: Juan Ciudad NGO Communication.
