Campaign Status

Campaign Completed: The campaign has achieved successful funding, raising $28,000:

• $10,000 through online and offline donations
• $18,000 through match-funding

Summary

The campaign aims to provide access to electricity and install solar-powered TVs, enabling 900 students to continue their education.

Challenge

Education facilities in rural areas of Lebanon face significant challenges related to energy shortages, marked by frequent blackouts, high diesel costs, fuel scarcity, and steep maintenance expenses. Unfortunately, Bakhoun Technical School is not exempt from these issues, and the energy deficit is adversely affecting the educational access of more than 900 students in this North Lebanon village.

In the northern Lebanese village of Bakhoun, 900 students are at risk of dropping out of school due to the inability of their sole educational facility to sustain itself in terms of electricity and power generation. The imminent closure of the school can be avoided through the urgent implementation of sustainable and long-term measures.

The educational conditions at Bakhoun Technical School are deteriorating due to a shortage in power supply. Operating on two shifts, the school experiences a substantial demand for electricity. Simultaneously, it grapples with frequent blackouts, soaring diesel costs, diesel scarcity, and elevated maintenance expenses. Additionally, the reliance on diesel generators contributes to both sound and air pollution, exacerbating the challenges faced by the school.

Solution

A community problem necessitates a community-led solution: the inability to generate energy for sustaining an educational facility has led to the cancellation of practical classes. Children are spending excessive time in the playground and less time in the classrooms, resulting in a degradation of the quality of education. Moreover, the increased risk of dropouts and constant exposure to air pollution are posing significant health risks to the children. Recognizing this as a community-scale problem, a community-led solution is imperative.

Introducing the "everyone is a winner" solution: In collaboration with UNDP Cedro5, LSES is leveraging its expertise and knowledge to design and implement energy and environmental solutions. The objective is to supply and install a small-scale Solar Photovoltaic power plant at Bakhoun School. This includes a Photovoltaic generator, inverter, fuel save controller, data logger, and auxiliary equipment. Furthermore, training will be provided to the school management for the operation and maintenance of the installed system.