Country Context

According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2009 Human Development Report, nearly 80% of the population of Nicaragua lives on less than US$2 a day. Added to this, Nicaragua has Central America’s lowest rates of energy access; in rural areas 60% of the population has no access to electricity.  Access to electricity is poor because rural communities are too isolated and almost inaccessible.

Two such communities are Silva and Somotignes in the Municipality of Wiwili in the northern central area of the country. These communities are extremely isolated and the only way to reach them is via the river – a boat journey of approximately five hours from the nearest town. Neither community has access to electricity or clean drinking water. Watering crops is all done by hand, water borne diseases are a major cause of infant mortality, and the only source of lighting is “candiles” (kerosene lamps with crude cloth wicks)

Programme Summary

Renewable World is working with lead partner Asofenix – a Nicaraguan NGO which works in particularly remote, poor communities - to improve the livelihoods of the villagers of Silva and Somotignes through the provision of household and community solar systems and solar water pumping for agriculture. This will enable the communities to not only access better health and educational facilities but will provide access to water for irrigation which will enable the community to increase their yields and grow crops throughout the dry season – improving nutritional health as well as incomes.

Partner Support

Asofenix has considerable experience in installing renewable energy systems (both solar and hydro) and has a strong track record of community development, however to date Asofenix has struggled to develop robust economic models which link renewable energy to both productive and consumptive uses. This potentially compromises the long-term sustainability of impact. Therefore along with providing social investment and financing, Renewable World is working with Asofenix to develop their capacity in this area by supporting them to develop a business model and building robust and achievable cash-flow estimates in order to maximise the sustainability of the systems they install.

Implementation

Installation of 50w solar panels for each of the 48 households in the two communities and 100w panels on the school and church in each community and the health centre in Somotignes to provide light and power.

Installation of a solar energy water pump for the irrigation of fruit and vegetables. 

An energy committee will be elected, made up of men and women chosen by the beneficiaries, who will be given training in community organisation, renewable energy, environment and micro-finance so that they can manage a micro credit scheme.

Asofenix will choose a group of men and women from the community with sufficient education level to become technicians and give them appropriate technical training so that they can take part in the installation and maintain the technology once installed.

A micro-credit system will be established and managed by the energy committee to administer the funds paid for the systems (by those families who can afford it) and generate a revolving fund for productive use within the community.

Impacts

Community members will increase their income from improved yields and from sales of surplus crops and produces (coffee, cacao, beans, rice and corn) due to reliable and regular access to water for irrigation.

250 people in 48 households will experience better health due to reduced use of kerosene for lighting, access to clean water, better nutrition achieved though increased yields and crop variety and upgrading of the health centre’s facilities.

Children in the two communities will have improved education thanks to increased hours of study at home from better lighting and better access to radio and information technology.