Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund

TA 4461: Poverty Reduction and Rural Renewable Energy Development - Afghanistan
Financed by Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund

Project Summary

The TA is a pilot project to replicate the 'barefoot college' community-based solar energy system developed in India to off-grid remote rural areas in Afghanistan. The project includes

1. participatory needs assessment and planning
2. installment of solar systems
3. community-based training on energy-based income generation activities, especially for women
4. training on installation and maintenance of solar energy systems
5. community-managed solar fund for O&M
6. project assessment and scaling-up

The TA will have the following key activities:

• Undertaking assessment of the needs of 10 villages in relation to solar photovoltaic systems
• Providing photovoltaic systems to the poor in 10 remote villages
• Investigating the feasibility of setting up solar photovoltaic-powered common facilities for income generating activities
• Training 10 people from different ethnic groups, including the disabled, as solar technicians at the Barefoot College in India and training approximately 100 people (10 from each of the 10 villages) in installing and maintaining solar systems and as energy entrepreneurs
• Establishing a microfinance facility to enable communities to borrow and set up solar energy systems not covered by the initial assessment
• Carrying out project management and impact assessment activities
• Disseminating information about the benefits of the solar energy systems.

• TACR [ PDF: 36kb | 3 pages ]
• TA Report [ PDF: 428kb | 15 pages ]