Projects funded under the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security

AFRICA

Bringing energy services to rural communities - West Africa: Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ghana, Senegal

mplementing Agency
UNDP

Collaborating Partners
UNOPS, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, local women's associations.

Objective
The overall development goal of this project is to eradicate root causes of human in-security in Sub-Saharan Africa such as poverty, gender inequality and women's unemployment.  The project intends to tackle these challenges by providing more efficient, reliable and sustainable energy services, based on multifunctional platforms (MFP) managed by women. By multiplying possibilities for income generation, access to clean water, and increased well-being, this project aims at triggering a breakthrough in overcoming the energy-poverty lock in. Building on lessons from an earlier project in Mali, the specific objectives of the project are:

• Strengthening networking and knowledge learning capacity at the community level to accelerate learning from others' experiences
• Strengthening human capacity at the community level in initiating, implementing and sustaining community-led energy services provision, to maximize development impacts.

Beneficiaries
In the four West African countries covered by this project, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea and Senegal, beneficiaries comprise of:

• Women operating MFP enterprises, and women and men who are their clients.
• Children whose workloads are reduced through implementation of MFP enterprises, allowing more time for other activities, in particular education.
• Networks of private, technical and commercial service suppliers to MFP-based enterprises.
• State, private sector and civil society institutions at local, national, sub-regional and regional levels involved in learning networks organized through the project.

Activities

• Providing support, "training of trainers" and organizing workshops for NGO/CBOs and policy planners to enhance knowledge and capacity on practically operationalizing rural energy initiatives that directly develop local economy and reduce poverty.
• Training and transfer of know-how at the community level, for women running MFP initiatives and local artisans ensuring maintenance and sustainability of MFP enterprises.
• Support and implementation of credit strategies.

Outputs (including distinctive aspects of the project)

• Installation of 110 platforms, 4 network equipment, 19 spare deposits and equipment for 40 artisans.
• Training and support provided to artisans networks on installation and maintenance of MFPs.
• Reduced workloads and increased opportunities for income generation for women operating MFP-based enterprises, combined with functional literacy courses and vocational training.