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Solar Cow & AYANTU : A simultaneous solution to rural African problems, combining education and energy

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Nationality
Ethiopia, South Korea
Group
YOLK
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Best of the Best

YOLK

About Project

Most rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa share the common challenges of limited access to energy and education.

As a result, they are heavily dependent on fossil fuels like Kerosene, a financial burden on households since it is 10~20% of their income. Its fume causes respiratory disease and from a global perspective, its CO2 emissions affects to global climate change.

Another problem is education where 1 in 5 children are exposed to child labor that affects their school attendance and dropouts. Limited access to education, almost the only way out of poverty, perpetuates the cycle of poverty, early marriage, low economic power, and child labor.

To help tackle both problems, we installed Solar Cow; solar charging systems comprised of solar panels, storage batteries and charging stations that can charge over hundreds portable batteries (known as “Solar Milk”) at once, at schools. Each student is given a Solar Milk battery to charge while they attend class, which they then take home to their families at the end of each school day.

A Solar Milk battery can be used as a light. This affordable, clean, and sustainable power source creates an immediate and tangible incentive for parents to send their children to school.

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