PV installation Warm Glow

We are three civil engineering students at the University of Ghent. Together we are going to Kunting, a remote village in Gambia. The community of Kunting has about 1500 people and is about 0.5 km 2 in size. Kunting is located deep inland, 20 km from the Gambia River. In the interior there is almost no tourism and the villages are much less developed compared to those on the coastal region. For example, the electricity grid does not extend to Kunting, which means that the village misses out on many opportunities. That is why, at the request of Warme Gloed vzw, we are going to provide the village with electricity by installing a PV system in the summer of 2019. Warme Gloed vzw has been active in Kunting for more than three years and has contributed to, among other things, the renovation of the school and an agricultural project.

With the PV system we want to light up common areas such as the local school, so that evening classes can be given. There will also be sockets for sewing machines and in the future also laptops. The village has a few hours more light so that social life does not have to stop in the evening.

Our assignment this academic year consists of, on the one hand, technically developing this installation and making it possible for this specific situation. On the other hand, the emphasis is also on the social aspect. There are no technically trained people within the community, but in the future this installation should be maintained and later expanded. This makes teaching a group of motivated residents technically a main goal.