UNESCO

Children from
Benin benefit from
the installation of
solar panels that
bring electricity
to their school.
Introducing solar energy in rural schools
in Sub-Saharan African countries
The ‘Solar Electrification of Rural Schools’ project was launched to support the goals of the UN Decade
of Sustainable Energy for All (2014-2024) in developing countries. With the financial support from the
OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Panasonic, the project was implemented in five
countries of the Sub-Saharan region: Benin, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger and Togo. The aim of the
project is the electrification of rural schools using locally available solar energy. This will also contribute to
the improvement of quality teaching and learning and, therefore, help to bridge the gap between urban
and rural schools. The project also includes an ICT component and capacity building efforts to ensure
the sustainability of the project and the related infrastructure and equipment installed. This consists of
a national training seminar on renewable energy addressing local technicians, project managers and
engineers, a national forum covering the role of renewable energy in addressing global sustainability, and
the inauguration of a solar school.
Approximately 600 teachers and 24,658 school children (42 per cent of whom are girls) at primary
and secondary level from 75 schools benefited directly from this project. Governments and civil
society organizations from the five beneficiary countries were directly involved in the project which
can serve as a model to be duplicated at a national and international level.
© UNESCO
On 19 and 20 January, UNESCO
Headquarters saw the launch of the
International Year of Light and Light-based
Technologies 2015 (IYL). This global
initiative highlights the importance of
light and optical technologies for the
future development of more sustainable
lifestyles, and their contribution to
alleviating poverty, while providing a
unique opportunity to inspire, educate
and connect the citizens of the world.
UNESCO was joined by a large consortium
of scientific bodies for this initiative. More
than 50 people spoke at the two-day
conference, including diplomats, decisionmakers,
five Nobel laureates, and chief
executives from the private sector and
NGOs from around the globe. They
explained how light-based technologies
can provide solutions to global challenges
in a wide range of fields including
energy, education, agriculture and health.
The event included an exhibition of light art
and partner-related work. All three facades
of the Headquarters building on the place
de Fontenoy were lit up by a recreation of
an Aurora Borealis by artist Kari Kola.
To raise awareness of the importance
of developing and promoting sustainable
technologies, the UNESCO Office in
Santiago (Chile) organized a drawing
contest on the theme of the IYL. It
attracted hundreds of entries, and the
winners were congratulated during the
celebration of UNESCO’s 70th anniversary
in Santiago de Chile on 20 November.
Another UNESCO event for the IYL
was an international conference focusing
on the accomplishments of the Islamic
civilization in its Golden Age (from
the 8th to the 15th centuries CE), and the
life and works of Ibn Al-Haytham, whose
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