Lighting the Way Forward for Sierra Leone

In a country of 7.8 million people, just 6.4% of Sierra Leone's population has access to an electrical grid. According to the latest data, 10 - 12% of the population in urban areas have access to energy. In rural areas it's less than 2%. For these rural villages, the primary light source is kerosene lamps. And, as we know, kerosene has been well documented as health, environment and fire risks.

For Sierra Leoneans, energy poverty is a stark reality and has resulted in lower standards of living, caloric intake, life expectancy, and literacy levels, especially in rural villages. Relative to other Commonwealth countries, this beautiful West African country has the lowest per capita income. Despite the good work and commitment from government, development and aid organizations and entrepreneurs, progress is slow. While we wait for infrastructure to be built, rural villages in Sierra Leone continue to fall behind.

So began the journey of world acclaimed scientist and Sierra Leonean, Dr. David Kargbo, on a mission to focus on improving lives in rural villages. Born in the rural village of Lungi, David's parents taught him the importance of education, hard work, and perseverance. His parents ensured he had access to education and David left Sierra Leone with a science degree and passion for the environment.

Decades later, with his years of experience in environmental engineering and as an educator, David returned to Sierra Leone as Co-Founder of EnviroOne. The immediate goal was to help rural villages implement sustainable programs that could improve these communities as soon as possible. This meant access to clean water, more productive agriculture, and of course, education.

All It Takes Is Three. Agriculture. Clean Water. Education. These are the main pillars of the EnviroOne framework for a sustainable future. The village of Makeni Rockfola is a flagship example. Improvements in agriculture and food systems were achieved through improved access to seeds, fertilizer, land clearing and micro-financing. Clean water access was enabled with two new water wells and three retrofitted wells.

The lack of access to energy in rural villages however, remains an issue. Already well versed in the value of renewable energy, especially solar, Dr. Kargbo recognized the impact that Solar Lanterns could have as a clean source of light. EnviroOne partnered with Solight Design in 2018 to raise funds to provide a small number of solar lamps to school children, farmers, and women in five villages.

One year later, EnviroOne visited these communities to gauge the impact of the Solight project. They interviewed schoolchildren, teachers, and farmers and heard amazing feedback - 'Thank you for rescuing our children', 'I wish we could have more of these lamps', 'We are now a better community', and 'I am breathing cleaner air now.' It confirmed to EnviroOne that rural villages did not need to be victims of energy poverty.

By the end of 2020, Dr. Kargbo and the EnviroOne team hope to equip these villages with Solights that will shine brightly. And illuminate hope where there is darkness.