Renewable Electricity

The electrification rate in developing countries is drastically low. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 500 million people live without electricity, giving the region a total electrification rate of only 26%. In the rural areas, this rate drops to 8%. With the help of EPI, communities in these regions are able to enjoy the benefit of light to a degree never experienced before, and this light is as renewable as the enthusiasm of children at play. The system includes a small solar panel primarily for education purposes. For most, the EPI lanterns displace darkness; for others, the EPI lanterns displace the unnecessary expenditure of money for kerosene, candles, and throwaway batteries. The EPI system is a modest first step of adding infrastructure using renewable sources of energy.

Hands on Learning

The benefits of hands-on learning are well proven. It has been shown that the more senses children can involve in the learning process, the more likely they will retain the information, and the easier it is for them to understand the concepts. The schools in which EPI works are nothing more than cement buildings with chalkboards and wooden desks. Children use stones to learn counting, and when they run out of paper, they draw in the sand for writing and arithmetic practice. Although these methods are creative, they are insufficient to produce the needed hands-on learning experience of a full science curriculum. The EPI play equipment itself is a living science lab for these children. In addition, EPI utilizes the science kit expertise of Loose in the Lab to provide hands-on science modules to the students. These modules introduce children to material they’ve never seen before. They bring science to life for these children every day!

Health and Safety

In most cases the EPI lantern is the first personal light source available to the children in their lifetimes. This is a powerful impact. For those children who have had access to light previously, it has been an open kerosene flame. According to the World Bank, these devices, when burned indoors, can create effects equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. They also impair vision and are extremely dangerous to burn around the thatched roofs of most villagers. Beyond the human health hazards however, the kerosene available to rural villages is low quality and has negative impacts on the environment. By replacing these kerosene lanterns with safe and smart LED lanterns, EPI improves the health and safety of rural villagers and their environment.

The goal of every EPI system installed is to increase the quality of education and provide some much needed fun as well. We focus on creating renewable energy, providing hands-on science kits, and eliminating the health and safety risks associated with primitive light sources.

Each system installed is built to be durable and reliable, meaning they can benefit many more children than are currently enrolled in that particular school. This translates to an initial impact of 200 children on average and an exponential effect for the later generation.

Working in partnership with The Blessing Basket, EPI has installed an energy-generating merry-go-round in Nyariga in the Bolgatanga area. EPI plans on installing three more systems in the area by the end of 2011.