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The economy of the Kalalé District, as in most rural districts,
is mainly based on agriculture with more than 95% of the population
involved with farming. Despite its great potential, agricultural
production in Kalalé remains weak and easily influenced by
natural conditions. Rainfall is the sole source of water supply
for crop production , which is limited to only a six month
rainy season each year.
ADESCKA in its community development
and poverty reduction programs considers the development of Small Scale Irrigation (SSI) as one of the major intervention
areas to boost agricultural production in the district. In
particular, irrigation is needed to grow crops during the
dry season both for creating new family income from lucrative
garden crops and for augmenting meager diets during this season
when people lack the nutrition provided by fresh vegetables.
A major impediment to developing irrigation
programs has been the lack of an energy source to transport
water. Water is typically collected through laborious
time consuming manual methods for general family use. The
much larger volume of water needed for crop irrigation can
only be provided by mechanical means. Pumps driven by fuel-burning
motors have proven to be unaffordable by most families and
unsustainable in terms of maintenance and upkeep.
Solar powered pumps are economical, reliable
and easy to sustain. Solar pumps enable the use of water sources
ranging from surface water to deep wells. When coupled with
the latest technologies in efficient small-scale irrigation,
solar electricity has the power to dramatically increase agricultural
production and family well-being in the following ways:
- Help poor farmers overcome
rainfall and water constraints by providing a sustainable
supply of water for cultivation and livestock.
- Provide increased food security to poor communities by irrigating
crops during the previously unproductive dry season.
- Fresh food grown in the dry season will contribute to the
alleviation of poor nutrition.
- Increased production will provide a source of household
income through the sale of surplus food, especially for women
who are generally in charge of vegetable production.
- The introduction of efficient SSI technology and methods
will help build agricultural capacity in the District and
in the Republic at large.
In recognition that the sectors of health,
education, communication, security and village commerce all
work together with agriculture to improve life in a farming
community, solar energy will also be used to provide general
support to villages in the following ways:
Community Infrastructure and Support
The project will provide energy to address the public needs
of health, education, water supply, security and communications.
Healthy, educated farmers in touch with outside resources
make more effective farmers.
Economic Growth
The project will support general micro-enterprise development
and the formation of a local solar industry to support the
project and to place future solar electrification in the private
sector.
Family Support for Health, Education
& Home Industry
A demonstration program will enable a small number of individual
families to purchase PV home lighting systems in an affordable
manner. A demonstration of this technology will build interest,
confidence and demand for a future phase of solar home electrification.
Sustainability and Capacity Building
In addition to the installation of solar equipment, the project
focuses on creating the systems and local capacity for sustaining
the project. Local partners will be trained in PV installation
and maintenance and in the creation of the financial and organizational
systems needed for sustainability.
Commercial support
Activities such as micro-financing and business development
training will support and sustain the agricultural and economic
growth components of the project.
In addition to the direct benefits to the 100,000
residents of Kalalé District, this project will form a replicable
model that can be used throughout Benin. This endeavor may
be a pilot project for a nationwide Government program of
rural solar electrification coupled with efficient SSI. A
nationwide program creates a scale capable of creating the
industries of PV module assembly, battery regulator assembly
and deep-cycle battery manufacture. There is a growing need
for these industries in West Africa but they currently do
not exist in the region.
 At Stanford, a research
team is conducting an economic and environmental assessment
of our multi-sectoral intervention in Benin, beginning with
the pilot phase.
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