The mission learned that 70 households are connected to the in Atigagome, 116 in Aglakope, 124 in Wayokope, 177 in Kudorkope. Participants in the community meetings reported that connectivity to the mini-grids has had significant impacts in their livelihoods. At the household level, households are using the electricity for lightings, use of TVs, refrigerators, and to some extent for productive purposes at the community level (shops, churches and schools). Beneficiaries reported key advantages: connectivity to electricity increased security in the community, people are moving back to the islands because of the electricity as the feeling of forgotten remoteness of the islands is now being replaced by a positive identification, refrigeration of fish, One teacher reported that the performance of children in school has greatly improved with even the introduction of computer classes in some of the schools, Introduction of new technologies to strengthen agriculture and fisheries productivity, The availability of electricity is also triggering the improvement of housing in the communities, As one woman said it we now can drink cold water like people in Accra with the advantage of not experiencing (power outage in Akan language). “dumsor” The Mission also observed that the demand for the expansion of the existing mini-grids and the project expansion to the other islands is high as well as for other social services such as water, education, and health. As next step, a follow-up social safeguards mission is suggested in order to assess safeguards issues in relation to the other components of the project.
The mission learned that 70 households are connected to the in Atigagome, 116 in Aglakope, 124 in Wayokope, 177 in Kudorkope. Participants in the community meetings reported that connectivity to the mini-grids has had significant impacts in their livelihoods. At the household level, households are using the electricity for lightings, use of TVs, refrigerators, and to some extent for productive purposes at the community level (shops, churches and schools). Beneficiaries reported key advantages: connectivity to electricity increased security in the community, people are moving back to the islands because of the electricity as the feeling of forgotten remoteness of the islands is now being replaced by a positive identification, refrigeration of fish, One teacher reported that the performance of children in school has greatly improved with even the introduction of computer classes in some of the schools, Introduction of new technologies to strengthen agriculture and fisheries productivity, The availability of electricity is also triggering the improvement of housing in the communities, As one woman said it we now can drink cold water like people in Accra with the advantage of not experiencing “dumsor” (power outage in Akan language). The Mission also observed that the demand for the expansion of the existing mini-grids and the project expansion to the other islands is high as well as for other social services such as water, education, and health. As next step, a follow-up social safeguards mission is suggested in order to assess safeguards issues in relation to the other components of the project.
ITM00267-P074191-06-29-2017-1498770628744.docx