Energy For Opportunity (EFO)
Encyclopedia
Energy For Opportunity is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of solar energy across the West African Region. They provide solar energy to off-grid families, schools, organizations, and communities in Sierra Leone
, Benin
, and Mali
.
. This initial collaboration led to further opportunities in Sierra Leone
and Liberia
, where they helped to implement a large-scale solar electricity installation project in twelve schools and health clinics in refugee affected areas across Liberia
.
Rob Munro, who has worked in post-catastrophe relief, has served as EFO's Chief Information Officer since its inception.
Energy For Opportunity was registered as a charity in Canada on September 21, 2009.
EFO has also twice been a prize winner of the Africa Rural Connect
competition run by the National Peace Corps Association
.
EFO's work with Solar Powered Community Charging Stations was presented at the 56th Annual International Council for Small Business (ICSB) World conference in Sweden.
, Benin
and Mali
. It focuses its work in Schools, Health Clinics and Community Charging Stations. It also teaches photovoltaic classes at a local technical institute.
- Students from Princeton University's International Internship Program (starting in 2010) will be conducting research and work that contributes to EFO's overall program and objectives. Specifically, the Princeton interns will be involved in carrying out socio-economic research in EFO's target regions, monitoring and evaluating previous EFO projects or designing specific solar power systems to be tested in the field.
Inveneo
- an American non-profit organization whose focus is on information and communication technologies, developed to support communities in lesser developed countries, primarily in Africa.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
.
History
Energy For Opportunity's two founders, Simon Willans and Paul Munro, first met while living and working with community based organizations in rural UgandaUganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. This initial collaboration led to further opportunities in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, where they helped to implement a large-scale solar electricity installation project in twelve schools and health clinics in refugee affected areas across Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.
Rob Munro, who has worked in post-catastrophe relief, has served as EFO's Chief Information Officer since its inception.
Energy For Opportunity was registered as a charity in Canada on September 21, 2009.
EFO has also twice been a prize winner of the Africa Rural Connect
Africa rural connect
Africa Rural Connect is a program of the National Peace Corps Association. The website was launched on July 15, 2009 as an online collaboration tool for users to share and build upon ideas to solve some of the challenges facing rural African communities. The ARC community features ideas and...
competition run by the National Peace Corps Association
National Peace Corps Association
-Overview:Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, DC, the National Peace Corps Association is the nation’s leading 501 nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community through networking and mentoring to help guide former Volunteers...
.
EFO's work with Solar Powered Community Charging Stations was presented at the 56th Annual International Council for Small Business (ICSB) World conference in Sweden.
Objective
"Focusing on the key areas of health, education, livelihoods and skills training, Energy For Opportunity with the strategic implementation of solar installation projects, seeks to make a difference in the daily lives of communities in the region. EFO's strategy is to develop innovative ways in which to both promote and implement the use of renewable energy. The emphasis therefore is not only on direct solar installation projects (in health clinics, schools, community centers, etc.), but also on solar training for students in partnership with local education institutions and the active promotion of the use of renewable energies in the offices and projects of government bodies and international organizations. Thus the objective is not just to deliver renewable electricity through projects, but also instill a philosophy of renewable energy use across the broader community."Areas of Operation
EFO works with local partners in Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
. It focuses its work in Schools, Health Clinics and Community Charging Stations. It also teaches photovoltaic classes at a local technical institute.
Partnerships
Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
- Students from Princeton University's International Internship Program (starting in 2010) will be conducting research and work that contributes to EFO's overall program and objectives. Specifically, the Princeton interns will be involved in carrying out socio-economic research in EFO's target regions, monitoring and evaluating previous EFO projects or designing specific solar power systems to be tested in the field.
Inveneo
Inveneo
Inveneo is a 501 non-profit organization based in San Francisco with focus on Information and Communication Technologies for organizations supporting underserved communities in the developing world, mostly in Africa...
- an American non-profit organization whose focus is on information and communication technologies, developed to support communities in lesser developed countries, primarily in Africa.