• FRV installed 16 photovoltaic panels to provide a sustainable, permanent and safe source of electricity to the more than 300 women who are currently studying at the school
• This project is part of a collaboration agreement between FRV and Pequeña Nowina, a NGO that works for the dignity of the most vulnerable women in Sierra Leone, Africa

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) a leading global developer of renewable utility-scale projects, has supported the provision of electricity to the catering School for women in the city of Lunsar, in the north of Sierra Leone with the installation of 16 solar panels linked to a battery array supplying clean energy.

The mission of this social sustainability project is to empower women through teaching useable life skills thereby providing necessary tools to take meaningful steps along the path to personal economic independence. In a country where just the 20% of the population has access to electricity, the project’s objective is to support a catering school that meets international standards and will become a benchmark reference. The remotely located school, where much of the equipment is electrical, did not have any access to the electrical grid, or any alternative power sources. Now, thanks to the 16 photovoltaic panels provided by FRV, students will enjoy these high-quality facilities to help them continue their studies.

This project is promoted by Pequeña Nowina, a non-profit organization founded by Cristina Martínez Caballero in 2012, along with the Clarissan Missionary Sisters. Pequeña Nowina was created after Cristina was involved in a previous education project, where she witnessed the harsh conditions for women in Sierra Leone first hand. From this experience, Pequeña Nowina was born with the mission to dignify the role of local women and girls and provide them with tools to be independent, free and self-sufficient.

Sierra Leone is the world’s fifth poorest nation – 68% of the population lives below the poverty line. The country has suffered two of the world’s worst humanitarian crises: the Ebola epidemic and an 11-year civil war.

Cristina Martínez Caballero, founder of Pequeña Nowina, is grateful for the support of FRV and highlights the opportunities that this project will bring to women: “The installation of these solar panels will help to build a better future for the women learning in this center, providing them access to education, as well as the tools to dignify their role and make them more self-sufficient each day”.

Daniel Sagi-Vela, CEO of FRV commented that “our contribution to bring clean energy to people in need and to these women from Sierra Leone in particular, is born from the ongoing commitment by FRV to improve the lives of people through our experience and technological capacity. This is why we champion the democratization of renewable energy as a path to a more exciting, green and sustainable future all over the world , especially in those areas where the access to energy is still insufficient “.