Kibayi health centre and Kibaya Secondary School have received Off-Grid Box (OGB) connections, worth over Rwf60 million, courtesy of an Italian-Rwanda project. Off Grid Box offers services including electricity, hot water, rain water and rain water harvest as well as storage services. According to engineer Emiliano Cecchini, the project director, the OGB would benefit the entire community. It will serve over 1,200 families with a population of 4,800 in Rukira Sector in Ngoma District. Cecchini said the OGB will help in water purification process to enable residents access clean, safe water. “Key objectives are reducing greenhouse emissions, increasing the exploitation of renewable energy sources, safe guarding quality and availability of clean water to promote sustainable and healthy way of life,” he said. Cecchini further said the equipment will easily be installed and run with elementary maintenance, noting that no professionals were needed. “The user will experience ease in installation, use and maintenance. The beneficiaries will get all logistics and supervision details as well as specific training. The OGB can be designed to adapt to diverse needs in different contexts,” he said. He said the health centre and the school would get a total of 12 kilowatts for use daily. “The OGB will generate enough power, thanks to the photovoltaic system that supplies hot water from the solar heater. There will also be clean water from rain or other sources,” he added. Justin Niyonambaza, the head teacher of Kibaya SS, said the OGB was timely. “Kibaya has an acute problem of clean water and electricity. We have not been able to embrace use of ICT because we don’t have electricity. Our students have been having several cases of water borne diseases. Things will get better now that we have both clean water and electricity,” he said. The project was an initiative of researchers, university lecturers, professionals and renowned experts in renewable and applied environmental technologies.
