The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is planning to promote solar products in 8,000 off-grid villages in the country.
With the assistance of German development organisation GIZ, the IFC is targeting approximately 70 million people, who do not have access to grid electricity, and another 60 million, who have unreliable grid connections.
The multilateral private investment window of the World Bank selected 8,000 villages for year-round campaign in 27 districts of northern and southern Bangladesh.
"We launched the campaign in December last and we covered 1,200 villages so far," said Muhammad Taif Ul Islam, programme manager of Lighting Asia Bangladesh.
He said the IFC sensitises school children, rural women, community leaders about safer and affordable solar products through the programme.
Mr. Islam said the off-grid and underserved communities are meeting their lighting needs by burning fossil fuels like kerosene and diesel, which are inefficient, uneconomical, unhealthy, environmentally-damaging, and hazardous.
"However, the response from the people is unprecedented; everybody shows interest about solar products, some even started earning on selling and renting solar lights," he said.
In a recent on-spot visit to some of those villages, it was found there is excitement about solar lights in the areas not covered by the national power grid.
Deep within the Niphamari district, in a village called Dakshin Khoribari under Dimla upazila, the Jotua Khata High School is at the centre of a social movement engaging villagers from all ages.
In the afternoon, in a large classroom filled with students from the nearby villages, brand promoter Meem explains uses of a variety of solar lights available.
"Some of these lights can be taken apart and used as 'separate easy to carry' components," she says, breaking down a light to the size of small mirror.
The campaign aims to give details about the lights to young students who can later go on and discuss with their guardians the utility of such devices in their homes.
When asked why so much importance is being attached to familiarising students of high schools to the benefits of the products, Muhammad Taif Ul Islam, operations officer of the IFC, explained that one of the major needs in rural areas without power is light for students who have to study in the evening and, once they realise the importance, their parents and relatives will take interest.
He also said that each product on offer has been carefully selected and had to pass rigorous tests emphasising on safety, user convenience and light providing time-frame.
A few hundred yards from the school, a late afternoon advocacy session is arranged for housewives where promoters use popular games like snakes and ladders to pass across the multiple uses of solar lanterns.
"The goal is to ensure awareness at all levels so that people understand that bringing light into their homes or business is not out of reach," observed Salman Zahir, another IFC official also working to sensitise NGO workers about SurjoBaati.
The IFC is now running a pilot programme in Kurigram where rural women can earn by selling and renting solar lights.
"After successful completion of pilot programme, we will run it full-pledged across the country," he said.
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IFC to promote solar products in 8,000 off-grid villages
Ismail Hossain | Published: March 04, 2016 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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