U.S. Embassy lights communities with solar lamps

A lighting ceremony was held at the museum in Juffureh on 28th December 2010 to hand over 175 solar lamps purchased via the U.S. Embassy’s Self Help Project. 

The ComAfrique lamps, valued at D117,600, will provide low-cost lighting to families in the villages of Juffureh and Albreda.

Political and Economic Officer Zachary Bailey thanked ComAfrique for their partnership and urged the villagers to participate in the upkeep of the lamps. Mr. Nfamara Dampha, Project Manager of ComAfrique, donated an additional 70 lamps, noting that Juffureh and Albreda are the latest villages to benefit from the solar lamp project. “Similar projects in other villages have been successful,” he added. 

As part of the project, each beneficiary contributes D1.00 daily to be kept in a fund to replace batteries and purchase additional lamps as necessary. The solar lamps have a life span of 6-7 years, and batteries are changed once every two years. Each village has already set up a Village Light Committee to manage the Fund.

The program ended with the distribution and demonstration of the lamps to the villagers.