Produce electricity with rides and swings. In some African countries, studying is a luxury. And this is why an NGO, Empower Playgrounds, has offered children a way to play while producing energy.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousTo produce electricity with the rides and the swings. In some African countries, studying is a luxury. And that's why an NGO, Empower Playgrounds, has offered the little ones a way to play while producing energy.
We are in Ghana. Here children from rural areas do not have the opportunity to study when the sun sets. Most of them do not have access to electricity at home and in their villages. Without light to study in the evening, less than 10% of children make it to high school.
Ma playing you can offer them a new chance. The ensures Empower Playgrounds, with a special system capable of transforming the game into electricity.
Is called "EPI Merry-go-rounds”And it is a platform that allows children to play, pushing this sort of wheel in turn.
Connected to it are special turbines with underground cables capable of transforming the movement of children into current. The latter, in turn, has the task of recharging the battery-powered LED lamps. The same system also applies to the swings.
Each child can bring a lantern with him after the game, thus having the light available to study.
And this is what happened on the island of Pediatorkope, where special swings and carousels equipped with turbines were installed outside a school to recharge the lamps. Merry-go-round then uses the renewable source derived from school children's games to generate transportable electricity, giving students more chances to pass the high school entrance exams, which are very strict in Ghana.
Energizer Battery Corporation has developed and currently supplies the “smart” LED lanterns used in EPI systems. Designed for this purpose, the lamp has a internal battery National Institute of Health (NIMH) capable of providing more than 40 hours of bright light.
The chip inside each lantern efficiently manages battery charging. The overall life of the device exceeds 5 years.
But it's not over yet. A panel PV completes everything, producing the energy needed to prevent battery drain during school breaks.
Thanks to the initiative, Empower Playgrounds has brought electricity to 40 schools in Ghana, helping 10.000 children. It has 2,2 million hours of light to its credit. A pilot project is also underway serving a community of 2.000 people.
A valid alternative against the dangerous ones kerosene lamps.
Francesca Mancuso
Foto: Empowerplaygrounds
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