Alusine from EFO making the earthing mat that protects the system against lightning

Idrissa and Sheka (EFO) and Musa (chef at river No. 2) finish up the wiring on the panels

River No. 2 staff help out with digging trenches for the wiring between the store and the restaurant

The accommodation for tourists at River No. 2 is now solar powered

The restaurant at River No. 2 now caters for visitors with clean solar energy

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River Number 2 Eco-Tourism Resort

Donors: Welthungerhilfe
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Date Completed: August 2011
System Size: 1400 Watts
Direct Beneficiaries: 100
Indirect Beneficiaries: 1000

In May 2011, EFO installed 8x175 Watt solar panels to electrify the community run tourist attraction of River No. 2, an off-grid coastal community on the Western Area Peninsula, near to Freetown. The solar installation will provide light and will power a freezer and some light appliances in the store area, kitchen, restaurant and 14 rooms providing accommodation to tourists. EFO is delighted to provide River No. 2 with solar power as it will facilitate smooth running of the facility as well as boosting the community’s efforts to attract tourists by reinforcing their image as an eco-tourism attraction.

An expert on sustainable tourism, Mr. Robert Travers, recently completed a study on Sierra Leone’s tourism sector and concluded that, due to its natural and unspoilt beauty, Sierra Leone should prioritise eco-tourism and brand itself as the centre of eco-tourism in West Africa. The solar installation looks fantastic, placed in the centre of the facility for all arrivals to see, and will definitely promote River No. 2 firmly to the status of “community run eco-tourism resort” which in turn, we hope, will attract more tourists.

The EFO team arrived on Friday the 13th of May and spent a day hard at work putting the initial wiring down, with the community assisting in digging trenches to lay down the wires to connect the store, kitchen, restaurant and accommodation. Alusine showed his competence by efficiently and neatly laying a web of wiring (earth mat) at the bottom of the pit that was dug, whilst Idrissa and Sheka moved around the different buildings wiring them up and fixing plug sockets and light fixtures. They left for a few days in between to allow the community to prepare a base in an open area for the solar panels to be mounted on, and on Tuesday the 17th they came back to finish the job. By Thursday evening the job was completed and all the buildings were successfully electrified.