The intervention sought to enhance community agricultural value chain solutions and reduce post-harvest losses using clean solar energy. The two-day community engagement  process started from 24th to 25th October 2020. To achieve the vision of Innovative Volunteerism, the EBAFOSA Ghana intervention followed four major phases to achieve its objective. These includes the needs assessment phase, the installation phase and the management phase and monitoring and sustainability phase.  

The project team selected Akortiekrom as the immediate beneficiary after conducting successful  needs assessment in four project intervention areas. Criteria for the Needs assessment phase: 

A community needs to meet the following criteria to benefit from EBAFOSA’s intervention.  These conditions include: 

1. The community must justify the presence of high post-harvest losses. In  Akortiekrom, the base-line data showed prevailing post-harvest losses. 
2. The community must be ready to provide litigation free lands to set-up the  solar dryer. 
3. In addition, the community needs to agree to finance the operation and  maintenance cost of the installed dryer.  

Akortiekrom proved to urgently need support based on primary data gathered. 

Installation Phase 

EBAFOSA provided structured guidance to youth to get training in developing solar dryers using  locally available material to ensure affordability. These were youth who run the Ebapreneur  Solutions Ghana climate action enterprise. These youth were also responsible for conducting the  training and facilitation processes for eventual solar dryer users – the community. The community also provided designated parcel of land to install the solar dryer. 

Courtesy call on traditional leaders 

The Ebapreneur Solutions Ghana paid a courtesy call to the traditional leaders in the community.  The team officially introduced themselves after which, the team communicated their primary  assignment: to install the solar dryer. The chief and traditional leaders thanked the team and  pledged the community’s readiness and support for the project.  

Land Siting  

The community identified a parcel of land to install the solar dryer facility. Initially, a section of  the community opposed the area selected. The reasons provided include:  

• The proximity of the sites to a road. Some members of the community argued that any future road expansion could necessitate the relocation of the dryer.  
• Again, another concern had to do with an individual opposing to use the land for  communal gain. 

After extensive deliberation, the community agreed to use the identified parcel of land as a solar dryer installation site. The community led the entire process without interference from Ebapreneur Solutions Ghana. The community subsequently contributed funds to clear the site. 

Installation of the Solar dryers 

The Ebapreneur Solutions Ghana team successfully assembled and mounted the solar dryer in the community. In the gallery are detailed photo of the installation process. The detailed  specifications of the solar dryer is below: 

• Material used: Metal pipes, bolts and nuts, screws, hinges, profiles, wriggle wire, UV sheets,galvanised primer, black paint, rivet pins, 
• Physical dimension: Height:5.5, Width:7ft and length:10ft 

• Development specifications: Solar dryer structure is made into detachable metal pipes  cut according to dimensions measured. This helps to be able to assemble and  disassemble the structure before moving it to the site finally. 

• The metal skeleton is braced with the profiles in which the plastic is fixed using the  wriggle wire to hold it firmly. 

• There are 2 vents made on the dryer one at the top and the other bottom(suck in  air and suck it out) to regulate the heat inflow and outflow in the dryer. 

After the installation of the solar dryer, the team is now set to conduct a series of tests with the  community to validate the efficiency of the solar dryer in terms of drying efficiency for the  different value chains in the area, and under different weather conditions. These tests will yield  data that will be recorded as part of the dryer specifications.  

Demonstration  

After the installation, the Ebapreneur Solutions Ghana lead Innovative Volunteerism actor explained to the community the mechanism and principles of the solar dryer...Read the full report on the attached document.

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