December 21, 2017
Among other projects, HEAD Nepal runs two houses in Simikot, namely Head Vision Home, which is for children with visual impairment, and Head Enable Home, a residential educational centre for children with a physical/mobility disability. Creating a steady supply of power is quite a challenge for these homes, as most of the teaching is computer-based and there is no adequate solution except for one micro grid, which functions only occasionally. HEAD Nepal therefore requested an independent solar PV system in order to supply power on a continuous basis.
Unica Foundation decided to support this project and signed a contract with a supplier in Nepal, Sunshine Energy, to install the solar PV system in Simikot. Due to the isolated location the solar panels and batteries had to be airlifted from Nepalgunj which made the project quite expensive. Unica has cooperated with the Stichting Nepal Geeft, a donor of HEAD Nepal from the Netherlands to help realise this project. The Dutch foundation Wilde Ganzen also contributed to the financing of the project. The installation of the solar PV system will be completed this year.
Himalayan Education and Development [HEAD] Nepal is a regional not-for-profit organisation working for the empowerment and development of people with disabilities in the entire Himalayan region of Nepal. The organisation was founded in 2011 by Mr Chhitup Lama, a local resident from Simikot, who is partially disabled himself.
Humla is considered one of the most remote and isolated regions in Nepal, accessible only on foot or by small aircraft which land only occasionally in the district headquarters at Simikot (altitude 2910m). It is situated high in the Himalayas, in the Karnali Zone, North-western Nepal, bordering the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Humla is 5,655 square kilometres in size and has a population of about 50,000 (2011).
