Last week, the monitoring mission of the international NGO "Electricians Without Borders" ("Electriciens sans frontières"), consisting of independent experts Didier Issen and Denis Vigier, together with Nataliya Kabatsiy, director of the Charitable Organization "Charity Fund "Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya", and representatives of the contractor "ECO VOLT" (Uzhhorod), paid a working visit to educational institutions in Rivne Oblast, where as part of the pilot phase of the "Hybrid Solutions" project, hybrid alternative power supply systems – solar stations with electricity storage systems for backup power – were installed. These are specialized schools No. 1 and No. 2 in the village of Klevan, Children’s Development Center "ERUDYT" in the city of Berezne, and the Holubne Lyceum in the village of Holubne.

"We prepared a list of institutions, primarily those working with vulnerable groups and for whom a prolonged power outage is extremely threatening. From the list provided, the French partners selected 4 educational institutions where the contractor that won the tender promptly installed the necessary equipment and launched it for testing. This is a new direction of the Committee’s work, which we consider to be one of the priorities in the current environment. In the spring of 2022, we started with generators, which, together with other chargers, were donated to the needs of Ukraine in the amount of almost 1500. Now we are moving on to more sustainable solutions, as alternative energy sources can solve the problems of social, medical and educational institutions in the country", Nataliya Kabatsiy said during the visit.

According to the director of Special School No. 1 in the village of Klevan, Yevheniya Falko, the institution, which specializes in providing educational services to children with visual impairments, currently has 240 minors, most of whom live in the institution during the school year. Some of the children have complex diseases.

"Thanks to the installed equipment, we have uninterrupted power supply in the main building where children study and live, where the shelter is located. This is an extremely important help, because in the conditions of constant power outages we cannot ensure the full functioning of the institution. Now we are going to start the new school year with the issue of electricity in the building where the children are staying resolved, and we are sincerely grateful to the project initiators for this", noted Yevheniya Falko.

The situation is similar at Klevan Special School No. 2, where almost 100 pupils study – children with complex intellectual disabilities, some of whom also live in the institution during the period of study.

"The buildings of the institution were built in the 1940s, and it is difficult to reconstruct or complete them, but we are doing everything in our power to create the right conditions for our wards to study and live. We are also constantly improving our professional competencies to provide children with quality educational and related services. The installed hybrid station solves the issue of power supply to the educational and administrative building, the Inclusive Resource Center, which operates on the school’s territory. We believe that later it will be possible to connect the dormitory building to the grid", said Mariya Zavadska, the school’s director.

Children’s Development Center "Erudyt" is a unique institution for the region, as it has managed to assemble a team of specialists who take a comprehensive approach to the care, rehabilitation and socialization of children with disabilities and special needs. The Center is a private initiative that was implemented from scratch: searching for a building, reconstruction, repair, proper arrangement of rooms for working with young clients, and the formation of the appropriate infrastructure.

"Currently, 238 children are clients of the institution, with whom qualified psychologists, speech therapists, teachers, defectologists and other specialists work. We are constantly looking for opportunities for children from vulnerable families to receive the necessary services free of charge. In general, social projects are a permanent part of our activities. I believe that the fact that among the clients of "Erudyt" there are many children from neighboring communities where, unfortunately, there is no opportunity to receive the necessary comprehensive services is an indicator of the effectiveness of our work", says Olha Odeychuk, director of the Center "Erudyt".

The equipment installed at "Erudyt" fully covers the needs of the institution, which is important given the specifics of the services provided there.

Moving on, we come to Holubne, a village remote from the center, where the only educational institution is a lyceum in a building dating back to 1927. Solar panels have already been installed on the roof of the 3-storey building, which, in combination with energy storage systems, fully cover the corresponding need of the educational institution, and in the new school year the lyceum will be protected from the consequences of blackouts.

"We are extremely grateful to the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya for paying attention to our lyceum and responding to our request. I am grateful to the organization "Electricians Without Borders" for being indifferent to the needs of Ukrainians in this difficult time for the country and to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs for financial support of the project, which is already working and solving a lot of problems with electricity supply. Our common concern gives birth to good deeds that are the key to the future victory", said Ivan Slavynskyi, director of the Holubne Lyceum, during a meeting with the monitoring mission.

It is important to mention that all local program participants noted the prompt, responsible and high-quality work of the contractor "ECO VOLT" (Uzhhorod). The equipment was installed and connected within a few days. Then all responsible persons received technical training, installed special applications on their phones that allow real-time monitoring of the hybrid power plants in the institutions.

The main reason for the monitoring mission’s visit was to assess the functioning of the installed equipment. Therefore, the experts tested the power plants, inspected the mounted structures with solar panels, installed generators, and talked to the management of the institutions and a representative of the contractor.

"It was a successful cooperation. Obviously, together we managed to solve some of the problems with electricity supply to several educational institutions in the region. We are well aware of the conditions in which Ukraine is living now, as this is not our first visit here during the war. As for the quality of the work performed by the contractor, everything was done professionally, promptly and in accordance with the specifics of each institution. We have identified a few nuances that need to be improved, but which do not affect the quality of the stations. The contractors assured us that the identified shortcomings would be eliminated in the near future. Overall, it is a comfortable cooperation that will continue in the future", said Didier Issen.

As a result of the monitoring, the relevant review and evaluation protocols were drawn up and signed by the French and Ukrainian energy experts.

We are well aware of the circumstances and environment in which the entire country is currently operating. This is also felt in the institutions included in the pilot phase of the "Hybrid Solutions" project. Pupils and wards are weaving camouflage nets for the front, organizing fairs to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and teaching teams are implementing initiatives to help IDPs who, by the way, used to live on the territory of special schools in Klevan. Among other things, representatives of "Electricians Without Borders" inspected the shelters for children, and this is also part of the new reality for Ukraine.

"It is important for us to be proactive because we live in a time of unpredictable challenges. The functioning of social, medical, and educational institutions that remain without electricity for a long time becomes problematic. We are trying to solve this problem within our institutional capabilities. Therefore, we are glad that our cooperation with "Electricians Without Borders" continues. Now, with the financial support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, we are launching a new stage of the "Hybrid Solutions" project, which will cover 15 medical institutions in four regions of Ukraine. In addition, today we have the decision of the French diplomacy to work with "Electricians without Borders" in Ukraine next year, and the Committee will remain a partner on the Ukrainian side. Thus, we will prolong and deepen the energy direction of our activities", summarized Nataliya Kabatsiy.