Papua New Guinea has highest rates of use of off-grid solar lighting in the developing world - IFC Report republished

Access to sustainable and clean energy, even the ability to be able to have a simple light at night to read or study, can have a huge positive impact for those people in need. For a country like Papua New Guinea, which is undergoing economic and social transformation, the ability of its people and its businesses to access energy has been a challenge. 

Papua New Guinea has, in fact, one of the most acute energy access challenges in the world. Only 13 percent of the population of over eight million people are connected to the electricity grid. Yet, as this report shows, in just five years Papua New Guinea has achieved dramatic growth to become a leader among developing countries in the use of off-grid solar products.

It’s in this environment that IFC’s Lighting Papua New Guinea program has been able to demonstrate impact by developing a market for quality verified solar products. 

Six years ago, only two percent of the population used any type of solar product and relied on firewood, kerosene and other products, harmful to people and the environment. It was a time when cellphone penetration was growing rapidly, but the means to charge those phones was lagging. 

Now kerosene has been usurped, and there’s a prevalence of generic offerings, battery powered torches and lanterns, alongside quality-verified off-grid solar products – many with an ability to charge a phone.

The report’s findings reveal a dynamic market. It’s evident in the numbers – the market for lighting solutions in PNG is estimated at $259 million a year and is expected to grow over the next five years. 

The report’s focus on the demand and supply sides will help companies understand market potential, in-country challenges, and the opportunities for growth.

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Credit: A report by IFC.

School Leadership and School Culture in PNG School - a concept paper

School fights among other student-behavioural issues are a big problem in some city secondary schools in PNG. There is a belief (education psychology dictates) that leadership is key to addressing students problems in schools. 

The introduction to the discussion and School Leadership and School Culture are available via the respective links. 

Leadership in schools must look at ways to maintain good school culture and prepare students for life. Part 1 highlights the need for a permanent solution to this problem.

The article identifies a student bad behaviour as a derivative (copy) of a school’s culture. There is a belief that a school with a strong identity, ethics and practices will pass the values onto its students. School principals are best placed to maintain school culture. Where school culture breaks down, the duty rests squarely on principals fix it.

In retrospect, the author observes that negative students’ culture thrives where the schools fail to pass on to students the positive values of the schools.

Furthermore, a school’s culture is the intrinsic (fundamental) pillar of the school. The discussion highlights that the school culture is an established facet of the school, NOT introduced by principals or headteachers. That means that it is the ‘way things are done’ at the school over time.

The PDF version of the discussion on School Leadership and School Culture is available on request.