The Zagros region faces numerous challenges from Iran’s energy, water, and environmental crises. Extreme summer heat (45°C) and frequent power outages affect daily life, cutting off air conditioning, water pumps, and lighting. Rural mothers cook over open fires, poor gas boiler ventilation risks lives, and burning mazut fuels lung disease in cities. Dam construction on the Zohreh River has increased land salinity, devastating agriculture and livelihoods.
We believe sustainable change is possible through renewable energy education. By teaching the younger generation, their teachers, and facilitators through hands-on activities, significant progress could be made in 20 years. Our plan also involves engaging older community members via solar energy demonstrations and Q&A sessions to encourage participation.
Project divides into four main WPs:
Educating
A) Kids
B) Teachers and facilitators
and
C) Supporting local facilitators in educating local community
D) Creating few infrastructure as a model for the local community
A) Direct ‘Education’ and ‘Skill Development’ for kids
These two pillars are meant to introduce children to topics related to the sun, energy, renewable energy, and the
environment.
In education pillar:
– Solar observation
– Performances and story reading
– Experiments
In skill development pillar, various kits:
– Solar lantern: for deep teaching on the production, distribution, storage, and consumption of energy
– Sundial: sun movements
– Solar viewing glasses
– Solar doll house: solar energy in daily life
B) Workshops for teachers and facilitators
These aim to train and experience local teachers and ‘Story, Color, Ball’ (SBC) facilitators.
The workshop topics are:
– Sun
– Renewable energies
– Solar observation
– Performances and storytelling
– How to teach/connect better to the solar/energy materials in the school books
plus developing the kits (sec A)
– Lantern
– Doll house
– Glasses
– Sundial
– One to one development of solar box kit will be done with better facilitators/teachers, for them to be used.
C) engaging the fresh trained facilitators in teaching local kids
After training SBC facilitators, we support them holding activities, both in SBC complexes and via scouting to other villages (thanks to the SBC network). The material they should work is covered in the workshops (sec B), the tools are given to them. With logistic/support from SBC, they will be able to deliver and work educational kits and materials to target pupils.
D) Infrastructure
One major shortcoming in underdeveloped areas is the lack of real, tangible examples on renewable
energy usage. The SBC office in Dehdasht and the two oak houses, have the potential to become real examples of renewable energy:
– Rooftop solar panel
– Solar water heater
Also, with good involvement of SBC in the region, a number of cheap solar cookers will be made together with teenagers in several community centers. This will specially help during charity meal (Nazri) preparation.
