I. Progress report (August 8, 2013):
Activities undertaken:
1.Launching capacity building through meeting, study tours, learning centre & campaign
2. Launching demonstration of activities: biomass, and solar lighting
3. Launching dissemination of project results

Results of activities:
1.Increased technical and institutional capacity of 30 community leaders and project beneficiaries witnessed by active participation in sharing thoughts and suggestion to optimize the use of solar energy by slightly modifying priority of planned activities
2. Completed installation and smooth function of 11 solar home systems , one for community school and 35 solar road lighting - reducing expense in mobility by motorbike/small tractor by THB: 800-1,500 / household
3.Established group comprising 13 members to survey and collect data & information on disappearing community livelihood activities, especially on agriculture along Mekong River ? on-going

Project Visibility and Communication by other organizations/individuals:
Nothing in special during the period.

Emerging problems and issues:
Due to a variety of farming practice for livelihood of communities ( several economic species being grown) , full participation of targeted population as a group was not always achieved. The project addressed the issue by targeting first the individual, such as solar home training and installation. As to the group, the project launched activities on data & information collection first and coordination with community school.

Project experience and lessons learnt :
Solar home and solar road lighting functioned to the satisfaction of targeted population, even though there were a numbers of other community members desiring to use the systems, and a short duration of the project development. However, the project would continue to promote learning about this technology so that the adoption would be more realized.

Project expense:
The project reported the expense of THB: 301,613 out of the first disbursement of THB: 384,858.93
II. Project Site Visit (September 26, 2013):
Findings and Observation:
At the premises of the community school in Baan (village) Hard Khamphi, the visiting team interacted with two school staffs, and five project leaders. The interaction led the team to get a general view of how the grantee, who had been active in project location for several years, contributed to the management thus continuation of 4 small community schools in project location. Situated within 10 km. then joining in management, these schools established the ?Kaenchan Model?, which was currently well-known and became a national model promoted by the Ministry of Education for co-management of small community schools. There were over 4 thousands country-wide in number which encountered management and financial problems and needed a solution. The model sought collaboration from all sectors including NGOs to proceed with community learning. Activities of SGP project in OP4 (THA/SGP/OP4/Y3/RAF/09/02) and this current project were being adopted as a learning process on renewable energy.

To witness such an adoption, the team found a group of grade 5-6 students busy working on a set of high-efficiency charcoal producing kiln, and another group feeding 8 hogs in the school premises. These hogs were said to be the source of biogas whose plan for construction was underway. Other facility of renewable energy such as bicycle for water pumping and rice milling of the back project were also found functioning providing services for learning in the premises.

To witness solar energy promotion for lighting of the current project, the team went up the hill to pararubber plantation and other cash crop plots of communities. Along a trail, a few solar road lighting poles were witnessed and said to illuminate the nights for project and non-project members who tended to and earned their income from these agricultural practice.

Due to time constraint, and difficult road condition, the team was able to witness only one of the 11 units of solar lighting facilities. This one was composed of a solar panel of a 100-w capacity, a 300-w inverter, a battery and other accessories. The project member who owned the facility was able to explain how to use and maintain the system satisfactorily. Other major activities, such as water hammer, community-charcoal production were not witnessed as the time of visit was a rainy season. The 2 activities would naturally happen during dry season, which was only 2 months ahead.

III. Completion report ( November 28, 2014):
Date of Participatory Evaluation(May 13, 2014 ):

Number of Beneficiaries/ Participating personnel:
Women: 700
Men: 500
Children: 300

Number of persons trained/ attending seminars, joining study tours:
Women: 80
Men: 50
Children: 170

Expense:
Amount received from SGP (2 disbursements): THB: 708,120.14
Total amount spent out of SGP budget: THB: 708,120.14
Balance: THB: ( 0)
Amount authorized for the final payment: US$: 2,512.13
Amount Received from others: THB: 409,287.50 (in cash)
THB: 517,200 (in kind)
Activities undertaken:
1.Launching capacity building through meeting, study tours, learning centre & campaign
2. Launching demonstration of activities: biomass, water hammer, solar lighting and carbon stock
3. Launching dissemination of project results
4. Launching participatory evaluation

Results and indicators:
1. Increased capacity of target population as follows:
- 30 persons gaining insight on climate change with capacity to put into daily practice
- 10 persons with capacity to be resources persons
2. Reduction/avoidance of CO2 emission as follows:
- 40 tons/year from 40 water hammer for irrigation ( THB: 2,000/month for all )
- 2 tons/year from 11 solar homes and street lights (Reducing road accidents from 30 to 7 per years)
3. About 800 trees being added to enhance an area of 320 ha
4. Compilation of experience on management of energy and natural resources for dissemination ( to be continued)

Project Communication:
On 7 Mar 2014, the Sub-committee of elementary education of the Education Commission of the Senate visited one participating school to learnt about educational model.

Problems and Issues:
1. Availability of some targeted communities in capacity building
2. Limited technical capacity on renewable energy equipment maintenance and repair
3. Insufficient of seedlings and inappropriate soil condition
4. Difficulties in fixing time for planned activities (launching campaign)
5. Core leaders of youth group availability

These issues were addressed by
1. Adjustment of time by conducting activities during night time
2. Returning the faulty equipment and requesting for replacement
3. Using seedlings consistent with local requirement and reforesting in a new location
4. Adjusting campaigning activities to be capacity building on environment and global warming issues
5. Project leaders coordinating to assist youth leaders in some activities and period of time

Experience , Lessons Learnt :
Communities:
Due to nature of community livelihood on intensive agricultural practice all year round, in conjunction with the then low price of agricultural products, communities were unable to manage their time to fully participate in project activities.

Implementing CSO:
In spite of changed management of the grantee, the project had been managed in a continuous basis no matter how limited technical capacity of new staff was.

External factor:
Since project location was a border between Lao PDR and Thailand, and a connecting point to two other important provinces, several threats, especially drug trafficking and proclaimed martial law in place, made participatory process difficult thus miss the targets.

Plans and Activities for Sustainability:
Upon participatory evaluation to close the project, targeted communities had learnt about the results of the project, both successful and on the way to success. All confirmed to proceed with knowledge and experience compilation and application of solar cell for other use apart from lighting, and fabrication of solar dryer.