ü WHAT AND HOW:
Lighting poor communities is a project that enables the community without electricity benift with a solar kits for lighting that helps the kids study and do work at night. Our Third project was targeting 170 homesteads to finalise our project in Turkana. This communtiy lives in arid and semi arid areas in nor thwest kenya. There economical way of living is keeping livestock. Solar kits gives kids from this communtiy a chance to study at night and do homework after school hence have bette future. Apart from that the parents get to save from using kerosine which is expensive and harmful to their health. The money saved from buying kerosine can be used to buy food, pens and books for the children.
These community consist of 6 to 8 members of a family. The total solar kits given to are 88 solar kits and 656 members benifited directly or indirectly.
ü TIPS AND TRICKS:
When we sought help to put our third project, we didn’t think that our project could stand a chance to be realized that fast, thanks to our friends and network we have developed over time during our fundraising of the two first project . However we experienced challenges as things turned out differently, Euro gained strength than the shilling and the kits were even more expensive than we used to purchase before. This made our budget change as the kits shoot up by almost 43%. Our target dropped homesteads which we hope to recover by end of this year. Logistics too affected our project plan. Many communities had moved with their members in search for green pastures as the dry season spelled. This made it difficult for us to meet some of the community members who were to benefit with the programme.
In the next project we will come up with new strategies which will bring the renewed enthusiasm in making projects get realized fast and make the project time line be meet fast. This can be achieved by proper communication by all stakeholders.
ü CHANGE:
When lighting poor communities in rural areas in Kenya started this program, it trained young youth from the local communities as Community-Based Trainers (CBTs) to distribute the solar lighting kit. CBTs quickly became one of the most successful distributors of solar lighting kit in rural Kenya with most of its members being young women and men.
CBTs are now on training plan to sell larger solar systems to home owners, schools and clinics in the localities where they come from.
Some families have also started economic generating activities with solar lighting kit, while other have used the savings from kerosene to start businesses which they can open for long hours even after the dark falls with solar lighting kit which maximizes the effective working hours for income generating activities
ü FINANCIALLY:
On what exactly has the money received through the 1%CLUB been spend? Have there been any changes from in the budget plan? If yes, please explain what exactly changed and why?
The support that 1%club has given to changing communities has always made life of these communities better by benefitting with these solar kits that is changing life of many. The donations from 1%club members was spent as follows,
Received- 2221€
Bank charges- 20€
We received-2201€
Bought solar kits@-25€
Bought-88 solar kits
Given out- 88 solar kits
Still waiting to give - 82 solar kits
We bought solar kits 88 out of the targeted number of 170. So we are yet to met thet targeted pieces which we hope will before the ed of the project.
ü WHAT’S NEXT:
Currently we are trying to work out ways of making these communities be available during the time of distributing solar kits, so that we ensure that we meet them easily and avail themselves when on the field to give out these solar kits.
We are still training community understand the importance of the project and the benefits that they are gaining for the programme. This is through the use of CBTs (Community Based Trainers)
