Tanzanian office begins distribution of new micro-solar Ravi kit.

We are delighted and very proud to announce the arrival of 7000 brand new micro-solar Ravi products to our Tanzanian office based in Dar es Salaam.

The Ravi is SunnyMoney branded and an upgraded version of previous micro-solar products such as the Kadzuwa. Its primary aim is to work as a portable device that uses energy from the Sun as power for light.

From left to right: staff members, Stephen Chimallo, Dave Fryer and Claire Pedersen stand exhausted after ravis are stockpiled in their office.

A diverse piece of kit, the Ravi can be used as a hand held torch, desk lamp or even to charge mobile phones. Improvements include a new 1.5 watt solar panel with a life expectancy of 10 years and an 18 LED light bulb capable of lighting a 4 x 4 metre room with clean and bright light. Each bulb can last 10,000 hours (that's four years!) if left on for seven hours a day.

In order to make the device more efficient we have also included a light which signals to the user when batteries are fully charged and also when they are low. This system is a fantasic innovation which should increase battery life for up to two years.

The Ravi complet with bulb, solar panel and mobile phone charger.

It is a very cost effective product for consumers because within three months of purchasing a Ravi, a household's kerosene costs previously used to light the home will be reduced from up to 20% of family income to near zero. This has a tremendous impact on the everyday lives of rural people.

It has taken months of planning for the Ravi to reach Tanzania in such bulk; now we have them in place we can begin to implement their distribution throughout our programmes and eliminate the use of harmful and polluting kerosene lamps for many more of the world's poorest communities.