Fiskani: February 2009 Archives

Alfred is a satisfied user of the Kadzuwa 18 microsolar panel! He is a small-scale business entrepreneur and owns a shop where he sells assorted groceries. He is one of the pioneer users of SolarAid's microsolar products.

I recently chatted with him at his home, to find out about his experiences of the product so far.

Alfred Kalua at his home in Luwinga

Alfred has been using the solar panel since May 2008 and claims that since then, he has not once used batteries for his radio. Previously, Alfred was using another solar panel for playing his radio and lighting his house. This panel frequently 'malfunctioned' because it was not expertly installed and maintenance was very expensive. In the end he had no choice but to abandon it completely.

Having been a solar addict for sometime (before his previous gadget malfunctioned) Alfred felt embarrassed when queuing for paraffin in town and using his radio became an occasional occurrence, for fear of spending more money on single use batteries. Luckily for Alfred, he came across a very affordable solar product which is so simple yet can perform multiple functions... lighting his home, powering his radio and charging his mobile phone. Without hesitation, he bought one instantly.

Using the Kadzuwa 18 microsolar panel has significantly improved life in Alfred's family. He is saving money by no longer having to buy batteries and kerosene. The money he saves is used to buy food for his children as well as other important things.

The extra food ensures that his children never go hungry. Children who eat well become healthy. It is no wonder then that Alfred could not remember the last time he had to take any of his children to hospital. They are now healthy and happy children.

More savings have also helped Alfred to reinvest his profits into his business. He now supports his brother who works as the shopkeeper.

Alfred's brother holds the microsolar panel, at Alfred's shop

The solar light helps his wife to prepare dough and bake scones at night for sale at his shop and Alfred can now read after dark! He also says that with the solar light in his house, his children are now safe from possible burns due to candles or dangerous kerosene lamps.

SolarAid's Kadzuwa 18 solar light bulb hangs in Alfred's house

With all these savings, Alfred has become more ambitious. He now intends to buy a bigger solar system so he can have more electronic appliances in both his shop and his home. There is little doubt that he will fulfil his ambition one day.

Why not help us to realise dreams and ambitions like those of Alfred? Please support us today.

Following on from my last blog...the MLF gives loans to women groups only. At Elangeni (approx 80km west of Mzuzu) there are five women credit groups affiliated to MLF and each one has a chairperson, treasurer, and secretary.

Chagaga Women's Credit Group

All loan applicants are vetted by the chief and any defaulter attracts the wrath of the chief. MLF then asks what type of business each will undertake and how many dependants they support in their respective families.

Some of the popular small-scale businesses are baking scones, selling dried fish, tomatoes, second-hand clothes, paraffin, beans, vegetables, etc. This is where SolarAid gets involved. Individual members will be given a choice to add micro-solar business to what they already do. So instead of concentrating on the above businesses (which are mostly affected by the seasonality of the products) they will also be selling solar products. SolarAid will link them with its various assembling groups for orders and MLF will take charge of repayments as usual.

This means that the credit groups will receive the loans from MLF as normal, and they will order solar products from SolarAid just like they order paraffin, beans, fish etc for sale from other suppliers.

At the meeting, over 50 women (some accompanied by their husbands) turned up to hear what SolarAid had in store for them.

Richard Mwazambumba, a MLF loan officer, introduced the SolarAid team (Brave and myself) who then addressed the people about SolarAid's objectives and about why we have decided to work with people in their community in collaboration with MLF. The attendees got the chance to see small solar panel (Kadzuwa 18 Moc) powering a radio, lighting three bulbs and charging a mobile phone.

Some of the men complained that they were sidelined from this opportunity, since MLF only works with women groups and they asked if SolarAid would allow them to join the micro-solar business when it rolls out.

The overall feeling was that people need our products as soon as possible. Some even offered to buy on the spot the sample products we used for demonstration. The market is certainly there!

Bye for now,
Fiskani

A few weeks ago, the SolarAid Malawi team went to Elangeni on a fact-finding mission, in collaboration with The MicroLoan Foundation (MLF).

MLF was founded in 2002 and is a registered NGO that deals mainly with micro-financing of small businesses for poor women in both rural and urban areas.

MLF's objective is to assist poor women bring themselves out of the poverty trap, similar to SolarAid's own objectives. As a result of this synergy, the two organisations have decided to team up to achieve the following specific objectives:

1. Help women and their communities (particularly those in rural areas) to gain access to affordable renewable power for household use.
2. Help women who run small-scale businesses to expand and diversify by selling solar products made by SolarAid.
3. Help increase self-employment by training women in the production and selling of solar products.

MLF identifies these women groups and gives them business training and basic book-keeping skills before disbursing the first loan.

MLF Loan officer (far left) and Chief Inkosana (in suit) with Chagaga Women's Group in Elangeni.

The recent site visit enabled both parties to appreciate what is on the ground, so each knows exactly the role they need to play to uplift the lives of the poor villagers seeking to become business entrepreneurs.

More about this exciting partnership in my next blog,

Fiskani.