Project: Solar for children

My name is Claire Pedersen and I'm a new volunteer here for SolarAid. I've come out here to Tanzania, through VSO, for two years.

We've just returned from a trip to Homboza, a small village 50km from Dar es Salaam and nowhere near the grid. This was my first visit out into the field and I was pretty much in awe of everything around me. It was such a great experience meeting the franchisees, hearing the villagers' stories and seeing the micro-solar products in action.

The road leading to rural Homboza.

We visited a number of typically rural homes and saw the micro-solar kits in action. Even in daylight it was easy to see the difference the lights would make to families - as it was pretty dark inside the house and the lamp totally lit up the room. One family explained that they used to spend 250 shillings per day on kerosene and 750 per week on batteries.

It was a great day all round, for me especially as it was the first time I had been out to the village and so to see the manifestation of everything I've read and learnt so far was really special. It fired me up all the more to be part of this fantastic project.

More from me again soon!

Claire Pedersen
Micro-franchise Co-ordinator

SolarAid's intrepid sales staff. Photo copywright National Geographic.

This photograph shows Mason, SolarAid Tanzania's Country Manager (on the move - fast!) in the foreground and Beatrice with our micro-solar demonstration pack in the background. And an elephant.

Thanks to our friends at Solar Center and Solar Nexus International we are now powered by solar here at our office in Dar es Salaam.

We are using a new demo system, which Dave Fryer (our Macrosolar Volunteer) kindly did a great job of designing and wiring.

The SolarAid Tanzania team outside the office at Dar es Salaam, with the new solar system that is now powering the office.

Ready to switch to solar power, here in the SolarAid office in Dar es Salaam.

Mason Huffine, SolarAid Tanzania's Country Business Manager, was at the London office yesterday - his first visit to SolarAid HQ- on his way back to Dar es Salaam after a short break.

Mason (left) and Miguel at the SolarAid office in London. Photo by Steve Woodward.

It was great to meet Mason in person, having spoken and emailed often, received his updates and seen so many pictures.

Solarising schools to prevent future tragedies

Mason updated me on news from Idodi Secondary School - the victim of last month's tragic fire.

Since Idodi, it has become apparent that this kind of incident is all too common in Africa. So the team are looking at different approaches to strategies for school dormitories in Tanzania. Our challenge now is ensuring we prevent future incidents like this one.

However, when there are hundreds of schools in rural Tanzania with no power, after sundown (around 6pm everyday) thousands of school children are left with no choice but to resort to candles if they wish to continue studying after the school day. And as long as candles are used, there will always be a high risk of burns or, worse, building-wide fires like the one at Idodi.

The tragic mass grave for the 12 young students of Idodi Secondary School who perished in the fire on 22 August.

One of SolarAid's missions is to increase access to safe, clean light in schools to deliver improved education standards. Until now, the focus has been on lighting the classrooms and school offices. But we're now working with Headmaster - Mr Raymond Mlasu - to design a system for the new dormitory block at Idodi.

Two options so far are a fixed lighting system plus portable micro-solar products for students to share. Or alternatively, a fixed system with 3 smaller study lights fixed in the corners of the dormitory. Either way, we will strive to find an appropriate lighting solution for the students at Idodi and beyond, so that after-dark study is made safe. Something that we take for granted in the west.

More about this worthwhile project soon,
Anna

It is with great sadness that SolarAid Tanzania announces the devastating news of a fatal fire that struck at Idodi Secondary School in Iringa on 22 August.

Over the weekend, a young student at Idodi was up late studying in her dormitory. The candle by her bedside - her only available light- was accidentally knocked over, catching fire to the mattress and tragically spreading quickly through the entire dormitory block, killing 12 young girls and injuring 20 others.

SolarAid knows Idodi School well. We installed a solar system on the main building in June of this year, and the Headmaster of the school, Mr Raymond Mlasu, has been one of our top partners. We at SolarAid Tanzania, along with the whole nation of Tanzania, grieve this tragic and preventable loss of life and commit to find sustainable solutions for solar lighting in school dormitories to avoid other preventable tragedies in the future.

Although the school underwent a solar installation earlier in the year, the dormitories were not covered by this. However, we felt it necessary to offer any assistance we could. Dennis Moshi (Tanzanian Technical Support), Beatrice Abad and myself contacted the school to offer all our condolences and support.

As the children will be accommodated in the classrooms and dining hall while funding is sought to rebuild the dormitory block, SolarAid Tanzania have donated a number of microsolar kits to allow the children to have light without the use of dangerous naked flames. The SolarAid team are due to meet with the Education Ministers and School Governors to negotiate the installation of a solar DC lighting system for the new dormitory.

Our hearts go out to all at Idodi and in the surrounding community.

Thank you,
Mason Huffine- Operations Manager, Tanzania

The national newspaper's headlines convey the tragic incident. On the left, SolarAid's letter of condolence to the school.

The children I recently met on the installation trip around Iringa have a strong desire for growth and improvement in their quality of life.

Curious about the western way of life, they are excited to learn about modern communication and technology, which they admire. They feel that to be better integrated into local community and the world at large they need access to lighting and communication.

The ability to read at night, listen to a radio or watch television (something which has been available to the developed world for almost a century now) will allow them to expand their horizons. Communication with friends and relatives through the use of mobile phones will enable their integration with the rest of the world. But all means for growth depend on technologies that of course require electricity.

While lifting a solar panel up onto the roof of a school, Dennis asked me: "Prof., do you think we are making a difference for this country and Africa by bringing solar energy to these schools in remote villages?"

As the sun shone onto the panel, I realised that ironically the wheels of a future renewable energy economy may be best started in developing world countries through humanitarian effort. Bringing renewable energy sources first to school children in poor countries is a basic expression of the highest humanitarian principle to help those in need. Development of renewable energy sources could be one of the efforts that bring the world together rather than dividing it.

The answer to Dennis's question came resoundingly when we officially handed the system over to the school's headmaster in front of the student assembly. The voice of jubilation from hundreds of students was a perfect expression of the gratitude for the gift of solar and more than that, for the opportunity to become more connected with the rest of humanity.

Slobodan

"Professor, here we are, this is Idodi Secondary School" Dennis, the SolarAid program coordinator said as we parked the car and stepped out into a sun-filled mid-morning in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. This was the second school on our journey to install solar electricity systems in remote areas. The view from the top of the hill was magnificent; a whole class of 200 students were taking an exam sitting at their desks outside the school buildings, among the trees.

Photo: Andy Bodycombe

We were between the town called Iringa and Ruaha National Park, a world-famous game reserve. Here, 30 miles away from the nearest electricity line and paved roads, time seems to be standing still and the world as we know it is very far away. There are no TVs or video games here, the children don't have cell phones and they don't listen to popular music. They don't wear designer clothes and they have never heard of any movie stars or famous singers. The days pass by in simple graceful existence, quiet curiosity, and unspoilt joy for life.

With the rest of the installation crew, Wambura, Fred, Morris and Matola we made an unforgettable journey to complete solar installations on eight schools. Kiwere, Idodi, Isalavanu, Zadraz, Ullembwe, Ikuna... We made our way through the Iringa region in 19 days with the hope that the lives of thousands of children will be changed for many years to come.

Please support us and help SolarAid bring solar to more schools in Tanzania.

The demand for our locally produced microsolar products in Tanzania is huge. In fact, we can hardly keep up with it. A few days ago, three vendors came to see us and bought 50 units in cash. Three days later they had sold 30 of them!

It is especially our 'Microsolar Home Kits' that are in such high demand here. Last week, we went to visit a school with twelve units and the teachers bought ten of them. People love these kits because they give them access to portable electricity and light at a very low price. We get so much good feedback on the effect these kits have on their quality of life.

On my way back with Beatrice, the local administrator and translator, we were stopped by two armed policemen who asked us for a ride. They often do this to avoid taxi fares. Beatrice started talking to them in Swahili and before we dropped them off they had bought the remaining two kits, leaving us empty handed!

Recently I've met a lot of ministers who have given me good feedback on our work. I have also repeatedly been told that the President of Tanzania and his wife are aware of SolarAid's work and are interested in what we are doing. This is hugely encouraging and flattering!

In other news, the 200 solar panels that were donated to us have arrived at the port of Tanzania, so I'm busy dealing with the customs officials to release them. Once this hurdle is overcome, we can start installing them on healthclinics.

These solar panels are bigger and more expensive, but from what I've seen in similar projects, they make a huge difference in the number of lives saved. We plan to install on 30 clinics in the next couple of years.

Just the other day, a woman came into a clinic severely injured and because the facility had a solar panel and was able to store refrigirated blood, her life was saved with a transfusion. This woman would not be alive now were it not for the panel on the roof.

This story demonstrates how solar can literally be a life saver. Please help in our mission of getting solar onto more clinics in rural Tanzania and support SolarAid today.

Thank you,
Mason

As we complete our last macro-solar panel installation I'm thrilled to annouce that 19 schools will soon have reliable, efficient access to electricity thanks to SolarAid!

There are 10 schools in the Iringa region, 3 in the coastal area north of Dar es Salaam and the remaining in the south, covering most of the country.

All of those schools are off-grid. Some had been powered by cost-intensive generators that often broke down, others used kerosene lamps for lighting and coal and wood for cooking. Few with no access to any kind of lighting at all.

With every installation completion there is a village celebration.

The villagers and school chilren come together in singing and dancing to express gratitude and joy. The tangible effects of solar power and the difference it can make to their every day lives is now impressively clear.

The ceremony is their way of saying 'thank you' and inaugurating their improved facilities. This enthusiasm always makes me smile inside and out, but this week I was also given a chicken!

I was advised to take the long way home that night to avoid kidnapping. Driving in my beaten up little car through the rain and muddy terrain, I could hear the chicken clucking away and flying around at every dirt road bump, making my heart jump.

I felt a great sense of achievement and pride in SolarAid's work that day. Onwards and upwards- there's still plenty of work to do. Please support us and help SolarAid bring solar to more schools in Tanzania.

Thank you,

Mason
Country Operations Manager,
SolarAid Tanzania