July 2008 Archives

Irna is our new volunteer from MBAs Without Borders, an organisation that empowers entrepreneurs in developing countries by matching them with experienced MBAs and together developing market-based solutions. Check out their website: www.mbaswithoutborders.org/.

Irna comes with bags of experience. 'I've worked for years for corporate America, as well as setting up a start-up and country offices,' she says. 'I'm really excited about this work with SolarAid in Tanzania and putting to good use the skills I've learnt.'

Irna arrived in Dar Es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, yesterday evening after spending a two day induction in the SolarAid office in London, where we went through all our strategies and plans. She was greeted in Dar by John Keane, our Head of Programmes, who was just on his way back from a trip to visit our team in Zambia. Irna has now settled into her new home in Dar and is already hitting the ground running!

I've just come off a skype video call with Alfred and Mason in Tanzania who were sat in our new office in Dar es Salaam. That's right - SolarAid now have an office in Tanzania!

I'm not sure if they were sitting on the floor, on some boxes, or if they managed to get hold of some chairs, but the next step is definitely getting hold of some furniture! The team is also busy preparing for the arrival of our new volunteer Irna who has been recruited through MBAs Without Borders. Irna has plenty of experience in business development - something which is key to ensuring successful microsolar projects.

Meanwhile, seven hours away in Iringa, Destory at Neema Crafts is busy organising a shipment of amorphous silicon glass into the country to replenish the solar group's supplies for future production. So lots of hard work going on all round!

We now have the human resources, but of course we also rely on donations from people like you, so please help this project to grow by donating today.

Thank you,
John