Read this story to discover how easy it is for YOU to help light up 367 tribal homes!
FACT: 400 million Indians live in darkness after the sun sets. They live in villages which are not connected to the power grid as they are too remote and often located in mountains and inaccessible areas.
We would like to bring light to homes in 8 villages in Gudem Kotha Veedhi mandal in Vishakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh.
PIC: Map showing location of the villages which will benefit from your funding.
These villages have 25 to 75 families each.
We can bring light to each of these families at a cost of just 820 INR per home.
Fund 8200 INR & light up 10 homes for 3-5 years.
This crowdfunding campaign aims to raise 3L INR.
We are Goonj, an NGO that has been working for the last 16 years to make a difference to the rural masses in India.
The solar devices that will be used are from a firm called d.light SOLAR. They are world leaders & these devices have been put to use in many villages in Africa & India. They solar lamps are working in villages in Africa for 3 to 5 years. We have used similar life estimates here.
The downside of not having light:
# Education suffers as kids cannot read once it is dark.
# Kerosene lamps results in injury and deaths.
# Buying kerosene costs them 20% of their income.
# Lifestyles are impacted as work needs to finish before sunset.
# The villagers continue to live in the 19th century as they have minimal access to information and news around them (no radios etc).
Together let’s light up these tribal villages
All it takes is a donation of INR 820 from you!
How does it work?
We are looking at solar-powered solutions to bring light to remote villages in rural India. Currently, households with no access to reliable electricity rely on kerosene lamps or candles for light after sunset. These sources of light are dangerous, emit low quality light and are expensive as they have recurring costs. Solar panels are too expensive for these homes to both buy & install as these tribal villages are too remote. The simplest quick fix with medium term impact are solar lamps.
What are these solar lamps?
Image: The different models of solar lamps that we can install in home with their current MRP in INR. Images courtesy d.light SOLAR
Each home gets 2 of the above products.
PACKAGE A: The home can choose from one number of A1+ one model of S 20 = MRP of 1024
PACKAGE B: They choose two numbers of Model S2 = 2 lamps with a MRP of 990 INR
D. light are a global leader in solar-powered solutions for off-grid households & their India HQ is located in Gurgaon.
Details of the tribal villages:
These villages have no access to electricity. They also have some of the lowest literacy rates in the state. Bringing light to this village will transform the lives of the people .
Project facts & cost breakup:
Number of households: 367 numbers
Lamps required: 734 solar lamps for 367 household
Individuals impacted: 2000 approximately
Cost of project for crowdfunding – 367 homes * 820 INR = 3.00 Lakh INR*
*includes crowdfunding charges
Benefits:
By replacing a kerosene lamp with a d. light product, a beneficiary can expect
- A positive impact on education of kids – as they can read now
- Cost savings of upto 10000 INR over five years
- Increased safety from the elimination of accidental fires caused by kerosene lamps,
- Better health
- Increased productivity & a change in lifestyle
- Reduced carbon emissions.
Product details:
A combination of the above 3 models is what each household gets.
They can choose from one of the 2 packages available.
PACKAGE A: The home can choose from one number of A1+ one model of S 20 = MRP of 1024
PACKAGE B: They choose two numbers of Model S2 = 2 lamps with a MRP of 990 INR
Images of a typical village in this area:
Image: A typical tribal village that is off the grid & has no electricity. This is located near the AP,Orissa border near Vizag.
Image: Village -Turubongulu - Located in a remote area in the hills this village needs your help
Image: Agriculture is the main revenue source.Villagers earn only 500 to 1500 INR per month. They spend 100 to 250 INR on kerosene monthly
About us:
GOONJ (means an echo) is a multi award winning social enterprise, using the cities discard for fueling wide spread development work across village India. While dealing with more than 3000 tons of material annually, Goonj reaches this material as a resource, as a parallel currency with dignity to the rural communities as they take up large scale development work like recharging water bodies, rebuilding local infrastructure, education, for addressing their own issues. Goonj’s work has also led to the systematic changes in the disaster relief & rehabilitation work; while it has also opened up the most taboo issue of menstrual hygiene and providing clean cotton cloth as a viable solution. For details, please refer- http://goonj.org/
Details about the Solar lighting device partner:
LIGHTING PARTNER: d. light SOLAR : Their innovative, affordable solar-energy solutions are transforming the way people all over the world use and pay for energy. They envision a future where everyone is empowered by the freedom and improved quality of life that comes with access to reliable, affordable & clean solar energy. They have already impacted over 65 million people across 62 developing countries. Their aim is to reach 100 million people by 2020.
Risks and challenges
# While the count of households is currently 367 numbers there may be a change in numbers when we actually go to implement the actual distribution of the solar devices.
# The devices have a warranty of 1 (model A1) & 2 years (models S2 & S20). Based on the learnings & literature available online we have indicated a life of 3 to 5 years in the field based on how they have performed in AFRICA. In real life based on usage the life of these devices may vary. The devices have inbuilt batteries for storage of solar energy and cannot be repaired if they do not work – in the warranty period the entire device is replaced.
