RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT
Providing low-cost modern technology to improve living conditions
« There’s sunshine in our house! It’s magical. »
What we do
Providing affordable solutions
Friendship’s Solar Home Lighting Systems are designed with affordability in mind, so that the users have to pay no more than the amount they were previously spending on a kerosene lamp. As a result, switching to this improved alternative has no additional cost. It also removes the need to face the uncertainty of fluctuating kerosene prices and the need to travel long distances to buy it.
Train electricians
We train local char dwellers to manage the installation and maintenance of the solar powered systems. Not only does this ensure that the system remains operational, it also provides locals with technical knowledge and employment opportunities.
Providing the poor with safe, low-cost electricity
More then 650 solar panels have been installed.
How we have made a difference
Extending the working day
Our solar lighting system allows rural families to extend their workday into the evening hours. With more light, children can study and work on their homework during the evening. Mothers can do more during daylight hours, because they can now cook the evening meal even after darkness falls. Small shops and market stalls are able to remain open after sunset, and tradesmen such as tailors can also benefit from better light, work longer hours and earn more.
Improved security
Solar Home Systems can also be used to provide some outdoor lighting. This provides the char dwellers with increased personal security at night and serves as a deterrent to potential thieves. People feel more secure with electric lighting inside and outside their home as they tend their small number of livestock and move around the family compound.
Improved health and safety
The risk of fires and burns to children is greatly reduced by the replacement of kerosene lamps by solar technology. The serious health risks caused by fumes from kerosene lamps in poorly ventilated houses are also eliminated by the use of clean energy from solar-powered systems.
Increased job opportunities
Solar panel systems actively contribute to job creation in the char communities. Friendship engages and trains local char dwellers to install and maintain the solar-powered systems in households. Young people are also encouraged to stay on in villages where home craft industries have developed, thanks to the ailability of improved lighting.