Road trip - the journey to Farm 17

It's early Saturday morning. Stephen and I have finished packing and are about to leave for 16 days of school surveys, solar installations and dirt roads. It's a race against time, a race against the rainy season and a race against the schools' Christmas holiday. Mason looks at the map one last time before we set off, "wooooh, now that is one ambitious plan, good luck guys."

A map showing the upcoming installations in schools across rural Tanzania.

As each day rolls into the next we cover hundreds of miles of dirt road, but the enthusiasm, the hope and the pleading of elated teachers at the sight of a SolarAid vehicle keep our focus.

Farm 17 is a school located 7km from the nearest town, Nachingwea. As a converted army base Farm 17 has had to endure tough times since forces left and took the underground water pipes with them. Money and food is tight here. Dedicated teenage boys now cycle back and forth 100 km or more to bore holes and rivers, holding large plastic oil drums to collect water. Food is scarce and most is gathered from the local mango farm.

With the rainy season upon us the adverse effects will cause many mud built houses to collapse. The saving grace is that in three to six weeks they will be able to harvest crops again!