Kerosene supplies run low in Mumbwa

Today we've been in Mumbwa town and the village of Nakasaka to see a potential solar installation site.

The community in Nakasaka are very eager to have access to solar electricity. They explained that evening light would enable them to run adult literacy classes, to watch television and generate an income by charging car batteries...which are not an uncommon way for people to bring energy into their homes.

As we left Nakasaka on the dusty road, we came across a cyclist who had a 14 watt solar panel strapped to the back of his bike. He explained that he wanted to use it to charge mobile phones - a sign that people are starting to believe in solar energy and what it can do.

In Mumbwa town, we visited the local market and came across a stall selling radios and LED torches, all imported from China. I showed the salesman a microsolar panel and hooked it up to one of his radios and he said he was interested in selling them.

I then took a closer look at his torches and saw that these can be easily charged using microsolar panels. So I bought some to bring home and test to see how good these lights actually are.

While their quality may be questionable, the fact that these lights are for sale demonstrates that there's clearly a demand for cheap lighting products that do not rely on kerosene...or diesel. That's right, kerosene shortages have led to people burning diesel in its place. I'm pretty sure diesel fumes are carcinogenic. Nasty stuff. All the more reason for us to press ahead with microsolar projects.

With your help we can speed up the process...bringing power to more people, giving them independence and access to clean, safe energy to light their homes. The interest and enthusiasm of these people is unquestionable, so we're halfway there. Please help us by donating to this project today.

Thank you,
John