icrosolar sales are on the up!
Hi everyone,
The latest from our solar manager Destory in Tanzania is that sales of microsolar products are going up following the recent sales and marketing training. They are now placing a new order to import solar PV glass into Tanzania that will enable them to continue production. This is great news!
Carl, one of our volunteers based in Malawi, also recently visited Neema Crafts and was very impressed with the operations there. So, it's full steam ahead in Tanzania!
This is Carl, one of our volunteers in Africa
Good news. We're now setting up an office in Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, the capital city, thanks to the volunteer support of Alfred Wise, former CEO of Community Wealth Ventures, a US organisation that helps charities become more self-sustaining.
Alfred has found potential office space for us and is registering SolarAid in Tanzania as an organisation, which will help us loads with imports of materials, placing volunteers and recruiting local staff. Alfred is also working with Mason Huffine, a committed environmentalist who has extensive experience of working in developing countries. Mason is helping us set up too on a volunteer basis, which is fantastic.
This is very good news for us. We're already working hard with our existing partners in Tanzania, and this will help us scale up our work. However, as you can imagine, it's pretty bureaucratic and long-winded.
Fred Migai, a solar entrepreneur from Nairobi, has carried out a successful marketing and sales training in Iringa in a bid to help our partner Neema Crafts develop an effective (mainly able bodied) sales team. Neema is confident that this will lead to rise in sales. All production is still being carried out by Neema's deaf and disabled staff.
This is me training the Neema Crafts microsolar group.
Neema has provided us with a summary of production and sales figures for the Feb - April period which is reproduced below.
Number of products made and sold for the months of Feb - April
- 0.5 watt panels: 43 made. Only 1 sold.
- 1 watt panels: 239 made; 53 sold.
- 2 watt panels: 297 made; 49 sold.
- LED lamps: 200 made; 63 sold.
As you'll see, Neema Crafts has been producing more than they are selling. This is because the organisation helps the disabled, who are much more effective at building panels in the workshop than at going around the villages to sell them. That's why we've helped them train an able-bodied sales force that can take the buses and travel to the villages to sell the panels that their disabled colleagues produce. So watch this space as sales are expected to rise dramatically!
John Keane, Head of Programmes
We've developed with USAID, the US government's development agency, a programme to provide solar power to 20 health clinics in Tanzania. USAID will provide £100,000 towards it if we can raise a further £100,000. The solar systems would power vaccine fridges, small surgery theatres, medical labs, etc - all crucially important for health care among the poorest communities, particularly for children.
Can you help us raise the remaining amount of money? You're probably aware that health services in rural area in Africa are severely lacking and that affordable and reliable access to energy is vital to ensure that clinics run effectively.
Here's an extract from the project document:
NEED: One key barrier to the provision of medical services is the lack of adequate and reliable energy. Energy is needed to run diagnostic equipment, power refrigerators, pump clean water, and power computers, faxes, phones, or other electronic devices. Energy is also vital in linking patients to higher levels of services, to community-based services, and helps with the timeliness and accuracy of monitoring services.
ACTIVITIES: This activity will target approximately 20 small health facilities. The focus is on health systems with low energy requirements of five to ten kWh/day that are located in remote settings with limited services and small staff, with 0-60 beds. Electronic power is usually required for lighting facilities during evening hours; to support limited minor surgical procedures; to maintain cold storage for vaccines, blood, and other medical supplies; and to use basic lab equipment.
Please donate by clicking on the 'support this project' button.
We're pleased to say that Neema Crafts has now hired a solar manager, thanks to funding from SolarAid. His name is Destory and he will help the local solar entrepreneurs sell their products. He says: 'I'm working hard to educate people in rural areas because many people still don't have enough knowledge about solar. Also by doing so, this will help us get more customers.'
Please donate to this project so that we can reach more people in Tanzania with solar power!
Watch this video about our microsolar project with Neema Crafts, our partner organisation in Tanzania that works with young people who are deaf and disabled:
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