BioDesign N/L 29.11.11 - Help from the Noar Foundation - Sunlight through the roof November 29, 2011
Sapa-AP | 24 November, 2011 10:37
http://www.timeslive.co.za/scitech/2011/11/2ke4/water-bottles-light-kenyan-slums
In the tin-shack maze of a Kenyan slum, business can't be conducted indoors, and school classes are often held outdoors.
Now a Kenyan group is hoping 2-litre bottles filled with water, a hole in the roof and sunlight will brighten the indoors.
The soda bottle-as-lightbulb was first discovered in Brazil. Today thousands of people who can't afford electricity have converted to the water bottle lightpoint.
When the bottle is hung through a hole in the roof and filled with water and bleach, it refracts sunlight.
In Kenya, a youth group in the Korogocho slums is struggling to meet demands for the water bulb after installing the first 100 for free in April.
The slum's tin shack houses - which rent for $10 a month - typically do not have windows.
Perhaps I can explain best by sharing with you the Foundation’s own journey to discover its identity. In the beginning, no project was too small or too large to consider. Our hearts were large and ideas fresh. However, in a very short time a few truths became obvious to us:
1) You cannot help everyone all at once, without risking failure. This is especially true as we who are helping, are a number significantly smaller than those in need.
2) You must have a very narrow focus, to insure success, otherwise the light you bring to others will be extinguished by the sheer overwhelming burden others will share with you.
3) It is better to succeed in fewer well planned efforts to insure success…you can always take a series of well planned and executed small successes and watch them multiply into many thousands more, all by themselves.
4) Anything given away without the expectation and collection of payment will never be respected, protected or used….and will eventually die.
5) Teach others to do what you do, and your efforts will continue thru the efforts of others, in a way which you cannot begin to imagine….We call it paying it forward…..
6) People will always remember your failures, so better to always succeed on a smaller scale than fail by being too ambitious.
7) You must learn to crawl first, before you walk, as the lessons of bumping into walls with your head while looking at the ground must be learned to avoid falling on your face once upright.
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2) We work with communities that have clear leadership in place, and where we can train women and children with the blessing and promise of no interference by the men in the community, or where men and women function as substantial equals.
3) All of our work is aimed at simultaneous growth of a few sectors, which is the concept that I personally developed of “global community development”…in fact I officially own the trademark “Think Globally – Act Locally”
a. Sector one – children need to learn about solar power, light, and must be furnished with the ability to study independently without depending on adults
i. The DIY Kids Kits accomplish this nicely, teaching concepts of electricity, light, solar power and batteries, and providing each child with their own personal solar lamp/radio power.
b. Sector two – kerosene lantern conversion to solar lamps
i. This solves several issues, including: improved health, prevention of injury, saves money for the family to pay for the lamp conversions, allows study at night and monies to be made available for school supplies, teaches principles of business and solar energy, and encourages new businesses.
c. Sector three – agricultural development and improvement, which teaches simple methods of conservation agriculture that can potentially improve crop yields up to 50% within the first year.
i. This increases income, potentially ends subsistence-type farming, and promotes education and economic growth.
Improvements in healthcare delivery
i. These are usually very selective bricks and mortar type of efforts, and require 50% community participation and resources
ii. Education of local health care workers, development of local insurance programs are some of the very specialized successful efforts that we have helped develop, but only where there has been extraordinary community organization present
d.
i. These are usually very selective bricks and mortar type of efforts, and require 50% community participation and resources
ii. Education of local health care workers, development of local insurance programs are some of the very specialized successful efforts that we have helped develop, but only where there has been extraordinary community organization present
e. Sector five - development of entrepreneurial potential
i. The best initial success can be utilizing the “Solar Kiosk” model…but this requires a very disciplined approach with a very clear business model with income projections.
1. The “Kiosk” makes its income from charging batteries/cellphones/cameras for a fee….to reimburse the start up costs…
ii. Youth can develop solar lantern conversion businesses
iii. In select regions, depending on the local conditions, cash crop introduction can also be very successful
4) With the exception of the DIY Kids Kits, we give nothing away for free, and expect our supplies to be reimbursed so we can help others.
5) We will always carefully begin our efforts in ONLY ONE OR TWO communities, and only once successful, will expand slowly in the region.
a. In this manner our success will be recognized and once we expand the anticipation of the neighboring communities will insure additional success.
6) We will work only in areas where we have partners who understand completely the anthropology and sociology of the villages and the region.