
Solar lights
N4BW has now provided Solar Powered lights and phone charging kits to more than 3000 homes in the Sitima Area. The people of Sitima have no other source of light and therefore go to bed when it gets dark shortly after 6 o’clock!
N4BW has produced a scheme where people rent a unit for 51 weeks and then purchase with a final payment. Damian Wynne who has established the scheme said “We surveyed people in the villages to ascertain how much they could afford to pay per week a light. We then came up with a scheme to meet a reasonable budget.
I was approached by a lady this morning so full of thanks that she has one of the lights. She jokingly said that the only trouble is that she is now staying up too late and is sleeping in in the morning. She told me that her grand children are now able to spend time reading and doing their homework. The scheme has established the principle of people being helped but also of them contributing. This means that they will value and look after what they have.
The weekly income is paying the three agents who are working on the scheme and will purchase further lights to sell. Damian said “this may sound like a small thing but it is a life changing thing to have light or the first time. If you don’t think so, just try living without electricity for a day and experience how much your life shrinks.
Other News
Bad weather strikes agin
A cyclone has hit the area causing damage to school buildings, including the latrines at Chinguma School. Cyclone Chido has left classrooms in other schools roofless.
Ann is walking 1000 miles
Ann Haggin from Kendal is part way through a 1000 mile virtual walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of children’s education in Malawi.
Distribution
This is where the ‘giving’ arm of N4BW as opposed to the ‘development’ arm comes into force.