Live Appeal

Help Kick Poverty!

The “help kick poverty” via solar energy campaign is an exciting new project. We would like all our donars to donate to energy, which is free, environmentally friendly and sustainable. Join our campaign and light up a home this Ramadan for as little as £50. The solar pack will include:

• a solar panel – locally acquired (easy to service and maintain)
• wiring connected with the panel
• bulbs and switches to light up a home

What is the energy problem in Zanzibar, Tanzania?

In Tanzania, Africa 85-90% of the population are off the electricity grid, in rural areas the problem is acute. The majority of households in rural areas of Zanzibar use kerosene for lighting and wood and charcoal for cooking. But these are well known pollutants impacting on the poor and on the environment leading to deforestation. 

How does the lack of electricity create a cycle of poverty?

But it’s hard to imagine how electricity is connected to poverty. Well, the answer is simple. Available data reveals that:

• the poor spend about 35% to 50% of their household income on energy while the rest spend only 14%;
• lack of electricity creates a cycle of poverty – more time and money is spent on earning for fuel than food;

In addition, women and children are affected disproportionately as they are usually responsible for gathering wood and water. Their opportunities for employment and study to help them climb out of poverty are therefore lost.

Solar Lighting

Solar energy has come leaps and bounds over the years from electric cars to street lights. Solar lighting in Africa is now paving the way to environmentally friendly solution to kerosene pollution and deforestation.

We have started to experiment with solar lighting by using solar technology to power our motors for our water wells.  Join our campaign to eradicate poverty through water and light.  

Benefits of Solar lights

Lighting up a home means that a family will potentially have 35% to 50% more time and income to spend on food. kerosene pollution and wood fuel leading to deforestation will be a thing of the past. Children will have light to study after dark and spend less time out of school in search of wood or work.