PROJECT NAME: LIGHT UP NYALENDA COMMUNITY SACCO
INTRODUCTION
This project concept is a respond to the environmental and socio-economic challenges facing the Lake Victoria region such as deforestation, land degradation, food insecurity, ill health, poverty etc., which in turn lead to unpredictable rainfall, flash floods, drought, starvation, death and under-development. These are direct and indirect outcomes of climate change.
The project will use integrated and yet diversified approaches in its interventions to mitigate against the effects of the challenges on the people, particularly among the vulnerable groups. The project will be based on the premise of accessing the vulnerable groups to micro-finance services though Savings and Credit concept. The project will foster synergy to enhance its impact. The partnership includes Friends Pioneer, Female students from Red Cross Peoples Development College in Swedish and local community women to plan, fundraise, implement and evaluate its activities.
The overall aim of the project is to mitigate the effects of climate change against humanity, particularly vulnerable women. The project will mobilize communities, particularly women to encourage and participate in this project to free them from poverty.
VISION
A region whose residents are all able to access renewable clean solar energy.
A region whose people are able to access and enjoy socio-economic, health and environmental opportunities.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Most people use traditional kerosene Tin lamps which are unhealthy, uneconomical and degrade the environment.
PROJECT RATIONALE
Nyalenda is a slum area where most people depend on low income for their livelihood. These people live Off – Grid from the national electric system because it is too expensive for them to afford the costs involved during installation of electric power into their homes and paying the electric bills. They therefore depend on using the traditional kerosene tin lamps for lighting in their houses and open air market places within the neighborhood. Inadequate information on the negative health and environmental effects of the traditional tin lamps and about the existing alternative clean, renewable and affordable solar energy has made most families be at risk.
The use of these lamps has many times led to devastating effects on the lives of people. The smoke from the lamps is a cause of respiratory and eye infections which are common, emit carbon into the hemisphere, are prone to household fire accidents and perpetuate poverty among the people as it depends on kerosene use which is expensive.
To mobilize
MISSION
and encourage women to take the lead role in adopting the use of solar lamps while pooling their resources together through saving and loaning concept to promote socio-economic, health and environmental wellbeing of their families and communities.
OBJECTIVES:
1. To promote the use of a clean, renewable and affordable solar energy.
2. To set up a savings and loaning facility to benefit -marginalized and vulnerable women within one year.
3. To monitor, evaluate, document and share lessons with relevant stakeholders.
ACTIVITIES:
1. To promote the use of a clean, renewable and affordable solar energy.
a) Raise funds and other resources required to run activities.
b) Raise awareness on the benefits of Solar Energy to communities.
c) Acquire Solar Lamps.
d) Identifying and profiling the beneficiaries.
e) Distributing solar lamps to women.
2. To set up a savings and loaning facility to benefit -marginalized and vulnerable women within one year.
a) Establish a Women Savings and Loaning Facility.
b) Mobilize and recruit women to the Savings and Loaning Facility.
3. To monitor, evaluate, document and share lessons with relevant stakeholders.
a) Conduct weekly staff meetings.
b) Develop monitoring tools.
c) Conducting follow-up meetings.
d) Conduct monthly staff/Board meetings.
e) Carryout Quarterly internal evaluation meetings.
f) Conduct Bi-Annual stakeholders meetings.
g) Conduct annual members meeting.
h) Conduct end of project Evaluation meeting.
i) Compile and present monthly reports.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES:
1. Improved access to clean, renewable and affordable solar energy by 1,000 families.
2. Improved lighting system in the community.
3. Reduced rate of respiratory and eye infections.
4. Increased access to micro-finance services on a reducing balance. interest rate by women.
5. Increased community participation against poverty.
6. Reduced fire accident at household level.
7. Reduced rate of pollution of the hemisphere.
8. Improved family savings from money that would have been spent on kerosene.
9. Improved economic status of families.
10. Increased competition among micro-finance institutions towards lowering interest rates.
TARGET GROUP
This proposed project will target women, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable women, whose daily income does not exceed 2$ [two dollars]. Most of them are marginalized from accessing education/information, loans from MFIs, health care system. Their families as well are the disadvantage members of the society
METHODOLOGY
The project will mobilize women through already existing and functional women groups and public meetings within our geographical area. Interested women will be recruited as members to the saving and loaning facility where they will access loans in the form of solar lamps and cash. The women will be conditioned to group themselves into five so that they stand as guarantors to each other.
Awareness meetings will be conducted to sensitize women about the benefits of using solar lamps, the concept of savings and loaning on a reducing balance basis. It will be conditional for all registered members to apply for solar lamp as the initial loan to be re-paid according to agreement at 1% on a reducing balance. Meanwhile members will be encouraged to save with the Facility from time to time so that they acquire more shares to allow them apply for loans three times their shares on the higher side. The cumulative loan re-payment sum will be their security when applying for cash loans.
We will use the simple banking system which comprehensively set up adequate documentation of cash withdrawals and deposits. Women who owe the facility and fail to turn up will be reached through follow-up and supported to pay up.
Friends Pioneer 