Kibera Youth Solar project

This is an innovative youth project for the production and sales of solar portable lamps in Kenya for people with low income. Starting with Kibera slum in Nairobi and for photo¬voltaic (PV) learning purposes in Switzerland..

Purposes

• To promote solar portable lamps for daily use in Kibera creating jobs for young  people.

•  To replace the inappropriate kerosene lamps
(bad light, toxic smokes, risk of fire)

Pilot project (till end of 2009)

Since August 2009 the pilot project is under way where 1500 solar portable lamps are being assembled in Kibera. Some will be sold to the local people especially the low-income earners and a part are imported back and sold as fair-trade products.

Partners

•   Kibera community youth programme is a youth organization in Kenya. Already they make solar mobile phone chargers and mini solar panels for radios. Won Clear Energy World Award in 2007.

•   Megasol is a Swiss solar technology company who invented the self-assembling lamp. They have more than 10 years experience in solar business.

•   Greenpeace Youth Support Center promotes through the international youth  project Solar Generation solar-energy as a solution to climate change.

One portable solar lamp per Kid

A typical classroom in Kibera- "slum" in Nairobi

Kibera is located in the outskirts of Nairobi and home to about one million poor people. It is the largest slum in Africa and people living there do not have access to electricity. Kerosene lamps are the main source of light, used to light up small one-roomed shacks. The streets are dark and dangerous at night given that there are no streetlights, especially for children. After 6 pm in the evening children have to stay in the house or risk being abused, raped or mugged.

With this initiative we would like to support the children living in Kibera to own solar lamps which they can use to do homework, use as a torch or to light toilets which are always situated outside residential houses. You can  sponsor a child or a class with solar portable lamps.

The solar lamps will permit school children to do their homework at night and therefore being better at school.

More than 40% of people living in Kibera work as security officers. They use dry cells batteries of low quality and often need replacement every 2 weeks.
 

Next steps

Overall Intentions of the Project:
•    Promote renewable energy solutions.
•    Establishment of a self-sustainable solar-lamps production in Kibera (Kenya).
•    Affordable lamps (partially subsidised).
•    Train youths as solar technicians.
•    Build up know-how, markets and green jobs.

Middle and long term goals:
•    Produce 3000 solar-lamps next year
•    Train more than 500 youths in the next 5 years
•    A second product, later a third
•    Production of 3,000-5,000 lamps / year
•    Dissemination system with recycling/repair