Solar phone charging – a good news story from Acholi

Over the past few years I have had the privilege of visiting with, and supporting, the Lubanga Ber group in Acholi Quarters, and seeing them grow from a disparate, surviving, not very hope-filled group to the empowered, visionary, cohesive group that they are today.

The involvement of CRED teams in coming and running activity weeks for the children, the wider impact of teams buying beads and paper goods made by the ladies, the continued support from individuals when they return to UK, and the increased awareness of the plight of this previously unheard of group – all these facets have resulted in the Lubanga Ber members believing in themselves, having a sense of self-worth, and feeling part of a wider community than just the square mile or so in which they live day to day.

Until last week, their group would have listed the Hopeful Haven children’s education as one activity that they run, with adult literacy classes and a savings group as the other two, plus of course their beads, bowls and other paper products as the underlying money spinner (albeit on a very ad hoc basis).

One thing they are keen to do is have some sort of microfinance scheme, so that individuals can take out small loans to help start new income generating activities, or develop further ones that are already in action.

But their challenge has been where to get the money for the ‘loan pot’ so that they can get started. The savings scheme doesn’t generate enough money for it, as the members struggle to have anything spare to put in it. What they need is something that will generate some income for the group, at a steady rate, that can in itself turn into the ‘loan pot’.

Enter the multi-port solar phone charger!

I had the joy of introducing the group to the concept of this idea earlier in the week, and taking along an example piece of kit that, if they can work out how to run it as a successful business, could make them a steady stream of income.

It was with great interest that they learned how the solar charger works and how to connect the phones to the charger. As they watched their phones charging, you could see their minds whirring with thoughts on how to use the equipment in such a way that they can protect against phones being stolen whilst on charge, how many phones could be charged per day, what profit they could make……

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to leave the equipment with them as it was actually en route to another project, but it certainly provided them with food for thought, and as I left the group were discussing a number of ideas on how best to utilize it  - for phone charging, but also for add on ideas to get even more benefit from it.

It was lovely to be part of the process, and to see the group members taking a further step into the world of having hope for the future, and knowledge that they aren’t on their own in their personal fight against poverty.

The positive power of Facebook

Saturday lunchtime: visit a very sick lady in Acholi Quarters. Single mum, two young sons, no near relatives, too ill to make food or earn money, 3 days until eviction from the shack they call home due to non-payment of rent for 4 months (been ill for 3 of those months). Has medication but unable to take as needs sufficient food for it to work. Downwards spiral. 

1hour later I post a simple request for prayer for the family on Facebook. No photos, no names, just a simple outline of situation

Three days later I have the privilege of being able to return and give the lady a host of good news: 

- some clothes that a lady from uk had made and sent it with me 'for whoever I felt needed them'

- some cookies I had baked on the new cooker at my hosts house

- enough money to pay the rent arrears donated by someone who read the post

- money to pay the next months rent, also donated by a Facebook follower

- money for food for the family and milk for the youngest child, who isn't thriving as weaned too early due to mums illness, also donated by a Facebook follower

- news that the older lad can now go to school as someone has offered to pay his school fees

- assurance that there is more donated money to be able to cover subsequent months rent so the mum can focus on getting better. 

It was a very special time being able to give all that news, and tears of relief and joy were wept on both sides. 

Prayers were definitely answered thanks to the power of Facebook, and some of the conversations I had via that medium during the donation discussions were very precious in many ways. 

I know some people have suffered badly as a result of Facebook posts and messages, but in this instance God definitely used it as tool for very positive change. 

This is Betty, she’s a Fair-trade, mercury-free gold miner

Betty – mother, wife, and Ugandan small-scale gold miner. And yesterday she told me how her life has changed for the better over the past few months, thanks to wonderful piece of kit called a Gold Kacha.

Betty’s role within the gold mining process was to do the sluicing of the sand, to try and extract the gold. Hours spent bent over, swilling the sand over and over, little by little, hoping to find some gold at the end of the process.

It would take 8+ hours to sluice 4 basins of sand, and as a result Betty’s options were either to take the children with her to help speed up the process using the ‘many hands make light work’ principle, or to leave them at home to fend for themselves, get themselves sorted for school, and try and find their own food until Betty would get home tired, late, and with little energy to prepare the single meal of the day.

But all that has changed thanks to the Gold Kacha, which utilizes centrifugal force, looks like a top-loader washing machine, and has carefully designed insides that catch about 95% of the gold, Betty can process the 4 basins in a fraction of the time it used to take her and have spare hours in the day to give to family life

The outcome: Betty gets to spend more time with the family, looking after the house, tending the garden, and providing at least 2 meals per day; the children get to reliably go to school as they aren’t required to help with sluicing, or stay home to care for younger siblings and do household chores; the household income has gone up thanks to the increased percentage of gold extracted from the same amount of sand.

The other massive positive about the Kacha and associated equipment is that the need for using mercury in the extraction process is negated. The miners had not been aware of the dangers of mercury before the Kacha was introduced, and as a result were using it in scarily slapdash ways. So the health of humans, livestock and the environment were being heavily compromised.

But now, through increased awareness about mercury toxicity, and with a technology that allows the miners to stop using it, the water sources are cleaner, the livestock are living longer, and the miners are no longer putting themselves, and their families at danger.

All in all, a hugely positive story all round (unless you are a mercury seller I guess, but I have no sympathy for them!). And the Kacha - well no wonder they call it the wonder machine!

Proof yet again that fairtrade really does make a difference to the producers, and that we, as consumers, really do have the opportunity to change lives for the better through our shopping choices