Rural Solar Lighting for Education
One of the manifold obstacles to educating the poor children in rural Bangladesh (other than lack of schools, teaching materials, basic facilities etc) is lack of sufficient lighting. Electricity still does not reach far into the rural areas (especially the sandbar islands or chars). The result of this is that the evening hours which could be used for education, training, meetings are not productive since they rely on inadequate and environmentally damaging kerosene lamps.

Northern Bangladesh is acknowledged to be the poorest area in the country and here self-managed community associations of the landless and marginal farmers (Federations) are striving to use the evening hours to provide literacy training for poor households, to hold meetings and even carry out economic activities. These Federations are the graduated beneficiary groups of RDRS Bangladesh a leading development organization working in Northwest Bangladesh since 1972. In the remoter char areas successful solar lighting is already used in the RDRS Bangladesh staff base camps. We wish to introduce solar lighting as an environmental, social and economic facility for the 252 Union Federations in the most remote areas to encourage them to use the evening hours productively. Given support the Federations could increase the training, education and other services to promote their own capability.

The total cost of installing one solar lighting set in each Union Federation center (serving over a 1000 families) is Tk. 30,000 or USD 750.

The donation will cover the cost of selecting appropriate Federations, local purchase of solar lighting kit (which includes solar panel, rechargeable battery and 4-5 lighting points with wiring), training of Federation leaders on the effective use and continued supervision.

For the sponsors, RDRS Bangladesh will carry out the necessary service through its skilled and experienced staff. In addition they will:

Erect a signboard indicating the donor’s name.
Arrange for a press release with commencement of the project.
Facilitate a visit by the sponsors to assess the clinic and be guest of honour at the formal opening ceremony.
Provide Annual Report with clinic achievement and provide them to sponsors including photographs.
Listing of name in RDRS Bangladesh annual report and publications, circulated home and abroad.
 
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