GIVEWATTS FUNDRAISING PROJECTS

Funded by: Uddevalla Energi, Taita Taveta 147 Solar Lamps

Funded by: Uddevalla Energi in May 2015

National parks, well known for rich animal life. In the lake Jipe area, there are elephants co-existing with the community and occasionally there is human-animal conflict. Taita Taveta is rated among the poorest counties in Kenya with a poverty rate of about 57% (living on less than $1.25 per day). The majority of the population relies on subsistence farming and cattle and is vulnerable to changing weather patterns and poor harvests.

The women and girls spend long hours collecting firewood and water. In the few places where there are electricity transmission poles running there are not enough transformers. In combination with the cost of installing electricity equaling a year’s income, this prohibits the households from connecting. The main source of light is kerosene, sometimes replaced by firewood/candles. For cooking the households almost exclusively use charcoal and firewood (hence a high rate of deforestation in the area). The price of kerosene is higher than in Nairobi by about 40%, due to the long transportation.