Solaris Project

<p> <u>NEW OBJECTIVE OF 140% (£8750)</u></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Thank you very much for your support</strong> that allows us to provide 100 micro-entrperneurs with the technology and services! Although it is too early to stop giving!</p> <p> <strong>Help us raise 140%</strong> and enable us to support 120 entrepreneurs as well as to develop a new micro-credit mechanism to help Solaris entrepreneurs expand after they have join us! We need you!</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Capture_d__cran_2014-11-03___16.29.53-1415028640" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/134003/Capture_d__cran_2014-11-03___16.29.53-1415028640.png"></p> <p> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThziWpy2iqg" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThziWpy2iqg</a></p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><u>ONCE UPON A TIME, IN RURAL TANZANIA...</u></em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>60% of the Sub-Saharan population don’t have access to electricity</strong>. This means <strong>more than 600 million people</strong> on this continent struggle to carry out basic day-to-day tasks such as: cooking, preserving their food (no fridge…), having light at night to extend working hours or to study, managing small businesses (well, how do you call your customers when you can’t charge your own phone…).</p> <p>  </p> <p> This is currently the case of the rural inhabitants in the Lake region of Tanzania (Mwanza area) where the rural <strong>electrification rate only reaches 6%.</strong> Due to this lack of energy access, <strong>70% of remote areas inhabitants must travel more than 2 Km from their home to charge their phones (at £0.12 per charge of energy) or spend between 10% and 25% of the household income on kerosene for lamps (according to The Economist, 2012).</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="P5290078-1411033381" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/120719/P5290078-1411033381.JPG"></p> <p> <em>(Picture taken by Thibault in 2013 near Mwanza)</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> When we were there we met a lot of people willing to launch a small energy enterprise to satisfy the needs of their communities. But they couldn’t! Indeed: they <strong>can’t afford the capital requirement</strong> (almost £240) and are <strong>not seen as “bankable” enough</strong> to receive credit or a lease; they <strong>don’t have the business and maintenance knowledge</strong> to manage a small energy enterprise; and they often <strong>don’t have the confidence or the support</strong> to launch such venture.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><u>OUR WAY TO EMPOWER VILLAGE ENTREPRENEURS...</u></em></p> <p>  </p> <p> At Eternum Energy, we acknowledge that a highly technical product is not enough to address the whole issue village entrepreneurs face. We believe the right solution is a <strong>combination of a reliable and affordable device associated with a human presence and support</strong> to empower entrepreneurs. This is why we developed an approach based on both <strong>smart technology and capacity building services that are offered through a lease (rent-to-own) to any motivated individual, regardless of their assets or degrees</strong>!</p> <p>  </p> <p> The programme will be supplied with the first batch of our prototype SOLARIS Go:</p> <p> * A 20W solar panel;</p> <p> * A 84Wh battery;</p> <p> * 9 USB ports to charge up to 35 phones/lamps a day;</p> <p> * Estimated monthly income of £48 to £60 for the entrepreneur for a monthly cost of £12.5 sent through mobile payment (M-Pesa).</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Solaris-product-picture-3bis-1411562798" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/122327/Solaris-Product-Picture-3bis-1411562798.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>(Picture of "Solaris Go" for the pilot phase)</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> To take care of the entrepreneurs, <strong>local mentors will be recruited</strong>; their mission will be to:</p> <p> * Maintain the relationship with our network of retailers;</p> <p> * Train entrepreneurs on technical and electrical maintenance;</p> <p> * Provide all the tips they need to handle a small business: customer care, marketing, bookkeeping , etc.</p> <p> * Follow-up entrepreneurs’ results over 12 months to improve the programme delivered to them.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Progrmme_de_mentorat-1410974294" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/120558/progrmme_de_mentorat-1410974294.png"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>(Illustration of our mentorship programme)</em></p>