Project Launch: 12-20-13

Children in Gicwamba, Rwanda cannot study after school because they lack adequate light. The kerosene lamps that are traditionally used in the village cause eye irritation and breathing problems for many. Mothers often light kerosene lamps to feed young children at night, but would notice their babies had black mucus the next morning. And In 2012, a house in the community caught fire from a kerosene lamp; the lamp lit the mattress, which lit the mosquito net, which lit the roof, and unfortunately a young child died in the fire.

It's in this challenging context that a group of 28 women decided to work with World Connect to start a cooperative and tackle the problems. The group initially set out to manufacture and sell solar lanterns in their village, but quickly realized that the lanterns they were building weren't strong enough to provide good light in households or to charge cell phones. With the help of a local Peace Corps Volunteer, they connected with a company in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, and purchased a supply of quality solar lanterns capable of providing strong, long-lasting light and charging cell phones.

The goal of the project is for the cooperative to expand the market for these solar lanterns and sell them to households in their village and neighboring villages. The Ganza lanterns project is not only providing an essential service that brings more light safely into homes in Gicwamba, but it's supporting a women's economic cooperative along a path to sustainability.