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Give Pedal-Generated Light to Millions of Nepalis

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Summary

An alternative to dirty & dim kerosene lamps, a 70-watt Pedal Generator easily lights two lamps in more than 100 homes for 3 hours every night & our individual home-lighting kits also let kids study. progress reportread updates from the field

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More Information About this Project

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

For millions of Nepalis, night brings darkness, broken only by the dim light of a kerosene wick or hearth fire. Both make smoke that causes lung disease. Access to the electric grid or to clean power from local hydro, solar or biogas sources is often impractical or unaffordable. After dark, families cannot work and children cannot study. In the day, schools cannot access recorded educational material. Batteries cannot be recharged. Telecommunication is impractic

Activities

EcoSystems' team is upgrading the equipment with ongoing field trials. Manufacturing and distribution will begin by mid 2008. GG contributions are expanding the number of home lighting systems we can provide.

Funding Information

Total Funding Received to Date: $30,768
Remaining Goal to be Funded: $19,232
Total Funding Goal: $50,000

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources

Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

With electric power, many lives will improve. Families will have light for studies and housework, spend less on kerosene, suffer less lung disease. Schools can use TV to dramatically improve teaching. Rechargeable batteries become an option.

Project Message

“For years I’ve wanted to build a human-powered generator—to bring light to thousands of dark homes I’d seen. Now, this generator and the LED technology will make this happen.”
- David Sowerwine, Managing Director of EcoSystems

Who is Running This Project

Contact

David Sowerwine,
Managing Director
999 Olive Street
Menlo Park, California 94025
United States
650-380-5008
Email:

Project Sponsor

The Tech Museum Awards

Organization

VillageTech Solutions (VTS)
999 Olive Street
Menlo Park, CA 94025
United States
650-853-1713
http://www.villagetechsolutions.org

Learn more about VillageTech Solutions (VTS) and the project team.


VillageTech Solutions (VTS)'s Current Projects on GlobalGiving

Build Bridges for Health, Education & Hope - Nepal
Build Bridges for Health, Education & Hope - Nepal

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in Nepal and can also be found under Environment.

For more information about Nepal, read the Human Development Report on Nepal or the Wikipedia entry for Nepal.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on August 07, 2008.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on October 10, 2005.

Latest Update from the Field

In the lab, in the field

By David Sowerwine - Managing Director, August 07, 2008 04:50 PM

The story of creation, of new technology in the developing world at least, is not one of a single, brilliant, stroke but definitely one of evolution, trial and error, and survival of the fittest design. We are now in the third generation of the EcoPower systems, with a much clearer idea of the needs for particular features, and the overwhelming need to reduce cost. A few field trials will be under way by year's end; some of the original trial sites will be re-equipped with better equipment, and in some cases, many more households will be added to their village network. Your donations make this expansion practical.

We carried a full power system through the center of Tanahun District last week, spending two nights at diffrent villages to get their comments on the lights, radio, and of course, on the small 10" LCD TV. A companion DVD player provided a UNICEF cartoon with a social message--to the delight of everyone who could squeeze close enough to see.

It's clear that educational DVDs can be a powerful tool in the rural environment where schooling is so difficult and support materials so little. The PedalGenerator offers a way to ensure that the power won't go out.

Read 4 more "Updates from the Field" | Comment on this update

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