News from Papua New Guinea

Funding from See Solar,
Cook Solar has enabled SI Bayside to double its distribution of
solar lanterns, through it’s project ‘Soroptimists Lighting the
Way’. The 2013-2015 December 10th Appeal purchased 400 solar
lanterns that were then distributed in collaboration with SI Lae  to families living in remote villages in the District of
Finschaffen, throughout local level Government villages in Burum/Kuat, Yabim/Mape
and Kote

SI Bayside project co-ordinator, Ralda Forzin, reported
that 85% of families live in a remote rural area without Government services;  using wood and kerosene for lighting and
heating.  Meredith Tutumang, SI Lae coordinated the
distribution to primary school children, teachers, Community Health Workers,
Village Birth Attendants, women, and seniors and reported that
one entire village was also lit up to show the impact of the solar light
distribution.  Feedback from recipients showed that the Project has
allowed health workers to attend to patients at night, and benefited teachers in the preparation of lessons
and students doing their homework.

Some of the comments received included a mother from Lecko village, Kote LLG who said: "Thank you Soroptimists, I am not able to afford batteries every week so my
children can have light to study, these solar lights lift my spirit, to see
that my children can have lights every night to study”.

News from Nepal

See Solar, Cook Solar has funded a project to distribute 200
solar laps to remote villages to those suffering from the consequences of the
earthquake in Nepal.  The Project Manager
has been working with local Soroptimist Uma Bhandari;  collaborating with a local charitable
organisation, Digdarsan Nepal and a supplier, 
Empower Generation, whose objectives are to empower women to bring
clean-technologies to their rural communities. Access to the affected rural villages has been very restricted, further
compounded by a lack of fuel in the country and therefore the distribution has
required the cooperation of all those involved. 
The solar lamps were distributed in November and December and Uma
Bhandari will be providing detailed information on the beneficiaries and
feed-back.