Project Report
| Feb 19, 2014
Newsletter
Hello everyone- I hope you are all keeping warm and safe this icy, wet morning!
I have got some good news to cheer you all up.
As you know EcoEnergyFinance is a social enterprise that brings solar energy to the rural poor in Pakistan. By selling the solar products instead of giving them away, we hope to become sustainable by mid-2015, leveraging your donations into a movement that continues to tackle energy poverty for decades.
Last month- we were given 2 distinct honors.
1) I was invited to a small roundtable meeting with Pakistan's Minister of Power and Water, along with executives from Shell, BP and GE. EcoEnergyFinance is now formally seen as the voice representing Pakistan's rural poor in the energy discussion!
2) We were also awarded a MECS technology grant for pioneering a new technology for village wide micro-grid installation.
The common theme to emerge from our work this year is that rural Pakistan is hungry for access to basic electricity but they just can't afford to pay for even a $10 solar lantern upfront.
When we asked them if they would purchase the lanterns if they were able to pay in installments- the answer was a resounding YES!
Communities in our target districts of Thatta and Badin have agreed to make 5 monthly payments of $2 (an amount that is equivalent to the average monthly expenditure on energy in the area), and have bought as many lanterns as we've been able to provide!
Our sales have shot up from 25 lanterns a week to 200!!
EcoEnergyFinance is pleased to share with you, thanks to YOU, we were able to provide portable solar lanterns to 652 beneficiaries in the month of November alone. The attached newsletter their stories.
All of this was possible because of your philanthropic donation, which enabled us to purchase the lanterns in the first place. We'll be collecting the payments over the next 5 months and utilizing it to reach another 600+ beneficiaries.
We're tripling our goal in December, and hope to reach over 1500 beneficiaries! I am very excited be traveling to Pakistan next month to visit with the villages where we work.
In order to pay for the lantern orders- I have a hefty fundraising goal this month. It's too scary for me to tell you, suffice it to say that it keeps me up at night!
If you, or anyone you know can help, please let me know. If each of you could get 1-3 people to donate $100 we will be well on our way.
Or if you know of any super wealthy, really nice people (2 or 3 contacts) who want to donate to a good cause- pass them on to me and I will shower them with attention and a one on one presentation:)
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