Project Report
| Jun 4, 2018
Solar Lantern Monitoring Continues
By LeRoy Boikai | President
Since returning from Liberia in February when 504 new lanterns were distributed to new families in rural Liberia, our volunteer team has been actively monitoring the use of lanterns that we have distributed over the past two years. About a third of the previously distributed lanterns are no longer functioning. The team has collected those lanterns and brought them to Monrovia for repair to be returned as soon as the repair is completed. Observation from the field attributes some of the light failures to mishandling and improper charging that have led to dead batteries. We will continue to educate villagers on effective ways to use their lights so that they remain in service for a much longer time of three to four years. A major goal of this project is to implement a good recycling program so that lights that are no longer in service can be retrieved, repaired and when no longer functioning to be disposed of properly.
We continue to rely on your support to reach our goal of helping 3000 village homes obtain reliable clean solar lights in the next year or two.
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Mar 13, 2018
Lights for School Children
By Dr. LeRoy Boikai | President
![New donated solar lamp]()
New donated solar lamp
Following my successful visit to Liberia in January 2018 to distribute 360 lanterns donated to VIP by Panasonic for rural school teachers and nurses, we have a new opportunity that's just been thrust at our doorstep.
Urgent action is needed to help 1000 new school children in rural Liberia receive a much-needed gift of solar lanterns to study at night. An Indian energy company has offered a corporate social responsibility (CSR) donation of 1000 solar lanterns to VIP but we need U.S. $4,000 to ship these lanterns from India to Liberia by the end of March and we don't have the funds.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
One thousand children in Liberia stand to lose out if we can't get donated solar lanterns to them by next month.Time is against us to receive these generous donations and it can only happen if we can find the money to ship them through courier service from Mumbai, India to Monrovia, Liberia by the end of March. Rural kids who don't have the means to study at night need these lamps. During my school visits, I observed that both teachers and students need lights to prepare lessons and study at night.
We are counting on you to help give this precious gift of light to improve education in Liberia. The donor company has a deadline to get these lamps shipped by the end of March.
DONATE NOW!
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Jan 19, 2018
Successful Lantern Distributions
By Nancy Moore | VIP Board Member
Your donations are hard at work! Village Improvement Project’s CEO, Dr. LeRoy Boikai, is in Liberia right now distributing 504 new solar lanterns capable of charging mobile phones. He and his team are distributing these lanterns in two new counties, Cape Mount and Lofa. Also, we had previously received 360 lanterns through a grant from Panasonic. These are now being distributed to school teachers, nurses in rural clinics, and Ebola orphanages.
While he is in Liberia, Dr. Boikai will also be checking in on the villages in Bomi and Monstserrado counties which have received solar lanterns from VIP during the past two years. He will talk with the villagers to see if the lanterns are still working and arrange for them to be repaired if they are not. Most of the time that the lanterns aren’t working properly, it is because they aren’t out in the sunlight enough during the day. Dr. Boikai will be problem-solving with villagers to find ways to keep their lanterns safe and out in the sun for more hours during the day.
Village Improvement Project, Inc remains grateful for your support. Please share our projects with your friends and family. All donations to VIP will help communities in LIBERIA access zero-cost energy in a sustainable way.
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