In 1994 an estimated 800,000 people in the small east African nation of Rwanda were mass murdered over the course of approximately 100 days from early April to mid-July. According to Human Rights Watch overall estimates of the total death toll in the civil war ranged between 500,000 and 1,000,000 representing as much as 20% of the country's population.
RUGO has been raising money for twelve years to fund reconstruction projects in Rwanda after that horrific genocide.
Rwanda is dark for 12 hours each day from about six each evening. The social, productive and educational impact for villages that have no electricity is significant. Karambi is such a village where studying and working in the evening is difficult and venturing outside can be hazardous. Kerosene lamps are the only source of light which are dangerous and easily causes fires.
RUGO is raising £25,000 in 2011 to provide solar power to 110 homes in the village of Karambi. It will make the village safer and more productive and allow the children and families to work in the evenings. We will be working together with the world famous educational innovator Bunker Roy, founder of the Barefoot College in India and our local partner in Rwanda is the Rwanda Women’s Network.
"Grannies" Claudine, Dative and Cecile (shown on the right) were chosen by Bunker Roy and the Karambi villagers to spend over 3 months at the Barefoot College in India being trained to assemble and install a solar panel for each house to light the home and charge both a portable lantern and the invaluable mobile phone. The “Grannies”, chosen for their commitment to the future of their village, will also maintain the equipment and will be paid by the villagers from the savings in Kerosene fuel.
The travel and training for the “Grannies” has been funded by the Indian Government whilst RUGO is committed to funding the equipment. From funds raised to date we have recently began ordering the equipmnt which will be delivered to Karambi in the next weeks for Claudine, Dative and Cecile to install. We need more funds to pay for the equipment and transport costs.
Please help us to light up Karambi Village
