FOCUS: WOMEN AND LIVELIHOODS

Project: Women's Entrepreneurship for Domestic Lighting Systems

Funded by:  USAID

Duration:  June 2009 to June 2010

USAID / SARI Energy has sanctioned a one-year project with the objective of building at least 6 women’s enterprises for energy efficient household lights, so that rural households start using low cost low energy consuming lights. The women would set up enterprises by conducting awareness meetings in the villages about energy efficient lighting systems.

The project is being implemented in Gubbi taluk. Abhivruddi, a grassroots NGO working in the region, is assisting TIDE in the identification of women and in arranging the logistics of training programs.

The identification was done at two levels: Abhivruddi identified about 72 women, using a questionnaire developed by TIDE. MED training was conducted for these women. Then, women who have the potential to run enterprises were found, based on their performance in the MED training. The training was centered on the curriculum developed through the ETC project. The training covered basic aspects of micro-enterprise- marketing, accounting and of planning a business. It also covered soft skills like communication, self-confidence and the SWOT analysis. Activities, games and exercises were some of the training tools used. Based on the performance during the training, about 12 women were selected as potential entrepreneurs. They will be further trained in conducting awareness meetings and on domestic energy efficient lighting.

Conduct of MED Training

Electricity is supplied to rural regions of the state for merely 6-8 hours in a day. Hence, to reduce the dependence on electricity, energy efficient lights were identified. These can work either with electricity or on solar powered batteries. In support of this, CFL and LED lamps that consume less electricity will be promoted.

An attractive package for domestic energy-efficient lights will be created which the women can use in their awareness meetings in the villages. As observers, TIDE will attend the awareness programs conducted by each woman during the project period, to boost her confidence and to offer her additional inputs to improve, if required. Eventually, they will collect orders for the lights from other people who have come to attend the awareness program.

To support the trained women in setting up and operating a micro-enterprise, TIDE will procure samples for demonstration. They will also help the women to devise and implement marketing strategies for the devices. TIDE will assist the women in becoming registered agents for the energy-efficient lights of the region, so that they have a sustained market as well as a continuous and assured supply of devices against the orders that they receive.

The project will result in better use of lighting. This in turn will result in improved social development, by enhancing safety and security. More efficient lights in the house will also lead to an increase in the time spent on studies, which in turn will enhance the standard of education. The project will thus bring about a change in the standards of living and create new opportunities for the rural people.