On January 26th 2018 Colette and Mike Hughes paid a visit to Karambi Village to see how the solar installations are faring 3 years on.

They met Solar Granny Odette Mukarumongi who took them to the workshop and to one of the solar installations owned by villager Adele Ndeyimana.

Sure enough the solar installations are still working and the workshop equipment remains intact. However, the solar Grannies were facing a challenge with the villagers not being able to pay their monthly contribution of 500RWF (approx. 50p) which goes towards the ongoing maintenance of the system including providing distilled water for the batteries and stipend for the solar grannies themselves.

Colette and Mike promised that RUGO will help look into the problem and work with the local authorities and the Rwanda Women’s Network to ensure that this can be resolved.

RUGO intends to use the Karambi experience as a model for future projects in Rwanda. The ladies themselves are now keen to pass on their knowledge and RUGO, having identified further villages in Rwanda without electricity, wish to raise further funds to provide training to “new solar grannies” and fund the necessary equipment and maintenance workshops in the new villages.  Please DONATE.

An overview of the Project can be downloaded by clicking here

The photos illustrate: the solar light in Adele’s house; Odette showing Colette and Mike the Workshop equipment, and a group photo with Colette, Mike, Odette, Adele, Odette’s son David Kaberuka and Security man Jean D’Amour Imanariko.