This particular self-help group grows pineapples. The 20 members of the group (mostly women with a few men) learned to grow pineapples, bought two pieces of land suitable for planting pineapples, and went to work. They use vegetation as organic fertiliser and rain for watering the pineapple. The pineapple takes 18 months to ripen. They stagger the planting so that they a batch ready for the market every three months. They use bicycles to carry the pineapples to the nearby markets.
They work hard on the field and are now making tidy profits, which are then distributed evenly among the members. Prior to the pineapple business, the women have to ask their husband for money to send the children to school and other expenses. School is free, but they still have to pay for uniforms, books, lunch, etc. Now they can pay for these expenses from their own income, and contribute to the family’s finances in other areas. They are earning respect from their husband and others. This is doing wonders for their self esteem, which is evident in the way they laugh at and enthusiastically answer our questions about respect from their husband.
We visited the home of an elderly lady where we had installed a solar panel system last year. The system is run ning well and she is eye happy. Some families seem to have some problems, such as the electricity running our after only a few hours in the evening. Part of the problem may be the dust built up on the solar panels, which reduce the efficiency of the panels. The problem could also be some issues with the wiring. We have to find a way to help them sort them out. One of the solutions is, obviously, to clean the panels often. The other is to train a team of local youths who can then run around fixing problems, perhaps for a small fee. We have to discuss with our local partners how that can happen.
All in all, the villagers are happy with the solar panels, and the self-help groups are doing a great job in empowering the poor, particularly the women.
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