Environmental research

The project will provide solar floodlights, solar lanterns and cell-phone solar chargers at strategic points in the villages of Lepurung, Dikhukhung, and Mmakgori, which are just some of the villages in Botswana that are not connected to grid power. The floodlights will be installed at important institutions such as schools, health centres, and tribal administration offices. This will help reduce the incidence of crime, as criminals are known to operate under the cover of darkness. Some households will also be availed solar lanterns. Due to unavailability of grid power, presently people in the said villages struggle to charge their cell phones. This impedes their communication among themselves, and with the outside world. Cell phones are a primary means of communication in these villages given the breakdown and unreliability of BTC s Nteletsa telephones. The project will result in economic benefit for the communities. There will be a deliberate empowerment component through skills transfer since locals will be hired and trained to install solar products. Since the local people will be employed to install the solar products, there will be monetary benefit to the economy of Lepurung, Dikhukhung, and Mmakgori.

Botswana