By Tony Sharpe | Project Leader
Dear friends and supporters. My apologies for the delay in submitting this report. I only returned 2 days ago from a month long fact finding tour of all our projects in Nepal. This included visits to our earthquake support area in Sindupalchowk and Helambu, education projects on the Terai and Baglung areas and our core project area of Humla in the remote northwest of the country, aptly named 'The Hidden Himalayas'.
The latter area is where our 'Keep the Lights on' project is situated in the district headquarters of Simikot. As of now the only way to get to Humla is to walk in or take a light aircraft - if the flying conditions are good! Nevertheless, over 50000 people live in this remote and beautiful region bordering Tibet. For many the living conditions are still a bit medieval but everywhere you go you can see some signs of improvement in living conditions and the general health of the population.
Much of this improvement can be put down to the introduction of clean renewable energy in the form of solar and hydro sources. Smokeless stoves have been introduced which are not only more efficient and use less fuel but provide a cleaner, healthier environment within the home. The impact on forest deforestation has also been reduced. The Nepal Trust has been a leader for over 15 years in this little revolution and has constructed many hydro and solar schemes throughout the district. Others have followed suite and it is now quite common to see, in the evening, electric light twinkling in distant mountain side villages.
However, the Nepal Trust has been aware for many years the need to keep these lights on. Repairs and maintenance are a problem requiring knowledge and expertise. The nearest resources are a plane ride away near the Indian border and generally beyond the means of poor mountain people. So when a scheme breaks down it is a serious problem and a step back to the dark ages.
That is why the Trust came up with the idea to establish a Renewable Energy Service Centre in Simikot to provide the skills and management procedures necessary to keep the lights on. The building is now complete and ready for fitting out. The Trust has the necessary building and financial resources for start-up but not the management skills to operate the Service Centre (SC) for the long-term. I am delighted to tell you that we have identified and come to an agreement with a local NGO to operate the SC on a renewable 3 year lease. The Local Initiative Development Support Consultancy Agency (LIDS) is our chosen partner. From Humla, it is staffed by fully qualified engineers and management experts and possesses all the necessary skills to operate such a business. It lacks the financial resources to set-up on its own but in partnership with the Trust there is every sign that the SC will be a success. This is a totally unique project in Nepal and will set an example for many similar projects elsewhere in Nepal.
We still need some funds to complete the initial fitting out and I hope you can continue to support us or tell your friends about us and encourage them to help this unique and very positive project. If you hurry you can still get a 60% match to your donation, plus GiftAid!
On all our behalfs thank you so much for your support and we hope you will continue to help.
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