When corrals are lit the goats are safer

Sometimes the people need more than a stove and a single light.

Hyenas attacked Nangai’s goat corral and killed four goats in the village of Esilalei. Nangai had seen a grid providing light for all the houses and the corrals at his friend Lomnyak’s boma. He surmised that a greater scale of electrification could deter predators like these, as it did at the other boma. Nangai approached the ICSEE community for help. Together, we worked out a way to share costs. He paid 60,000 shillings ($25) for each home and for each of two corrals.

With the grid installed, the home of each of his seven wives and all his corrals would have light. And the corral lights would stay on throughout the night. The Project added $800 to his $225 and on January 11, our experienced electrical team put in a good day’s work and installed the grid.The new grid has a solar panel, battery, controller, and underground wires going to all the homes and corrals. There are lights throughout and a phone charger in each home.

We are very happy with this grid. It represents the informed cooperation that occurs when the community and the Project are linked as collaborators, working for a better life.

The location of this boma is very special. It is right along the principal road taken by all tourists going to the great wildlife parks. It is visible to all government cars and commercial transport moving along the main road across north-central Tanzania.

It is a remarkable sight. Every evening and throughout the night, the boma transmits the news: life can be better when work and resources are used to meet real needs.