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August Monitoring Report

 

Screen Shot 2015-10-14 at 5.56.36 PMFor the week-by-week monitoring data from August, click here

Villages Visited

Week 1: Kideng, Tunga, Chanaayili, Sabonjida, Original kabache, Indigenous kabache, Kpalbusi, Gidanturu, Kushini, Yakura, Jabayili, Zanzugu, Balomposo, Changyili, Jangbarigiyili, Wambong, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Laligu, Kpalyn, Yepalsi, Kpaliga, Kasulyili, Kpachiyili, Tijo, Tindan, Kpalguni, Sagbragu, Jagberin, Chandanyili, Warvi, Namdu , Namdu II, Bamvim, Kpenchila, Sakpalua, Yepala, Kpanshegu, Cheko, Komlanyili, Jarigu, Chani, Manguli, Gbruma, Kalinka, Tohinayili, Nekpegu, Manguli, Buhijaa, Djelo, Kuldanali, Bogu, Tindan, Gurumanchayili, Dundo, Kagbal, and Gbandu,

Week 2: Indigenous kabache, Original kabache, Sabonjida, Tunga, Kideng, Kushini, Chongashe, Kagburashe, Chanaayili, Changyili, Balomposo, Galinzegu, Yakura, Jabayili, Zanzugu yepala, Jangbarigiyili, Zanzugu, Yapie yepals, Wambong, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Kpaliga, Kpachiyili, Kasulyili, Tijo, Tindan, Kpalguni, Chandanyili, Namdu I, Namdu II, Warvi, Sakpalua, Kpenchila, Chani, Yepala, Jarigu, Takpili, Cheko, Wovugumani, Gbruma, Bamvim, Komlanyili, Kpanshegu, Nyamalga, Moya, Kulaa, Voughyili, Kudula, Buhijaa, Manguli, Kalinka, Nekpegu, Tohinayili, Tindan, and Kuldanali.

Week 3: Sabonjida, Kideng, Tunga, Chanaayili, Original kabache, Indigenous kabache, Libi., Gbung, Galinzegu, Jangbarigiyili, Balamposo, Yakura, Jabayili, Changyili, Wambong, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Jagberin, Sagbragu, Kpalguni, Chandanyili, Kpaliga, Kpachiyili, Kasulyili, Warvi, Kpanshegu, Komlanyili, Bamvim, Yepala, Cheko, Nyamalga, Sakpalua, Kpenchila, Janakpeng, Manguli II, Gbruma, Jarigu, Wovugumani, Dundo, Gurumanchayili, Kagbal, Gbandu, Garizegu, Kpanayili, Moya, Kulaa, Manguli, Buhijaa, Kudula, Kalinka, Nekpegu, and Tohinayili.

Success Stories

There were many success stories from the month of August. For our water communities, we have successfully transitioned into the rainy season. Although sales have been low at many of the water businesses,due to the rains, people have been collecting rainwater in their safe storage containers correctly. Our August water tests showed very little re-contamination, even our newer communities who haven’t had any previous experience collecting rainwater with their safe storage containers.  In the few instances where our testing indicating re-contamination, our team did a great job of following up. They re-visited specific households to make sure the family cleaned their safe storage containers and then did presentations at the schools and at community meetings about way to collect and store rainwater correctly. The team did such a great job with these presentations, that we saw immediate results. For example, in Kpachiyili, Azara saw such a high demand for soap after Wahab’s presentation that she started making some to sell at her water business!

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Shak tests a sample of rainwater in the Saha lab. We test for both Total Coliform and E.Coli

 

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Mopaha joined Wahab for his household visits in Warvi. She loves visiting with the children in each household to teach them about clean water.

 

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Wahab and Amin snap a quick selfie on their way to the Friday staff meeting in Tamale

 

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Azara, one of the business owners in Kpachiyili, and her granddaughter, check in with Wahab

 

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Azara poses with the soap that she makes and sells at the water business. People use the soap to clean their safe storage containers. This is especially important in the rainy season because rainwater does not provide residual protection like the chlorinated water from the Saha water business

 

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Off to fetch clean water in Balampuso

 

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Tightening the tap on a safe storage container to prevent leaks

 

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Clean rainwater being stored the “right way” in a safe storage container.

 

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One of our Ghana Operations Manager, Shak’s, favorite things about monitoring is making new friends in our partner communities. This is Shak with the chairman of Wambong, who he has now known for over 5 years.

 

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Sana, in Nymaliga, recently moved the water business “home.” In the rainy season, the path to the dugout gets flooded so people collect rainwater from a nearby stream that is easier to access. Nymaliga recently received a metal polytank stand which allows Sana to move the center to the stream during the rains.

 

August was also a successful month for our solar businesses. The entrepreneurs from Wambong each used GHC100 of their profits from the business to invest in their farms this season. The business owners in Djelo and Nekpegu bought extra cell phone chargers, to help their business grow. Now they can charge any phone at their solar center, even if the customer has lost their charger. In Yapalsi, Sanatua and Asheitu have been doing research to figure out which grinding mill they would like to purchase. They are very excited to expand their business!

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Fushena, one of the entrepreneurs in Namdu 2, has some fun with the children from her village.

 

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The three solar business owners in Namdu 2: Rabi, Wumbie, and Fushena

 

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A happy customer poses with her lantern and batteries during household visits Chani.

 

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Damu, one of the solar ladies in Sakpalua, shows a customer how to open the back her lantern to put in new batteries.

 

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Recording sales in Balampuso

 

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The solar business in Balampuso has been running very well for its first two months of operations.

 

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Fushena charging cell phones in Namdu 2

 

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The Genset hard at work charging phones and batteries in Namdu 1

 

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A day of monitoring is not complete unless you take a selfie with someone in an Obama shirt

 

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Chang Chang, one of the water and solar entrepreneurs in Wambong

 

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Shak, out on the road

 

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Cell phones charging in Wambong

 

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Sharatu charging phones at her business in Sakpalua

 

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Happy customers picking up their phones in Sakpalua

 

Challenges

All 15 of our solar businesses ran very smoothly in August. In Sakpalua, the entrepreneurs saw a slight decrease in sales due to the opening of the new solar center in Vogyili. In the past, people with cell phones in Vogyili would travel to Sakpalua to charge and now they no longer have to, which is great for Vogyili but not for the business owners in Sakpalua. This was not a significant change in monthly income for the Sakpalua ladies, but it was reported as a challenge from them.

There were not a lot of major challenges in August. Our new community partners seem to have really gotten the hang of things and our more experienced communities transitioned into the rainy season well. Although sales are slow at water businesses in the rainy season, the entrepreneurs adjust their hours, treat less water, and focus on other endeavors, like farming. Once the rains slow, sales will start to pick up again because people will not be able to collect rainwater for free. Some water businesses, like Nymaliga and Kulaa, closed briefly while the business owners moved the treatment centers to new locations for the rainy season.

Wahab faced the biggest challenge of the month in the community of Gundaa. Here, the main water entrepreneur moved out of the community after a quarrel with her husband. The other business owner was unable to sell water because she had been accused of witchcraft. More information about witchcraft in northern Ghana can be found here, but this issue is very polarizing in our partner communities and is something that Saha Global chooses not get involved in. The community is in the process of selecting two new women to run the water business in Gundaa.