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September Monitoring Report

Posted on October 30, 2015 by admin

For the week-by-week monitoring data from September, click here.

Villages Visited

Weeks 1 & 2: Tunga, Kideng, Original kabache, Indigenous kabache, Gidanturu, Chanaayili, Gbung, Libi, Sabonjida, Wambong, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Galinzegu, Yepalsi, Kpalyn, Laligu, Balomposo, Changyili, Jangbarigiyili, Yapala, Yakura, Zanzugu, Namdu I, Namdu II, Gondaa, Tijo, Tindan, Kasulyili, Warvi, Kpachiyili, Jagberin, Sagbragu, Chandanyil, Chesagu, Kpaliga, Sakpalua, Gbruma, Manguli II, Janakpeng, Komlanyili, Bamvim, Kpanshegu, Takpli, Cheko, Jarigu, Yepela, Gbandu, Garizegu, Kpanayili, Voughyili, Djelo, Bogu, Tindan II, Kuldanali, Kagbal, Dundo, Gurumanchayili, Buhijaa, and Manguli.

Week 3: Kideng, Tunga, Original kabache, Indigenous kabache, Gidanturu, Chanaayili., Gbung, Libi, Jarayili, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Wambong, Jangbarigiyili, Yakura, Jabayili, Galinzegu, Zanzugu, Balamposo, Kpalyn, Laligu, Yepalsi, Chandanyili, Jagberin, Sagbragu, Tijo, Tindan, Chesagu, Kpachiyili, Kpaliga, Gondaa, Namdu I, Namdu II, Warvi, Kasulyili, Cheko, Jarigu, Yepala, Tacpli, Sakpalua, Kpenchila, Bamvim, Komlanyili, Kpanshegu, Wovugu, Wovugumani, Janakpeng, Gbruma, Tijo, Tindan, Kuldanali, Moya, Kulaa, Kudula, Djelo, Kagbal, Gurumanchayili, Dundo, and Kpanayili.

Week 4: Jarayili, Kpalbus, Gidanturu, Chanaayili, Laligu, Kpalyn, Yepalsi, Balomposo, Changyili, Jangbarigiyili, Zanzugu, Zanzugu yepala, Yakura, Jabayili, Galinzegu, Yepalsi, Kpachiyili, Warvi, Kasulyili, Gondaa, Namdu I, Namdu II, Chesagu, Kpaliga, Jagberin, Sagbragu, Chandanyili, Tijo, Manguli II, Gbruma, Wovugumani, Wovugu, Cheko, Chani, Jarigu, Kpanshegu, Komlanyili, Bamvim, Kpenchila, Sakpalua, Kalinka, Nekpegu, Tohinayili, Bogu, Tindan, Kuldanali, Buhijaa, Manguli, Moya, Kulaa, Kudula, Voughyili, and Djelo.

Success Stories

The Saha Ghana team after their weekly team meeting!

September was a successful month for many of our solar entrepreneurs! The business owners in Kpenchila opened a bank account for their solar center and deposited 300 GHS, all money that that they had earned since opening night in June! The solar ladies in Yakura also had an awesome month. They have saved 280 Cedis, and are planning to open their bank account in October or November. Each of the women also decided to use 60 cedis of their profit to re-invest in their groundnut farms. Shak, who monitors Yakura, was so excited to hear that the ladies had made enough money to support their family farm. They also recently told Shak that they want to start selling phone credit at the solar business as a way to earn extra income. The women in Djelo started doing this a couple months ago and it has been very successful!

A happy customer posing with her lantern in Jangbarayili

Cell phones and batteries charging in Jangarayili — Cell phones and batteries charging in Jangbarayili

On the water front, sales are still slow at the water businesses due to the frequent rains. The good news? Our water tests continue to show that rainwater being collected the “right way,” meaning people have be following Saha’s instructions for washing their safe storage containers with soap and clean water and collecting the rain directly into their safe storage container.

Clean water at the school in Indigenous Kabache

Little Muftawu from Original Kabache loves drinking clean water! Children under the age of 5 are the most vulnerable to waterbourne disease. We are so glad that this little guy will never have to live without access to safe drinking water.

Clean rainwater collected the right way in Kagburashe

The water treatment center in Libi. During the rainy season, the ladies in Libi move the center "home." They collect rainwater and store it in the polytank where they treat it with chlorine to keep the water clean. Then, when the rains start to slow, there is clean water ready to be sold to anyone that needs it. — The water treatment center in Libi. During the rainy season, the ladies in Libi move the center “home.” They collect rainwater and store it in the polytank where they treat it with chlorine to keep the water clean. Then, when the rains start to slow, there is clean water ready to be sold to anyone that needs it.

Awabu from Banvim purchased 5 aquatabs from Amin

Clean water being stored in Banvim. This family has a designated cup that they use only for clean water. Saha recommends this practice because it helps to prevent re-contamination.

Challenges

There were a handful of water businesses challenges in the month of September. Tindan, Kadula and Manguli II had leaky polytanks that the women entrepreneurs had difficultly fixing on their own. Wahab, Eric and Amin were able to help the women fix the leaks and used the opportunity to train the ladies about how to fix this issue on their own.

Monitoring isn't always glamorous. Sometimes, monitoring means getting stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire... — Monitoring isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes, monitoring means getting stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire…

And sometimes you get stuck in the mud after a rainy night.

Peter waiting for his flat tire to get fixed.

The water issues this month took place in Kasuliyili and Jabaiyili. In Kasuliyili there is a new water project in the village which pumps untreated water from the dugout to a standpipe in the village. Although this water is not treated, and is still fecally contaminated, people in Kasuliyili prefer to fetch this water because it is more convenient then walking to the water business. This was disappointing because we have spent a lot of time on water, health and hygiene education in Kasuliyili. But, the reality is that families in this community, like all of our partner communities, are very, very busy. Their lives are hard and convenience often wins. Wahab and Peter met with Aisha and Fati and came up with a plan to move the water business to the center of town. They then plan to collect water from the standpipe and treat it in the polytank. We are all confident that this plan will increase sales and make it easy for families to access clean water again.

In Jabayili, someone stole two of their blue drums. The community is investigating the situation and hope to find the thief. If they can’t find the thief soon, then they will work out a plan for buying new blue drums. In the meantime, sales have slowed because the women only have one drum to use in their treatment process. Luckily, most families are collecting rain as their main source of drinking water, so the community has at least a month to figure out a plan before the rains start to slow.

The solar communities did not have any major issues this month. In Yapalsi, the Genset needed some small repairs, but the women paid for them on their own with the money they had saved and the business was up and running within the week.

Below are some more pictures from monitoring during September:

Another day, another family who has collected rainwater the right way!

Prepping for Our Winter Field Reps in Ghana

Posted on October 28, 2015November 17, 2015 by admin

Peter at a potential partner community’s current source of drinking water

My name is Biyam Peter and I am Saha’s Director of Ghana Programming. I have worked for Saha Global since 2008, when Saha was piloting their first water treatment business in Tamale.

I am currently working in Salaga, Saha’s sub-office located 4 hours southwest of Tamale, monitoring all of the villages in the surrounding area. Saha first implemented in this area in 2013 and since then I have managed the monitoring and the mapping of potential partner communities in the area, which makes me feel proud. I work in Salaga four days every week and get to Tamale for our normal staff meeting on Fridays, and get back to Salaga on Sunday to start a new week.

When in Salaga I monitor three villages a day. I check up on the businesses and talk to the ladies running the businesses. I talk to them to see how things are running, find out what their problems are and supply them with more aqua tabs if they need to buy more. I also visit six households in each village to see how people are doing with water in their households.

The guesthouse in Salaga where all of our Winter water field reps will stay!

Aside from that, I also organize and prepare for the Global Leadership Programs. I have been counting down the days and cannot wait for December to get here! I have made the guesthouse arrangements for the Field Reps. I have checked to make sure we have the right amount of beds and that the water and electricity is running. I have met with the cooks at the guesthouse to be sure they are prepared. The cooks in Salaga are from my favorite restaurant in town called 4As. This is how the menu will go: fried rice, plain rice and chicken, jollof rice, fufu, plaintains. My favorite is the fufu. I have met with the cleaning ladies of the guesthouse to be sure they ready. I am also in charge of making sure all the translators and taxis are ready for the Fields Reps.

The villages in Salaga are so awesome and they always make me feel at home. I love the fufu there and the cow milk the Fulani give me. The most important thing about our expansion into Salaga is that I always feel like Saha needs to be there. People in this area are really lacking access to clean drinking water. I can see how much Saha is impacting these communities with their businesses and I have a list of potential partner communities for our Winter Field Reps to work in. I can’t wait for December to get here!

See you soon Winter Field Reps! I can’t wait to meet you all!

-Peter

On a Quest for Quality Light

Posted on October 20, 2015 by admin

After our Global Leadership Program this summer, we were contacted by Burro. They are no longer going to carry the beloved lanterns we have been using at Saha’s solar charging businesses. The durability, price, availability and the fact that they are battery-operated are just a few of the reasons why we and, most importantly, the consumers love these lanterns, so we were sad to see them go.

Here’s where Saha’s relationship with our suppliers comes in. The great thing about our local suppliers like Burro is that we have built a solid partnership. When Burro decided not to carry this lantern model, they began researching a new product that could meet our lantern requirements. Now we will hand it over to guest blogger Jacob McEntire, an Electrical Engineer at Burro, who researched and found a new lantern fit for Saha!

Finding good quality products isn’t always easy, so when Saha reached out to my employer to for recommendations on battery lights, I was happy to lend a hand. The challenge was to find a light that was not only powerful and long-lasting, but could stand up to the rigors of everyday use in Ghana. It didn’t make the process easier that their clients’ needs necessitated an inexpensive choice; rather than browsing the cream of the crop, our mission was to pluck a gem from the bottom of the barrel.

*We had a bevy of different lights to test.*

Faced with an order of 75 assorted battery lights that we had ordered for testing, as well as a kerosene lantern that had somehow snuck into the shipment, my partner Edmond and I began by sorting them into categories. Some of the products (headlamps, torchlights, desk lamps, etc.) were instantly nixed, progressing the remaining 15 or so to the next round: drop testing. Since Saha emphasized a need for durability, we began by dropping the products four feet onto the stone floor of the workshop. Some failed completely at this point, some flickered but soldiered on, and a few didn’t even dim. We also did some initial battery testing at this stage; turning on the lights and running them until they ran out of battery. Lights that survived the drop-testing and had long enough battery life enough to be useful continued on to the final round of testing, where we examined their light output more carefully.

*Edmond preparing to drop-test one of the lights.*

During our exploration of these products, we discovered how tricky it can be to quantify their light emission. Battery life seemed the most important factor after durability, but there’s a lot that battery life doesn’t tell us. As a light shines, it constantly saps the voltage of its batteries, which in turn decreases the intensity of the light. As anyone who owns a flashlight knows, this means that battery lights will get dimmer over time. Our goal with this final round of tests was to quantify that time: how quickly do these lights dim? At what point do we consider them too dim to be useful?

*The difference between our workshop and a darkroom? About an inch of aluminum.*

With a little finagling, we converted our workshop into a makeshift darkroom. Combining this with a luxmeter iPhone app, a stopwatch, and diligent data-gathering, we produced a set of curves describing the light output of each of our final three candidates. Exciting! Armed with this knowledge, we settled on our final recommendation: the KNP-W01331NR. It combines strong light output and good battery life with an extreme resistance to physical shocks. As you can see from the picture below, the light was designed with endurance in mind: its rubberized casing and thick joints minimize damage from falls and knocks, and its lack of sharp edges distributes any stress more evenly across the body, lessening wear.

*The sleek design of the KNP-W01331NR enables it to take a beating without damage to the circuitry.*

*Our data for light testing; light 2 was our final choice, because of it’s extreme durability.*

August Monitoring Report

Posted on October 14, 2015October 29, 2015 by admin

For 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!

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

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

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

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

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

Tightening the tap on a safe storage container to prevent leaks

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

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sharatu charging phones at her business in Sakpalua

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.

Meet Our Entrepreneurs: Sana from Kushini

Posted on October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 by admin

Sana was born in Wulensi. She went to live with her aunty in Kushini when she was a small kid. She then grew up and got married there. Sana has given birth to three kids, two girls and a boy.

In the Summer of 2011, Field Reps Hudson, Sharifa, Chris and Ianthe implemented a water treatment center in Kushini. At that time Sana was selected as the water business entrepreneur and has been running the center there for four years. Along side running the water business Sana makes and sells charcoal. “I am always glad to see people going home from the center with safe clean drinking water,” said Sana, “It makes me really happy to make sales and treat water for my community.”

Meet Our Field Reps: Caroline Awh

Posted on October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 by admin

Hi! My name is Caroline and I was a Saha Global Field Rep in June of 2014. I’m 22 years old, originally from Nashville, TN, but I’m currently living in Boston, MA, working as a research assistant and clinical research coordinator. I graduated this past May from Washington University in St. Louis with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Biology. I’m now applying to medical schools and have survived my first Boston winter!

As an aspiring doctor, I was motivated to work with Saha Global by the idea that by providing clean water, I was saving lives. I didn’t realize that just providing the clean water is not enough. I was blown away by the fact that the villagers had such a difficult time comprehending exactly why drinking the dirty, contaminated dugout water is bad for them. Before the water business can ever be successful, the people must be taught (often repeatedly) to understand how dirty water can be harmful. Knowledge truly is one of the biggest barriers to good health, and that is a concept I will carry with me throughout my career.

I can’t even begin to explain how much I learned on the Saha Global Leadership Program about communication skills and teamwork. In just three weeks, four total strangers, armed with an amazing interpreter, are able to implement a clean water business in a village where you cannot understand more complex phrases than “Thank You” or “Good Morning.” I am confident that my work with Saha Global has immensely helped my non-verbal communication skills and my ability to work with others, skills that are invaluable regardless of what you want to do.

My favorite memory, though hard to choose, was probably when the chairman of Balamposo, Hannah, Julia, and sat cross-legged outside of his home, shucking corn. It was so wonderful, to be so warmly welcomed into their village and allowed to partake in their daily routines.

I had such an amazing experience as a field rep. The feeling I had when we first saw clean, fresh water coming out of the spigot of Balamposo’s new water business was a feeling of relief, accomplishment, and hope I will never regret. I am currently organizing a letter-writing campaign to connect alumni with the villages they worked with, helping to keep alumni active and also to promote further adherence to drinking clean water.

You can reach me at [email protected] with any questions about my experience as a Saha Global field rep. Also check to see what I am up to now!