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March Monitoring Report

Posted on June 28, 2016June 28, 2016 by admin

Villages visited

Week 1:
Tunga, Kideng, Gidanturu, Chanaayili, Kpalbusi, Jarayili, Gbung, Libi, Kushini, Kpalyn, Laligu, Zanzugu ,Zanzugu, Yepala, Jangbarigiyili, Yakuru, Balomposo, Changyili, Galizengu, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Kagbal, Warvi, Naha, Chihigu, Cheshagu, Tijo, Tindan I, Sagbarigu, Jagberin, Chandanyili, Kpalguni I, Galinkpegu, Kpachiyili, Manguli II, Wovugu, Wovugumani, Gburma, Janakpen, Yepala, Komlanyili, Kpanshegu, Bamvim, Kpenchila, Sakpalua, Futa, Moya, Kulaa, Vogyili, Kudula, Djelo, Nekpegu, Tohinaayili, Kalinka, Gbandu, Garizegu, Kuldanali, Bogu, Tindan II.

Week 2:
Chongashe, Kushini, Libi, Jarayili, Gidanturu, Chanaayili, Tunga, Kideng, Original Kabache, Indigenous Kabache, Balomposo, Galizengu, Yakuru, Kpalyn, Laligu, Wambong, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Kagbal, Changyili, Jangbarigiyili, Namdu I, Namdu II, Gundaa, Warvi, Chihigu, Naha, Kpachiyili, Kpaliga, Sagbarigu, Kpalguni I, Chandanyili, Jagberin, Tijo, Tindan I, Jarigu, Nyamalga, Cheko, Chani, Tapkli, Komlanyili, Yepala, Futa, Kpalguni II, Kpenchila, Bamvim, Kpanshegu, Manguli I, Buhijaa, Djelo, Yogyili, Kudula, Kulaa, Moya, Kpanayili, Gurumanchayili, Bogu, Tindan II, Kuldanali, Gbandu, Garizegu.

Week 3:
Tunga, Kideng, Original Kabache, Indigenous Kabache, Chongashe, Kushini, Libi, Gbung, Jarayili, Gidanturu, Chanaayili, Sabonjida, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Kagbal, Galizengu, Balomposo, Changyili, Jangbarigiyili, Kpalyn, Laligu, Yakuru, Zanzugu, Zanzugu, Yepala, Cheshagu, Gundaa, Namdu I, Namdu II, Warvi, Chihigu, Galinkpegu, Naha, Sagbarigu, Tindan I, Tijo, Kpalguni, Chandanyili, Jagberin, Kpanshegu, Chani, Cheko, Bamvim, Gburma, Janakpen, Jarigu, Kpenchila, Yepala, Komlanyili, Tapkli, Nyamalga, Kpalguni II, Komonaayili, Kulaa, Moya, Kudula, Vogyili, Garizegu, Gbandu, Djelo, Kuldanali, Bogu, Tindan II, Kpanayili.

Week 4:
Sabonjida, Tunga, Kideng, Chanaayili, Gidanturu, Kpalbusi, Karayili, Gbung, Libi, Chongashe, Kushini, Kpalyn, Yepalsi, Laligu, Zanzugu, Zanzugu Yepala, Yakuru, Jabayili, Wambong, Garizegu, Changyili, Jangbarigiyili, Balomposo, Warvi, Chihigu, Galinkpegu, Cheshagu, Naha, Tindan I, Tijo, Sagbarigu, Jagberin, Chandanyili, Kpalguni I, Namdu I, Namdu II, Gundaa, Tapkli, Chani, Cheko, Nyamalga, Jarigu, Komlanyili, Yepala, Kpanshegu, Bamvim, Kpenchila, Sakpalua, Vogyili, Kudula, Djelo, Manguli I, Moya, Kulaa, Tohinaayili, Nekpegu, Kalinka, Dundo, Gurumanchayili.

Week 5:
Jarayili, Libi, Gbung, Gidanturu, Chanaayili, Kushini, Chongashe, Kagbrashe, Kagbal, Kuruguvuhuyayili, Zanzugu, Zanzugu Yepala, Balomposo, Changyili, Yakuru, Galizengu, Laligu, Kpalyn, Tijo, Tindan I, Sagbargu, Chandanyili, Kpalguni I, Sagbarigu, Warvi, Naha, Galinkpegu, Chihigu, Cheshagu, Kpaliga, Namdu I, Namdu II, Gundaa, Kpalguni II, Futa, Wovugumani, Wovugu, Janakpen, Gburma, Manguli II, Tapkli, Yepala, Kpanshegu, Komlanyili, Gbandu, Garizegu, Kuldanali, Bogu, Tindan II, Kpanayili, Komlanyili, Kalinka, Tohinaayili, Nekpegu, Kulaa, Kudula, Moya.

Successes

The percentage of clean water in households that were monitored this month was 84%! This is progress that we are very proud of because it is the third month in a row with over 80% usage. The following water businesses had high sales: Yepalsi, Naha, Moya, Gidanturu, Kpalguni II, Yepala and Sakpalua. Our solar businesses have seen great successes this month. Chandanyili had high solar sales and two additional lanterns were sold in our communities! Gundaa was able to buy extra cell phone chargers this month to support their solar charging center. 42% of the solar businesses have opened bank accounts with the hopes that Chandanyili will open a bank account very soon.

In March we also celebrated World Water Day with a day-long conference at our Tamale office with some of our our water entrepreneurs. The team brought together water business owners from our highest and lowest performing partner communities and lead a day of sharing sales techniques, advice, and community engagement strategies. As always, the conference was a lot of fun and a great success.

clean water being stored correctly in a safe storage container

Wahab chatting with the women who cook at the school in Gundaa about the importance of serving only clean drinking water at the school

Wahab speaking with the school children in Gundaa about how water affects health

Wahab’s friends at a household in Gunnda. Everyone is excited about drinking clean water!

Asana starts her morning at the solar charging center by checking the battery charge on all of her customer’s cell phones

Today Kpenchila’s solar entrepreneurs met to discuss sales and their savings since opening their bank account

Eric making friends while checking in at Komlanyili’s water business

Challenges

There are a number of communities that have had to close their water business due to dry dugouts. These communities include Karayili, Kpalbusi, Chanaayili, Zanzugu, Zanzugu Yepala, Galizengu, Yakuru, Chihigu, Chandanyili, Jagberin and Kpachiyili. There were also a few communities that had issues with their water businesses and had to close for a while until they were able to reopen. These communities include: Original Kabache, Kasulyili, Dundo and Jabayili. We are working with these communitites to find solutions to their problems. As always, entrepreneurs are always encouraged to make announcements when the water centers are available for business!

Leaky buckets are always a challenge, but each time it happens is an opportunity for training. Here Amin and Peter (not pictured) are training a new Saha translator and a Fulaniwoman from Kpenchila, how to fix a leaky bucket.

Another big challenge in our communities is dried dugouts. This photo was taken in Zanzugu Yipela. There dugout was dried for almost 2 months before the rain started up and the community was forced to close their water business and travel elsewhere for water. In this photo, members of the community are digging the dugout deeper in hopes that it will not dry out next year.

Villages with problems at the solar centers are Chani, Nekpegu and Yepalsi. Chani and Nekpegu had lamp battery problems with their solar business. Our staff has been working with the women entrepreneurs to solve these battery issues. Additionally, Yepalsi has a broken inverter, which we hope to be replaced soon.

For detailed, week by week monitoring reports from March, click here.

Field Rep Voices: Team Amina, Ashley, John H, Kate, and Lauren

Posted on June 22, 2016June 22, 2016 by admin

Ti diyan kala a konurium gbambilimaa?

Ashley and Lauren walk through Tantuani.

Two days ago we successfully opened a water treatment center in the village of Tantuani. After such an exciting day, we enter the last phase of implementation: monitoring. This is the beginning of weekly checks on the village to ensure that the water treatment center continues to run smoothly into the future. We returned to the village for random household checks just to ensure everyone was following the rules associated with the safe storage containers. In teams of two with our translator Amina by our side, we inspected eight households. Entering each household, we checked the safe storage containers to make sure they contained clean fresh water from the Polytank or rainwater taken directly from metal roofs. We thoroughly explained to members of each household the importance of keeping the safe storage containers clean and isolated in order to avoid recontamination of the water from other materials within the household. We made sure each household we visited understood the importance of drinking clean water rather than water from the dugout. They were able to clearly convey why this new water treatment center was beneficial to their health and the impacts it already has on their family members, especially the children. Many households we visited praised us for coming to their village and for implementing such a useful business. The best part of monitoring so far was seeing our samples from the households’ safe storage containers test negative for fecal contamination and e.coli. Keep it up Tantuani, we love you!

– Amina, Ashley, John H., Kate, and Lauren

Ashley checks a safe storage container while monitoring.

Lauren snaps a selfie with Tantuani's new entrepreneurs! — Lauren snaps a selfie with Tantuani’s new entrepreneurs!

Field Rep Voices – Team Swapnil, Erin, Julia, Alexis and Peter

Posted on June 21, 2016 by communitywatersolutions

Team Peter here reporting with an adventure in Ghana Time! We joke all the time that no day would be complete for our team without some sort of mishap to throw off our schedule, and today was no different. After previous baboon attacks, dumping contaminated water on our driver, and some stomach ulcers, today we have a car problem that blew all of our previous flat tires out of the water (pun intended).

We were on our way to the village after early morning mass and mosque for some team members when we woke from our naps to our normally calm translator screaming at us to get out of the car! We ran out so quickly that Julia forgot her shoes, but we all made it safely out…at this point, we could all smell the engine more or less burning. Apparently the wires had literally melted. Luckily, after a few minutes (during which time Swap and Iddrisu started working out at the side of the road), our fantastic program directors had made a bunch of calls and per usual fixed the problem with a new driver.

…until that driver also got a flat tire. Go figure.

So, eventually, we made it back to our guesthouse, where we were in time for lunch (woo!). Julia is in love with jollof rice, and if you ever make it to Ghana, you have to try some.

FINALLY (after searching for the ever elusive Swap for like 20 minutes) we made it to the village with a new taxi. There, we got to do some monitoring of the water business we had just set up. We are so proud to be working with Sahada, Zenabu, and Miriam, and it was so exciting to see the community support them as well! Although there were a few hiccups with the households we monitored, it was good to meet face to face to deal with the problems directly. Two people were trying to find a time to fill their buckets, one did not understand that the water should be accessible to everyone in the household and locked it up, and one person had (ugh) tricked us into giving him a second bucket. Luckily, we were able to address all these problems, and we look forward to seeing even greater health for the village of Kpingyili in the future!

Anyway, our normal taxi is back from the shop – we were missing Iddrisu! Wish us luck on our last day at the village. We are so honored to have been a part of the Global Leadership Program, and can’t believe it’s almost over. See you soon USA and Brazil!

Field Rep Voices – Team Molly, Annalise, Aliyah, Kathryn and Simply

Posted on June 20, 2016 by communitywatersolutions

Opening Day is arguably the most exciting day for the village during the process of starting the water business. It is the first day that the community can purchase clean water. While driving through large puddles on the way to our village, we all were thinking that, because of the rain, the community of Dawunyili may have decided to collect rain water with their buckets instead of coming to the water center. As we pulled up to the village, we found we were alone with a bunch of goats.

Just as we started to get a little nervous that no one would come, we saw a blue bucket in the distance, balanced on the head of one of the women. One by one more women and children came with the safe water storage containers and before we knew it, Opening Day had started! The women entrepreneurs had everything in control. Gurimpaga and Abiba were washing each safe storage container while Amama filled the 20 Liters full of clean water and kept track of how many people bought water. While the women were effectively running the business, Team Simply fixed leaky taps and sat back to watch as each bucket was filled.

By the end of the morning, we lost count of how many buckets were filled since we were caught up in the moment. Thankfully, Amama kept a tally of the people and we were thrilled to count the totals and realize that every single household from the village and the Fulaani came to get clean drinking water! Team Simply was “killing the game” (a common phrase used by the best team leader, Simply).

We have heard stories of gifts given to Saha Global on Opening Day, but when we saw that all of the community had filled the water containers, we realized how the community felt about getting access to clean water. Opening Day in Dawunyili village encompassed our daily interactions with the people in this community. It was perfect. Everything went well and the experience was fun, laid back, and overall joyful. Throughout the morning, we recognized that the village was excited to incorporate the water center into their lives.

Team Simply is excited to return to the village to monitor after a day off. In addition, we are excited to work with the younger kids and educate them about the importance of keeping the water clean in their homes. It will be hard to leave this amazing community, but we know we have made amazing new friends that we will never forget.

Field Rep Voices: Olivia, Ayodele, Eric & Lorry

Posted on June 20, 2016 by admin

After the solar project was implemented, Team Eric began monitoring the business and individual households to see the community’s response to our project and make sure that everything’s running smoothly.

Since the project is mainly finished, we were finally able to get some of that beauty sleep back and wake up a bit later, at 7 o’clock, in the morning. After a long drive to the village, we first checked out our village’s dugout and the polytank there to make sure that the previously implemented water project is working successfully to provide clean water to the village. Komlan Yili’s dugout is actually a stream that is a long walk from the village. The water levels rise later in the rainy season, so the villagers have built a bridge that people can use to cross over the stream during these times of the year to reach villages further down the road. The wood for the bridge is replaced every year to ensure that it is safe to walk on. Still, it’s pretty scary and super uneven. It’s one of the many quirky and amazing things about Komlan Yili.

After checking on the polytank and finding no problems, we met with Safiatu and Nina, the water and solar entrepreneurs to discuss how the solar business is going since opening night and to hear about any water business updates. Everything is going well and it is clear that the business is in great hands.

Next, we visited nine households to ask about their lanterns and safe storage water containers. We learned that one woman had already gone back to the charging station even though her batteries were still charged, just for fun! It was great talking to women in each of the households and hearing all of the ways they were already using their lanterns at night (cooking, the kids doing homework, and processing shea nuts). It was amazing to see how much we had already been able to impact these people’s lives.

At the end of the day, Safiatu took us to her household for a good ending to our day. Our translator, Eric, has been looking for a pet kitten and Safiatu had three baby kittens! They were all so cute, Eric is going to buy two now instead of one.

Monitoring has been a great part of this experience, because now that most of our work is done, we can see how these businesses are impacting people’s lives. It is also a great opportunity to just talk to people on a more individual level and learn about their daily lives. We are definitely not ready to leave Tamale yet, but it is good to know that the business that we helped to create will continue after we leave.

– Team Eric

Field Rep Voices: Angela, TJ, John and Jose

Posted on June 20, 2016June 20, 2016 by admin

Opening Night…

The car that’s been coming to our village the last few weeks showed up again today, for the first time at nightfall. The 3 salamingas that have been building the solar center jumped out of their wheel machine smelling like water instead of their typical smells of dirt and sweat. They also wore nicer clothing and seemed prepared for some sort of celebration. Little did I know I was in for a surprise…

The three met with Fatima, Fatimata, and Hamshowu; the owners of me and my goat family. During the last two weeks I’ve heard them talking about how excited they are about running what they call a “solar business.” I’m not sure what that is, but they mentioned how they will finally be able to see and do work at night. The group gathered in the structure they built next to those shiny panels aimed at the sun. Shortly after, the rest of the villagers made their way from prayers towards this building each with a gadget in their hand.

P1010546 — Fatima, Fatimata, and Hamshowu

The sun was completely gone and had been for a while now. I was hungry so I decided to do some grazing. And then it happened… I’ll never forget it. The boy Mohamed lifted his gadget and a beautiful white light lit up his face! It was unlike anything I had ever seen! Then there was another light, and another! One-by-one these gadgets lit up the sky. My owners, the villagers, the 3 salamingas, all of them started dancing and laughing. All of the sudden my owner walked towards me, like he was choosing me for some special purpose. He put a rope around me and started bringing me towards all the fun. I must admit I was pretty scared. It’s a great honor to be selected by your master.

Silence fell as he brought me into the center of the group and handed my rope to TJ. “Yo TJ!” He brought our village clean water the last time he was here. He’s a good guy. I thought we might just be hanging out together, but then TJ and one of the salamingas lifted me into the back of their wheel machine.

And so here I am, telling you this story because, well… it’s been the wildest day of my life. My new owners have even given me a name, Minga! I’ve never been in a wheel machine before, let alone one with these three who now smell like sweat and dirt instead of like water. The village is all that I know, I’m not sure if I’ll see it again. I want to remember it. So I’m sharing my story with you now. Why wait? Life is short.

Singing off,
Minga the goat
Adventurer and Narrator
Formerly of the village of Moya

Field Rep Voices: Team Adeel, Amin, Shuoyang & Jhoanny

Posted on June 19, 2016June 19, 2016 by admin

A day in the life of team Amin…
Tuesday June 14

Today we realized we could use more organization and communication in our group. We had a short day yesterday we were suppose to ground and install the panels on the poles but we made the mistake of not picking the things we needed yesterday before going to the village. So today we are doing all this shopping for all the things we need like rubbing alcohol and sales books. We are also picking up the solar panel poles from the welder and we are buying more paint and other things we need. We also picked up our lanterns. This day taught us more than anything that every mistake is a lesson learned rather than a step back in our timeline for opening night. We are definitely on a tighter schedule but at the end we predict success and we have a great feeling of empowering our village which is the most important thing. It’s not about how fast we get there, it’s about the journey!

Tim discusses the solar business with a household

The solar entrepreneurs by the center in Kpanshegu

Field Rep Voices: Team Alberta, Chelsea, Eugenia, Savannah, and Yi

Posted on June 17, 2016June 17, 2016 by admin

Our team arrived late afternoon at 4:00pm in Mahamuyili for the celebration of the opening day of the water treatment center. We headed to the dugout along with the people from the village. The water center had a successful turnout; all 25 households attended opening day (almost at the same time) turning the opening into a lively event. Everyone was very eager to have their turn at the Polytank to fill their containers. The two women elected to run the water business, Fatimah and Hawa, opened the center up for business and quickly got to work taking money and filling containers.

Within moments of getting started a container was about to overflow so one woman caught all of the extra in her container lid and proceeded to chug the entire amount of water. A loud “BURPPP” leaped out from her and the crowd all reacted with laughter and excitement. Three containers in, we started to have some customers who had leaky taps and after this first one it seemed that every container after it also had a leak. Our team arranged an assembly line to adjust any leaky or faulty taps and successfully fixed each and every one.

To celebrate opening day, we brought bubbles and candy to share with the children. It quickly turned chaotic with Savannah and Chelsea nearly being tackled to the ground by a swarm of very excited children (including the men and women of the village). Music filled the air the entire duration, keeping the atmosphere fun and lively with dancing and many tickling attacks. We finished opening day with a sunset walk back to Mahamuyili with music and our two women entrepreneurs.

The team and new entrepreneurs pose at the water center.

Savannah walks back from the dugout and water center after a successful opening day with Mahamuyili community members.

Mahamuyili water treatment center group selfie!

– Savannah, Yi, Chelsea, Eugenia, and Alberta

Field Rep Voices: Team Laura, Jack, Yanshu, Sherifa and Anita

Posted on June 15, 2016 by admin

Yesterday, Team Sherifa returned from Bamvim where we spent the day working with our three entrepreneurs on installing the solar system. This included mounting the two solar panels to custom built metal poles, stringing the wires throughout the center and grounding the entire system with a copper pole and mixture of charcoal, salt and water. Our installation was a great success! We were able to charge Laura’s iPhone (for a fee of 50 peswas.) We discussed and finalized the prices for charging batteries (30 peswas) and cellphones (50 peswas.) Today, we painted the wood on the exterior of the solar center blue, at the request of our entrepreneurs. Anita and Laura went over the process for cleaning the solar panels and how to properly care for the genset.

Yanshu considered the solar panels and his handbook

This included reminding the women to always turn off the system at night, unplug all powerstrips and chargers and being sure to not overload the system with too many chargers. Meanwhile, Jack and Yanshu walked around and began to distribute lanterns to families. Our village consists of 25 households, each with roughly eight members. Every household is receiving a lantern at the cost of one Ghana Cedi. Today, we were able to give out seven lanterns and hope to finish distributing the other 18 tomorrow! We will also review the process of charging and installing the batteries for the lanterns with our entrepreneurs. We are hoping our day will go smoothly, and that we won’t get another flat tire!

Bamvim's new solar entrepreneurs hook up the system! — Bamvim’s new solar entrepreneurs hook up the system!

– Anita, Sherifa, Yanshu, Jack and Laura

Field Rep Voices – Team Arielle, Lexie, Kanaha, Mcrid, and Nestor

Posted on June 14, 2016 by communitywatersolutions

Having been in Ghana for two weeks now, all of the new water and solar businesses are well under way. Generally, all of the field reps seem super excited, willing to learn and adapt, and grateful to be a part of such a rewarding experience. Despite continuous trouble-shooting and two team members falling ill and missing a day in the village, Team Nestor’s water project in the village of Jukuku will open Wednesday, June 15th. We have spent the last week building the water treatment center, training the women in how to use alum and chlorine as well as managing money, and distributing safe storage containers. Teaching the treatment process and the money management is one of the most vital components of the entire implementation process, but also one of the most rewarding as we see the women truly begin to take full ownership of their business.

Our next steps are to finish distribution, educate, and monitor following opening day. As we are near opening day it is incredible to see the whole village rally around the women, whether its them having heard of our work before we meet them or just being super willing to take part because they understand the importance of clean water. Being the largest of the water businesses during this Global Leadership Program session, we have had a load of long and hard days, but we also have had fun and enlightening days. At the end of it, we realize that our work with Saha Global is something we chose not because we thought it would be easy, but because it matters.