The Haller Foundation, a grassroots NGO registered in the UK and based in Kenya, is continuing its efforts to support smallholder farmers in the country through its Partnership with Deciwatt – an organisation and charity that provides sustainable, low-cost, low-energy lighting and electricity to rural communities across the globe.
To aid the Haller Foundation’s efforts in supporting and enriching the lives of smallholder farmers in rural areas in Kenya, Deciwatt supplied 12 sustainable NowLights to the Foundation in support of the re-launching of the Haller Foundation’s award-winning Haller Farmers App.
“We’re really excited to be building on our existing relationship with The Haller Foundation, where we supplied Gravity Lights in early 2019,” reads Deciwatt’s official blog about the partnership.
“Developing these relationships to get NowLights into the hands of people who need them the most is incredibly positive, and we’re really thankful to our customers who have donated towards this cause.”
All of the NowLights supplied were funded through the charitable contributions of Deciwatt customers.
“NowLight was chosen for its ability to provide instant light and power at the pull of a cord. Pulling on the NowLight’s cord for just a minute creates 15 minutes of talk-time on a mobile phone, or up to 2 hours of light,” reads the blog.
Deciwatt explains that the 12 NowLights were donated to Haller Foundation ambassadors in Kenya, farmers who have volunteered to promote Haller Farmers through word of mouth to neighbouring communities. Deciwatt hopes to continue supporting and aiding smallholder farmers in the country through future partnerships with Haller.
The Haller Foundation says that it has always sought to create and nurture sustainable partnerships and its recent fellowship with Deciwatt is no different. Haller had previously partnered with Deciwatt to provide 1,350 GravityLights to families in communities surrounding Mombasa.
Not only will the NowLights aid smallholders farmers through its sustainable energy and lighting that rids the need for dangerous, expensive and environmentally damaging kerosene-powered torch lamps, but they also aid with another major issue faced in rural communities – access to information technology.
Haller’s main obstacle in reaching smallholder farmers with its award-winning app was limited access to electricity, an obstacle that Deciwatt’s NowLights can begin to overcome.
“Access to technology is rendered useless without access to a source of renewable power, to charge mobiles and illuminate communities,” reads a statement in the Haller Foundation’s official news blog.
“The GravityLight was an innovative, sustainable alternative to kerosene lamps, but the company’s latest innovation provides brighter light for longer and the ability to charge mobile phones. NowLight creates instant light and power by efficiently harnessing human effort.”
NowLights can charge any device via USB ports and supports mains and solar charging. Haller hopes they will be essential in aiding farming communities to gain access to ICT especially through its partnership with Mara Phones and in conjunction with its Haller Farmers App.
Initially launched in 2014, Haller Farmers has been redeveloped and re-launched. Now, the app supplies information in both English and Swahili. It focuses on education in solutions for sustainable small-scale food production and gives users tips and ideas into low-cost and easily replicable farming techniques.
Haller Farmers was developed by the Haller Foundation in collaboration with Red C and Pearlfisher and was awarded Best Android App of the Year at the 2020 UK App Awards. Download it from the Google Play Store HERE.
By Staff Writer.
