[kictanet] Mobile Campaign to Vote for Kenyan Innovator

Tue Nov 16 11:04:03 EAT 2010

Greetings Everyone,

I had all along been planning to purchase an electric-powered lantern for my
grand-Ma but now I have got the best option, thanks to an innovative Kenyan
youth. If I may ask, where can I get one of this solar-powered lantern. This
would really be of help to me....Thanks.

On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 2:08 PM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com>wrote:

> I just cast my ballot paper :-)
>
> On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 10:07 AM, Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke> wrote:
>
>>     Listers and CEOs of all Mobile Companies in Kenya,
>>
>> We need to take pride in our "own" and promote INNOVATION by young
>> Kenyans. I would like to appeal to *ALL* mobile operators in Kenya to
>> launch a campaign via mobile to get millions of Kenyans to vote for Evans.
>> If we can have a mobile to web-link (i.e. get people to vote via sms..which
>> is then automatically channelled to the voting site
>> heroes.cnn.com/vote.aspx that will be great). I think we have enought
>> techy innovators within the mobile companies to make this happen!
>>
>> Lets see which moble operator will take up the challenge and lead from the
>> front!
>>
>> How is this related to ICTs? He intends to use the money he wins to put up
>> "an *ICT centre*, a solar-powered fish processing plant and build more
>> lanterns for distribution to needy homesteads in the country". In the near
>> future..you never know, this ICT centre could be turned into an "innovation
>> hub" for ICT solutions!
>>
>> We need to inspire our youth to innovate!
>>
>> Over to you to make this happen!
>>
>> Edith
>>
>> =====================================================================
>> Kenyan shines his way to CNN awards with solar lantern
>>
>>     [image: Evans Wadongo, Kenya’s finalist in the 2010 CNN Heroes Award.
>> You vote for him at heroes.cnn.com/vote.aspx. Photo/SULEIMAN MBATIAH]
>>
>> Evans Wadongo, Kenya’s finalist in the 2010 CNN Heroes Award. You vote for
>> him at heroes.cnn.com/vote.aspx. Photo/SULEIMAN MBATIAH
>> By ABY AGINA aagina at ke.nationmedia.com
>> Posted Thursday, November 11 2010 at 20:34
>>
>>  It all started in a room at his hostel when he invented the first ever
>> solar-powered lantern back in 2004.
>>
>> His desire to provide sustainable energy to communities was hatched while
>> studying Electrical Engineering at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture
>> and Technology.
>>
>> As he fiddled with an experiment involving the timing of Christmas lights
>> the idea to provide an environmentally friendly light source for rural homes
>> struck him.
>>
>> Today, Evans Wadongo’s initiative, which involves supplying solar-powered
>> lanterns at no cost, has transformed the lives of thousands of rural
>> families who have no access to electricity and live below the poverty line.
>> He has received 200 supply requests from countries interested in his
>> lanterns.
>>
>> “We plan on opening an office in Lagos Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda and the US
>> to meet the growing demands.”
>>
>> Coming from a poor family of four children, he relied on a kerosene lamp
>> to study at night. At some point he develop poor eyesight because of smoke
>> from the kerosene lamp.
>>
>> Wadongo, the only African in the finals for the 2010 *Cable News Network
>> (CNN*) Hero Awards, will be travelling to the United States on November
>> 15 to represent Kenya at the awards ceremony in Hollywood.
>>
>> The award, which attracted over 10,000 contestants form all over the
>> world, is given to young persons with innovative projects geared towards
>> eliminating poverty and creating sustained social development in local
>> communities.
>>
>> The 24-year-old will be relying on votes from Kenyans to clinch the
>> coveted award come the finals to be aired on *CNN* live on November 25.
>> Voting is still under way on heroes.cnn.com/vote.aspx and is expected to
>> close on November 18.
>>
>> If he gets voted as the finalist he stands to bring home $100,000 (about
>> Sh8 million) which he says would be channelled towards financing production
>> of more lanterns and other economic ventures his organisation supports.
>>
>> He says part of the cash will finance a project in Migori, Nyanza, that
>> targets to transform the area into a virtual tower.
>>
>> “I plan to invest the money in setting up an ICT centre, a solar-powered
>> fish processing plant and build more lanterns for distribution to needy
>> homesteads in the country,” he said.
>>
>> In a media briefing held on Thursday organised by Brand Kenya Limited at
>> NHIF building an upbeat Mr Wadongo urged Kenyans to vote for him at the same
>> time exuded confidence of victory in the competition.
>>
>> During his visit, Wadongo is expected to hold meetings with top business
>> leaders and tour several States and institutions of learning.
>>
>> “I intend to spend a month in the US and meet with business executives
>> from Microsoft and Apple, hold media interviews and address students at
>> Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology,” he said.
>>
>> His innovative programme dubbed ‘Use solar, save Lives’ produces lanterns
>> at a cost Sh1,600. The production is funded by donors. The solar-powered
>> lamp can light up a home for six hours if it is fully charged by being left
>> in the sun during the day.
>>
>> The inventor says the life span for the lamp is between six and 10 years.
>> Wadongo says he has designed a new lantern that has a radio and a slot for
>> charging a mobile phone. This one is still in the test stage.
>>
>> Operating from his office in Nairobi’s South B area, which also hosts a
>> workshop and employs eight permanent staff and over 10 volunteers each
>> month, Wadongo estimates he has distributed 14,000 lanterns to rural
>> communities across the country and hopes to hit 150,000 by 2015.
>>
>> His group buys excess pieces of solar panelling cut from commercially sold
>> panels and collects scrap metal to make the lamps.
>> Wadongo plans to train more youths to handle the large orders.
>>
>> He says his dream of providing sustainable development to the poor has
>> become a reality. “Children can now study, households can buy food with the
>> money they save on kerosene, and carbon emissions have been reduced,” he
>> says with a smile.
>>
>> **
>>
>> **
>>
>> *________________                                    *
>>
>> *Edith Ofwona Adera *
>>
>> Senior Program Specialist
>>
>> ICT4D Program and Climate Change & Water Program
>>
>> International Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le
>> développement international
>>
>> Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
>>
>> Tel: +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera
>>
>> eadera at idrc.or.ke | www.idrc.ca | www.crdi.ca
>>
>>
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>
>
> --
> Barrack O. Otieno
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