Impact Report: Songea Tanzania

The pilot rollout of Mossie-Go commenced in July 2022. This was our first time deploying the product into the homes of those who needed it most.

In partnership with NGO, Children of Songea in Tanzania. 150 Solar Seed and Mossie-GO systems were set up in households in Ruvuma directly benefiting over 700 people. These have had a huge impact on the lives of those who have received them.

Let us tell you our story of how Mossie-GO and Solar Seed has had valuable impact on lives in Tanzania so far.

The pilot took place in Ruvuma ward, with a population of approximately 27,000. People here face socioeconomic challenges, with many individuals earning less than $0.65 cents per day. Lack of access to electricity and running water exacerbates living conditions, leading to reliance on kerosene lamps for illumination, which pose health risks due to smoke emissions. 96% of the families supported by Children of Songea do not have national grid connection.

One key challenge this Pilot project aimed to address what that many families in Ruvuma use small kerosene lamps known as "Korobohi/Vibatari" (Pictured right) to illuminate their homes. These have several negative health outcomes.

Firstly, they contribute to eye strain in children due to the lamps' limited and yellowish light. Secondly, these lamps also emit a substantial amount of smoke, exacerbating respiratory issues. As kerosene becomes scarcer, people have resorted to using diesel, which produces even more smoke, leading to various respiratory conditions.

Furthermore, the poor academic performance of the children supported by Children of Songea is attributed to frequent illnesses, primarily due to Malaria and respiratory diseases. To tackle these challenges, the partnership between Africa Power and CoS focused on providing sustainable energy solutions to improve health outcomes and educational opportunities for the community.

Finally, Malaria incidence had been increasing steadily proceeding the intervention. Thus, Mossie-GO was put in place to change this.

Challanges Addressed

In July 2022, over 210 individuals attended the project rollout, with two to three family members learning how to use and handle the devices. Engineers from KuaSolar and Africa Power where in attendance and explained how the devices worked, their uses, and their limitations, making the community enthusiastic about their ease of installation, use, and superior light output compared to the kerosene lamps they had previously been using.

Engineers from KuaSolar and Africa Power conducted a thorough rollout of Mossie-Go systems in Ruvuma, emphasising their ease of installation, use, and superior light output compared to other available options. Community members were trained on how to use and maintain the devices, leading to widespread excitement and adoption within the community.

 

PIlot implementation

Results and Impact

  • The solar lights have played a crucial role in addressing the community’s challenges. Since 2015, Children of Songea has been supporting children in Ruvuma, and over seven years (2015-2021), 19 pupils (an average of 2.7 per year) dropped out due to pregnancy and peer pressure. In the following three years (2022-2024) after the distribution of solar lights, the number of students joining secondary education almost tripled to 53 pupils per year, with only one dropout. The lights have facilitated students in being able to study without daylight and have greatly contributed to this result.

  • The Children of Songea supports approximately 100 households under its jurisdiction in Ruvuma, covering around 600 individuals through Community Health Insurance (CHIF) administering healthcare from the Ruvuma Health Clinic. From 2020 to 2021 over 110 individuals using CHIF insurance sought treatment monthly for malaria and upper respiratory diseases before the Mossie-GO and Solar Seed Intervention had been made.

    After the Mossie-Go and Solar Seed intervention in July 2022 Ruvuma cases of malaria and upper respiratory diseases have significantly decreased. With less than 10 cases of individuals seeking treatment for malaria and less than 7 for upper respiratory cases at the Ruvuma health facility.

  • On average households in Tanzania spend $1.60 per week on kerosene. Annualy equating to $83.20. A solar Seed is drastically cheaper than this and derives a clear cost saving for it’s users.

    Furthermore, Mossie-GO is set to be the most cost affordable household protection available on the market.

Let’s work together.

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly! We can't wait to hear from you!