Tribal communities in some of the most remote and inaccessible forests in India were lifted out of the darkness and given hope for a better future. After never having electricity in their homes, they can now turn on solar lights and charge cell phones, an advancement that has kicked-off development for the entire village.
In July 2014, a micro-lending platform called Milaap partnered with the Mlinda Foundation to install affordable, community-owned solar mini-grids in rural villages that wanted to trade in their dirty kerosene lamps, for roughly the same cost as they were paying to buy fuel.
Milaap’s community of micro-lenders provided finance, so the tribespeople could own their solar grids and play a key role in their own development.
Solar lights not only are a means to improving their livelihood and education. Lifting them above the darkness also symbolizes hope, a path to a better future.
In the few short months since partnering with Mlinda, lenders on Milaap have helped set up solar microgrids in 23 off-grid tribal locations in the Sundarbans and in 20 hamlets of Purulia, Ayodhya Hills, benefiting over 280 families.
WATCH the video from one of the villages…
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