New Project Gives Women The Chance To Lead Solar Power Industry In Rural Nepal
Coming in the fall, a new partnership is expected to bring solar power to a Nepalese state park focused on rhino and tiger conservation, while simultaneously training 10 women to be solar industry entrepreneurs.
May 24 2019, Updated 8:15 a.m. ET
A new partnership is bringing solar power to a rural state park in Nepal while also training 10 women to be solar industry entrepreneurs. Come fall, the Chitwan National Park Ranger Outpost is soon to be fitted with a rooftop solar array that will help rangers at the remote location in their quest to protect Asiatic rhinos and Bengal tigers, both endangered due to severe poaching in the area. The second piece of the project involves training 10 local women to sell clean power products and solar lights to local families.
Empowered by Light and Empower Generation have teamed up to outfit Nepal’s Chitwan National Park Ranger Outpost, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a rooftop solar array. Doing so will bring more ecotourism and clean energy development to this part of Nepal, benefitting those living locally and working at the park.
Renewable energies are leapfrogging fossil fuels.
Empowered by Light works to help developing nations “leapfrog” the task of installing infrastructure for already outdated fossil fuels by simply installing renewable energy infrastructure today. The organization’s goal is to create these systems at sample sites worldwide in order to better surrounding communities and ecology while also showing the feasibility and ease of use for such energies.
Empower Generation is helping women become clean energy entrepreneurs, a process that also forces “gender and energy paradigm shifts.” Since its formation in 2013, Empower Generation has saved more than $2 million dollars in the United States on household energy costs, displaced more than 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide, helped to form 20 businesses led by women, and provided almost 280,000 people with cleaner power and light.
Lights for safety, power for all, and jobs for stability.
Rangers at Chitwan National Park already use solar installed through a previous partnership by Empowered by Light and Sungevity for rooftop solar on two towers offering overnight lodging for tourists. This new partnership will be the source of power for nighttime safety spotlights. It will also be the source of power allowing people to communicate with each another, park authorities, and family members—all without draining natural resources.
The upcoming fall installment will expand this system while bringing various renewable energy technologies, ranging from home systems to cook stoves, to the surrounding communities. The female sales force, selected by Empowered Generation, will be able to not only sell products, but also make their own companies and manage workers while getting help with marketing and procuring solar providers.
It’s a feasible project with tons of potential extrapolations.
Check out this amazing video about the whole project:
To make this goal a reality, Empowered by Light and Empower Generation are fundraising $50,000 for the project; which if you think about it, is a low price to pay for such a huge impact. To find out more, get involved, or donate, click here.
