Lalafofofo Launches “Light up Tanzania for the Holidays” Solar Lantern Kickstarter Project
Menlo Park, Calif., Moshi, Tanzania, (PRWEB) December 16, 2016 -- "Light up Tanzania for the Holidays," a project to raise funds to purchase solar lanterns for remote impoverished communities in the Kilimanjaro region of East Africa has been launched by Lalafofofo.org., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in Silicon Valley, in collaboration with Makers4Good, and Last Mile. The web- and social media-based campaign also includes a Google AdWords™ campaign in the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and Miami.
Makers4Good, a Silicon Valley Kickstarter organization that specializes in working with nonprofits to provide technology to improve lives in developing countries, is contributing to the campaign by providing support in obtaining a $10,000 monthly Google Adwords grant, donating solar lanterns to the first 100 U.S. donors who contribute to the campaign, as well as web-based support.
“We are excited about this opportunity to directly make a difference to Tanzanians living at extreme poverty in remote villages,” says Stephen Thomforde of Makers4Good.
Last Mile, a local community-based social enterprise organization dedicated to improving access to life-changing products in the region, will be procuring the Sun King solar lanterns on behalf of Lalafofofo and Makers4Good for distribution west of Kilimanjaro in the area of Boma Ng’ombe.
“There is so much to appreciate about the fostering of partnerships and collaboration between organizations, placing an emphasis on buying products locally and ensuring community-based organizations in Tanzania are supported,” says Lalafofofo Board Chairperson, Carla Funk, PhD.
The goal is to raise up to $10,000 over three months (December, 2016 to March, 2017), within the $10,000 Google Adwords monthly parameters to purchase Sun King lanterns for Tanzanians living in remote villages. Sun King lanterns are available in Tanzania through Greenlight Planet, a for profit social business that develops and manufactures reliable solar products designed to help people living off the electric grid.
Last Mile, a Kilimanjaro-based social enterprise dedicated to improving access to life-changing products in the region, will be purchasing and distributing the solar lanterns on behalf of Lalafofofo and Makers4Good throughout the Boma Ng’ombe area of Kilimanjaro.
The region of Moshi and Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania lies just south of the equator, which means they have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time year-round. The long stretches of nighttime darkness are problematic, as most people living remotely near Boma Ng’ombe in surrounding villages reside in huts or simple frame houses and electricity is either unavailable or unaffordable for most.
Both poverty and geography impact villagers in ways that most people cannot imagine. Candles and kerosene lanterns are commonly used to light homes at night, but these cost money to use in areas where many are living at or below the poverty line and eating just one meal per day. The solar lanterns are a safe and dependable option allowing villagers to carry them or hang them in their huts.
Lalafofofo began distributing solar lanterns to area villages in 2015, which produce an abundance of light for six hours. They’re also easy to recharge by setting them in sunlight for eight hours during the daytime. Lanterns being purchased for this campaign are manufactured and distributed by Greenlight Planet in Chicago, Illinois.
To learn more, visit the "Light upTanzania for the Holidays" web page, email info(at)lalafofofo(dot)org, or call +1 650.218.3027.
About Lalafofofo.org:
Lalafofofo.org charitable organization founded by the Vaughan Family of Atherton, Calif. and headquartered in Moshi, Tanzania and Atherton. Lalafofofo is a source of affordable, small-scale service projects in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, East Africa. Lalafofofo links individuals, youths, families and groups in the U.S. directly to much needed projects benefiting women and children in the Kilimanjaro region.
About Makers4Good:
Makers4Good taps their drive and creativity through the products they invent, and have made a profound impact on society. The Palo Alto, California non-profit works with Maker companies to help shape consumer mindsets and education norms, and to assess product design considerations. Makers represent a fearless class of creators at the intersection of art, technology, and traditional DIY. They are influential role models for everyone with a desire to create innovative work and help them identify targeted ways to give back.
About Last Mile:
Last Mile is a Kilimanjaro-based social enterprise dedicated to improving access to life-changing products. Last Mile distributes a variety of products including solar products, clean cook stoves, water filters, nutritional supplements and reusable menstrual products. Last Mile has been operating in the Kilimanjaro Region since 2015 and has been training local women to be sales agents in their communities to further the reach of these products.
Media, Lalafofofo.org, http://www.lalafofofo.org, +1 650.218.3027, [email protected]
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