The MODES project is another project under the Let There Be Light International’s Solar Program. The objective of the project is to enable communities in off-grid areas to access clean lighting energy for household lighting. Since the project began it has been sponsored by Let There Be Light International and KACCAD is the primary distribution partner. The project is being carried out in various parts of Uganda including Wakiso, Bukomansimbi, Kayunga, Mukono, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Mityana, Mubende, Sironko, Amolatar, Gomba, Luweero and Kampala districts.
The solar lights benefit the recipients and their other household members through reduced exposure to polluted air; reduced risk of fire burns; reduced expenditure on household lighting; improved security status at night; accessibility to reliable clean light for the children to do their academic work during night and the entire household to use for domestic chores and other home needs. The mothers use the solar light to see well while nursing their babies at night.
Under the implementation policy and procedures, communities are mobilized in off-grid areas; they are then subjected to a comprehensive vetting exercise during which eligible beneficiaries are identified, after which they are educated on effects of energy poverty, climate change, and benefits of accessing and using clean energy. The vetting aims at ensuring that only people belonging to one or more of the MODES (Mother, Orphan, Disabled, Elderly, Student) vulnerability categories are the ones selected to receive the solar lights.
Under the distribution procedure, each recipient is a representative of one household and accordingly given only one solar light. During the distribution exercise intake data is collected from each recipient as baseline information, for use by the project in program promotion and future follow ups when determining project impact.
Such data includes recipient demographics, current source of household lighting energy, duration of commitment of solar light use by the household at night for academic and non-academic purposes, current weekly household income, current weekly expenditure on household lighting, and rate incidents of fire burns among members of households.
For purposes of funding, it costs only $1500 to sponsor 100 beneficiaries with solar lights (inclusive of the procurement and distribution costs).
