TOUGHSTUFF
The ToughStuff products being presented to the PM on Thursday night had caused quite a stir, so Jonathan had at least four meetings yesterday and has had another three today. It's worth me saying something about ToughStuff here. Their products include a small, durable solar panel, a rechargeable LED lamp, mobile phone connectors, radio connectors and battery packs. The LED light and the battery packs can be recharged from the solar panel; the connectors allow you to recharge your mobile phone or play your radio from the panel. So what? In the west these might not seem very interesting (especially in the winter!!!).
But, taking Uganda as an example, approximately 78% of households have no electricity, which is approximately 3.5m households, or 24 million people. They all need lights. Most people use candles, kerosene lamps or battery powered lamps. The latter two are expensive because you have to keep buying batteries and / or kerosene. Mobile phones are huge here. The cellphone companies have done an amazing job of selling very cheap phones and giving people SIM cards. Phone companies have been very successful as they have made the phones affordable, even to the very poor. In the rural communities where there are no phone lines, cellphones have in fact been transformational. People actually use them to auction and sell products to neighbouring villages. But they need charging - and 78% of houses (probably more than 90% in rural areas) don't have electricity! So people pay others to charge their phones, maybe three times per week. This is an ongoing, weekly cost that can be eliminated by the use of your own solar panel and a phone connector!
So ToughStuff products achieve the following: -
- Reduce costs for lighting, mobile phone recharging and use of radios.
- Improved quality of life, as lighting, mobile phones and radio use become more affordable
- Allow business to be carried out locally selling the products, thereby helping to relieve poverty.
- Reduce the damage to the environment from burning kerosene and using disposable batteries.
- I'm sure Jonathan would add more!!
Metalrax is going to look into whether we can help ToughStuff by providing services that are our core expertise, such as product development.
Cool!
MEETINGS, MEETINGS, MEETINGS
Unfortunately, my day was just like being at work in England - a series of meetings! I'm glad to say they were all good and worthwhile, ranging from breakfast with a gospel singer that wants to own a recording studio to make gospel music, through to the Executive Director of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (what a job title!). He is responsible for implementation of policy on lots of science related stuff, including laboratories - a very useful contact for Post Glover Lifelink. They also give out grants ($30m so far in the last three years) for businesses investing in science and technology. A useful contact!
Today I met the owner of an engineering company here in Kampala. His company designs the mechanical and electrical systems for laboratories. I gave him the PG Lifelink sales presentation and he liked it!!
I won't bore you all with the rest of my meetings yesterday and today!! But it's interesting that so many meetings took place today, Saturday.....
I did see a Weston Body Hardware product on the way to dinner last night.
There are zillions of stand-alone generators out here, as the electricity supply is limited and unreliable. They have to be protected by sturdy body hardware. Weston has loads of stuff that is useful in these applications.
FAREWELL LUNCH
We had a farewell lunch with Hamlet and his family. He is a truly blessed man. He has such a heart for this country and is working hard for God and Uganda.
ON THE WAY HOME
So, our flight leaves in about six hours from now. I'm not looking forward to driving home from Heathrow in the snow and ice!! :(
But I wonder if British Airways can beat this..... See you all soon!
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