The Pilot Phase

The immediate next phase plan of the project creating SMILES...building the nation is a pilot phase. In this pilot phase we have decided to work in the field of rural electrification and health and sanitation. Talking about the former one, it is one of the main objectives of the SMILES (one can consult the blog posts from the month of July where I have mentioned our objective of alterantive energy sources promotion). Our concept of rural electrification is based on the belief that electricity would improve the standard of living and the economic competitiveness of the people living in the rural part of the nation. For this purpose we will work in beginning with the solar panels/photovoltaics and our initial idea is to start the procedure of rural electrification by donating two solar panels to the houses that run the adult literacy classes in the project's base village Kalimati. We have seen that people and mostly women go to attend the classes during the night time taking kerosene lamps with them.The night time is preferred for the classes as they get busy with their works in their farm during the whole day.At this point of time, we are donating the solar panels because our next phase big plan is to connect this village with the internet connection and VOIP telephony. The co-relation is that our aim is to make the local people participate actively to run the communication facility that the SMILES will bring to this village. For the very purpose it would be easy if we can find people literate, beginners they may be. So, it is our fundamental duty to aid them in their learning process. In a sense people may call it a long term plan, in which we are preparing base for the project.But, the main objective of the project under the energy generation is to light the electric lamps in every house in the village.

Also mentionworthy is the face that we will promote alternative energy sources for the electrification and we will stick to the point that all the technology involved will deal with the remewable sources of energy.

WHY RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY?

We believe that Renewable energies are the ideal solution for rural electrification in developing countries:

• Renewables for rural electrification are more efficient than conventional energies and grid connection
• Renewables reconcile sustainable economic development with the fight against climate change

Reliable and affordable electricity is a basic condition for self sustained economic development. Under the rural electrification SMILES will provide solutions which will empower the poor and help the environment. It speaks with one voice about rural electrification with renewable energies.

The next thing in our pilot phase is to build a toilet in the village. During our first site visit we were puzzled when we could not see the toilets in the village except in few houses and they were of couse the land lords in the village.We could find stool alongside the road in most of the places. It is my own experience and I went into the maize field.

So, a toilet now will mark the beggining of our work in the field of health and sanitation. Furthemore, since the SMILES has started working it be for the benefit of everyone( volunteers, paid workers and others who will get involved) who has the habit of using toilet instead of a maize or paddy field or may be the road side.

Talking in general for the future, it is our aim to transform and take the villlage to that point of time when each and every house in the village will have a toilet.