A Guide to Hopebuilding Stories

Categorizing these stories (362 as of Oct. 10, 2008) is often challenging, because many of them talk about people's or community activities that addressed a number of issues at once, or grew from one small project into something much larger. Reflecting this, some stories appear in several categories. Clicking on the links highlighted in blue will take you to that page. Please do read my GuidelinesForSharing before you post.

More stories are added regularly. You are welcome to send or share stories of similar achievements. See Great Links for links to websites that provide many other stories of achievement.

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Grameen Shakti, empowerment through renewable energy

Grameen Shakti uses renewable technology to empower disadvantaged rural women with clean energy and opportunities to earn a living. Initiated in 1996 by the co-builders of the Grameen Bank, Grameen Shakti envisages a future where the rural households of Bangladesh will have access to environmentally friendly and pollution-free energy at affordable costs, and sees its program as the first step to break the social and economic divide between those who have energy and those who do not.

The company, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, won a Tech Museum Equality Award in 2007 for its work. The award noted that in rural parts of the developing world, people depend on kerosene and other fuels that cost too much, damage the environment, and cause cancer and asthma, especially in women who spend their days in smoke-filled rooms.

Grameen Shakti brings power and empowerment to rural areas. They train women in the use of safe, renewable energy through Solar Home Systems, biogas production, and Improved Cook Stoves. Women purchase Shakti solar-power systems with microcredit, and make a living installing and repairing them. The power also gives them the light they need to work and provides connections to the world through mobile phones and radios.

UPDATE: Grameen Shakti wins 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award from Ashden Awards

Grameen Shakti won a first prize Ashden Award in 2006 for providing photovoltaic (PV) solar-home-systems through affordable loans to 65,000 households in Bangladesh. Its work has expanded rapidly and diversified. With 2,000 staff now operating from 400 local offices, a total of 150,000 solar-home-systems have been installed. In the past two years Grameen Shakti has also sold 14,000 cheap, efficient cooking stoves and 3,000 biogas plants. Trained technicians, mostly women, manufacture components in 20 technology centres, and install and service systems. Some of these technicians have become independent entrepreneurs. Grameen Shakti aims to have provided a million solar-home-systems, 10 million improved stoves, and half a million biogas plants by 2015.

See the Ashden Awards case study here.

For other stories about solar power, see:

Bhutan’s yak herders prefer solar power to kerosene and firewood

Unique rental model brings solar power to remote Lao villages

Solar power hearing aid battery offers hope for deaf in developing world

Solar-powered boats bring education, sustainable energy to poor communities

Solar lamp replaces hazardous kerosene in Indian villages

Low tech systems improve water, sanitation in remote Afghan communities

Micro-hydro electrifies remote South American communities