Recap of last week’s events

July 27, 2009

It’s been awhile since I last posted, so I’ll give a little recap of what I’ve been doing for the past week or so.

I spent the first part of last week working on a non-VEF-related study focused on how much money people in the area spend on lighting at night. I conducted the study in conjunction with a friend of mine who lives in the area. The study was part of some market research that my friend is doing because she is looking into opening up a business selling solar flashlights in the area.

I went around for three days with the evaluators that I worked with on the longevity study interviewing businesses and shoppers in the area. Electricity is scarce around here – usually only the permanent buildings near the road have it. So even in the big shopping areas, a majority of shops still do not have electricity because most of them are outdoor “kiosks” (basically just some sticks strung together with a small tarp on top). For lighting at night, people generally use kerosene lanterns, battery-powered flashlights, and “koroboi” (paraffin lamps).

Although each of these items is relatively cheap to buy (the kerosene lantern is the most expensive at about $3.50 per), people spend an unbelievably high percentage of their income on fuel / batteries! I don’t have the exact data in front of me, but it wasn’t surprising to hear that someone would spend between 500 and 1000 shillings ($6.50-$13) per month or more on just kerosene and batteries. That amount might seem small by U.S. standards, but for a Kenyan living in a rural village it is a lot of money. People tend not to realize how much they spend, however, because they buy the fuel in small installments. Safety is another issue – many people had either personally had or knew someone who had a fire in their house or business that was started by the kerosene lamp or koroboi.

People loved the solar flashlight because of its durability, long-term cost savings compared to regular flashlights (no need for new batteries!), and strong light. The only problem was cost. We projected that the flashlight will cost around 1,000 shillings, which almost no one said they could afford to pay all at once. People said they would be interested, however, if there were an installment plan in which they could save up a little bit of money each week until they had enough to buy it. Almost everyone we talked to realized that the flashlight was a sound economic investment in the long run (assuming that it lasts for at least a few years). People were eager to modify it as well, suggesting that we add a radio and an outlet for cell-phone charging to the flashlight.

Going forward, it will be interesting to see how people receive the flashlight when it actually becomes available on the market. Although almost everyone we talked to expressed interest, but it is hard to tell, when push comes to shove, how many people will actually be able to stick to the installment plan and save up enough money to buy it. One of the major themes that I’ve noticed in many different contexts is the conflict between short-term and long-term interest that people face around here. The solar flashlight is, of course, a solid long-term investment, but short-term needs might end up overwhelming peoples’ desire to save up enough money – money that might be needed in the short-term for a medical cost or just to put food on the table – to buy and subsequently reap the benefits of the solar flashlight.