Un peu de pub pour la BAD :)

Voilà une petite interview de ma Directrice pour ceux que ça intéresse :)

Une initiative intéressante: essayer de vivre sous le seuil de pauvreté

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/

Bien arrivée et mal dormi

Et me voilà donc à Freetown, après un périple une nouvelle fois fort intéressant... Finalemement, nous sommes passés par le Liberia, pas la Guinée. Les vols de Air France ont changé de "route" pour que les équipages stoppent au Liberia où les hôtels sont bien meilleurs qu'à Freetown. Résultat: le vol de AF arrive maintenant à 20h30, la nuit, et il faut donc prendre le speed boat de nuit car le ferry est déjà parti... Je suis arrivée de l'autre côté avec le mal de mer, mais heureusement, on était vite à l'hôtel. Pas de chance, je suis tombée sur une chambre où le lit est complètement défoncé, on y dort très très mal (j'ai demandé à changer de chambre mais on m'a dit que c'était plein). Il faudra faire avec. Mais j'ai du mal à comprendre pourquoi il n'y a pas un seul bon hôtel dans ce pays alors qu'il y en a au Liberia juste à côté... Il y a tellement de choses qu'on pourrait faire ici... Espérons que dans quelques années, ça ira mieux... avec ou sans croissance verte !   

Allez, je vais me trainer jusqu'au petit dejeuner.

En mission: Sierra Leone again !

Et me voici à l'aéroport de Tunis, direction Paris, puis Freetown par la Guinée.

Théoriquement, j'arrive ce soir à 20h30 à l'aéroport de Freetown, ce qui veut dire que je sors de l'aéroport à 21h15, pour prendre le bateau vers 21h45, arrivée de l'autre côté dans le meilleur des cas vers 22h15 (j'adore le speed boat la nuit, priez pour moi...).Voir ICI pour comprendre le périple que ça représente la nuit...

A priori le chauffeur de la Banque vient me chercher pour me conduire à l'hôtel, mais je sais même pas si j'ai une chambre ce soir car la réservation initiale commence demain :D

Bref, peut-être à demain si Dieu le veut !

Une initiative intéressante : contribuer à un projet de micro-finance

Renewableenergyworld.com

By Chris Meehan

Kiva Makes Microfinancing for Solar Energy Available in Developing Nations

Imagine this: You’re in a developing nation with little access to electricity. In fact, you don’t have access to a grid, or enough electricity to keep a refrigerator and a light on and water filtered in your home. Or, if you have a generator, you can barely afford to pay for the expensive diesel that keeps it running. Now imagine that you’re in the U.S. with enough electricity to serve all your needs at relatively low prices, meaning you’ve got a couple extra bucks left over at the end of the month that you don’t know what to do with. Well, maybe you could help that other ‘you’ out by supporting one of Kiva’s solar entrepreneurs in developing nations.

The nonprofit is increasing support of renewable energy microfinance programs where people can invest as little as $25 to support citizens in some of Kiva’s 67 countries. The microfinancing organization says it has supported 918,735 lenders since it started in 2005 and its loans have had a 99.01 percent repayment rate — something that’s hard to find many investments.

Now, through programs like Solar Sister in Uganda, it’s supporting clean energy projects. The pilot project is four months old and already has 11 entrepreneurs that have attracted $3,325 thus far. According to Kiva, the project is attempting to establish an Avon-style network of women to sell solar lights, mobile phone chargers and more. “In sub-Saharan Africa, women make up 70 percent of the poor living without electricity. They are also the primary decision makers when it comes to choosing solar lighting and heating over the standard kerosene,” Kiva says. By borrowing and getting the "business in a bag" the women can sell the sytstems to fellow villagers and reinvest the profits into growing the business or supporting things like education.

For that project Solar Sisters is working with Barefoot Power, D.light Design and Greenlight Planet. Depending on villagers’ needs, the systems could be as small as a solar-powered light, allowing villagers’ to replace dangerous kerosene or oil lights for use at night. Or they can include a light and charger system, allowing villagers to power their mobile devices — allowing farmers to check on markets, or villagers to communicate with friends, neighbors, or contact emergency medical care.

The organization is also coordinating loans for EarthSpark International, which is working to eradicate energy poverty in Haiti. That nonprofit is working on both the local and national level in an attempt to bring clean energy to Haiti, using solar lights and solar ovens. “Efficient cookstoves save time and money — about $5 per month. Solar desk lamps offer over five times as much light output as a kerosene lamps, and can pay for themselves out of fuel savings in less than six months,” EarthSpark says.

More and more companies and organizations are popping up to make it easier to access solar in developing nations, too. For instance, LuminAID just won $100,000 in startup capital for its low-cost, inflatable, waterproof solar lights from the Clean Energy Trust’s Clean Energy Challenge. While these products are great opportunities for people to get involved in helping countries and people get out of poverty, there’s always more than can be done. But one of the great things about microfinance programs is the low barrier to entry and the knowledge that investors possess, which can help borrowers learn, too. 

These are just a few of the opportunities that are out there. Visit Kiva's Green Loans program to learn more about others.