Solar Lights for Villages Project – Đăk Lăk

Dear donors and friends,

In early 6/2024, Y Tam made a field trip to 2 villages, Yang Hăn and E Hăn, in Cư Dram commune, Krong Bông district, Đăk Lăk. Both villages are quite remote and are home mainly to the H’Mông ethnic minority.

Two H’Mông women in E Hăn wearing brocade blouses

Y Tam visited the villagers to learn about their daily lives. Below is the information Y Tam gathered during the survey:

I/ SURVEY RESULTS

Cư Dram is a Zone 3 commune (an area of extreme hardship). Although the government has supported it with a great deal of infrastructure and poverty-reduction policies, such as schools, a health station and roads…, the villagers still face difficulties in every aspect of life.

Yang Hăn and E Hăn are the 2 most remote villages of Cư Dram commune, home to more than 400 households, mostly H’Mông. The villagers make their living mainly from upland farming and raising livestock.

Both villages now have clean water, and what the villagers need most is street lighting in the village.

Speaking with Y Tam, Mr. Mạnh Vương, head of E Hăn village, said: We villagers really need street lights. We have wanted them for a long time but still don't have any. We need them because we want the village at night to have fewer traffic accidents, to be safer for the children, and to have less crime and social problems….

In response to these hopes of the villagers, Y Tam has decided to work alongside them to carry out the SOLAR LIGHTS FOR VILLAGES project.

A sample solar light pole

Y Tam measured the length of the 2 roads around the 2 villages and the 2 cultural houses. The total is 2.6 km, which we expect will need 95 solar light poles, one every 30 m, including 6 poles at the 2 cultural houses.

II/ PROJECT MODEL

Based on the survey results above, Y Tam met with local leaders and the Cư Dram commune Youth Union to discuss ways to help the villagers with solar street lights. After these discussions, Y Tam, the local leaders and the villagers of the 2 villages reached an agreement: Y Tam will provide 80% of the funding and the construction expertise, while the villagers and the commune People's Committee will contribute labor and 20% of the project funding.

1/ APPROACH

To make the project truly practical and highly effective, Y Tam proposed that the locality hold a meeting of all households in the 2 villages of Yang Hăn and E Hăn to hear the villagers' views, record their suggestions and invite village representatives to take part in the project. The local leaders strongly support it and are ready to work with Y Tam to carry out this project.

Y Tam is delighted that, when the villagers were informed, everyone from top to bottom was in full agreement and ready to help in every way. As long as the villagers are united and involved, carrying out the project will go extremely smoothly.

Throughout the work, Y Tam will closely supervise the technical side and the progress to ensure the quality of the project. Above all, we will always ensure transparency in both finances and work processes…

2/ PRACTICALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROJECT

Y Tam sees street lighting in both villages as truly necessary, because it will make the villagers more secure and safer, especially children, women and the elderly. Having light also means a better quality of life: the villagers will be able to go about their evening activities more freely. Light will open up many paths…

Moreover, the 2 cultural houses, where the villagers gather, hold meetings and take part in all kinds of activities, badly need lighting so that everyone can come to enjoy themselves, take part in activities and meet in safety.

For these reasons, Y Tam is very eager to carry out this project as soon as possible!

So that the project is long-lasting and sustainable and the villagers benefit from it, Y Tam will set up an operating team to maintain the solar power system and make sure the lights stay on for the long term.

Each solar battery lasts 6 years, after which it will be replaced with a new one. Each battery costs about 350,000 VND.

Y Tam therefore needs an agreed commitment to take responsibility for operating the project afterwards, to look after it and prevent damage; when something breaks and needs replacing or repairing, the villagers will take the initiative to contribute funds for the repairs.

For our part, Y Tam will be responsible for monitoring the use of the solar street lights and reporting on it transparently to our sponsors and donors, as well as providing technical advice to the villagers when needed!

3/ TIMELINE 

– Y Tam will raise funds and begin the work as soon as we have enough funding.

– Our target is to complete fundraising and begin work by the end of 7/2024.

III/ PROJECT BUDGET:

The total estimated budget is 186,517,000 VND (see the image for item-by-item details)

Project cost estimate

-Of this, the locality will contribute 37,000,000 VND

-Y Tam's 80% share is 149,517,000 VND.

IV/ SUPPORTING THE PROJECT:

Only when we step into the light do we understand how precious light is to us!

With the villagers' hopes and Y Tam's own deep wish to carry out this project, we hope the conditions will soon come together to bring light to the villages of Yang Hăn and E Hăn.

To make this happen, Y Tam sincerely hopes to receive the support of donors and sponsors in Vietnam and abroad.

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOLAR LIGHTS FOR VILLAGES PROJECT CAN BE SENT TO:

Y Tam Volunteer Organization

Office address: No. 4/3 Núi Thành Street, Ward 13, Tân Bình District, Ho Chi Minh City.

Phone: 098 567 4772

Bank accounts:

Account name: Đào Thị Minh Lệ

1/ Techcombank: Account number: 1207110487

2/ Vietcombank: Account number: 0721000640139

Note: when donating, please add the following details to help Y Tam keep records up to date: Donor's name + UHTSBL

Sincerely!

Y Tam Volunteer Organization.