After series of consultations, negotiations and research, Endev has been able to a larger extent analyze Liberia’s Pico Pv/solar lamp situation and apparent challenges. These include lack of adequate awareness, limited quantities available, financial constraints faced by general consumers, dawdling start-up of NGOs empowering sales agents, etc.
Solar Lamps Marketing Strategy
Way Forward
Close collaboration with retailers; Empower more business people; work with NGOs that are interested in partnering (make sure sound specific strategy); Collaborate with farmer cooperative; (e.g. Sebehill,Wakaseh, Africa Venture Liberia) in Nimba and Lofa Counties; Donate lamps to retailers to encourage them; Connect interesting target groups (e.g., teachers) with sales persons.
In an effort to support communities in their EVD crisis recovery process and encourage women groups and student s assemblies to use the evening hours for their activities, IMC Liberia MHPSS team distributed Waka-Waka solar lights that were provided by EnDev Liberia.
The benefitting communities in Bong County had been directly affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and were selected on the basis of their needs, considering the impact the outbreak had on them relative to other communities that were not as affected by the epidemic.
The teams also identified groups with specific needs to utilize the improved light especially during evening hours activities. These included, Student groups organized to study together; Women’s groups established to meet regularly and discuss development issues and other matters concerning their communities and its members etc.
Meanwhile, benefactors expressed their gratitude on receiving the donation and emphasized that they now have sufficient time to sell their local goods and have meetings in the evening time contrary to what was happening before the lights were provided.
BENEFACTORS OF ENDEV GENEROUS DONATION DURING THE EBOLA PERIOD
The smallest and simplest system in the range of solar products.
A portable, handheld lantern/torch/flashlight that has a small inbuilt solar panel is the most common device that appears here.
Some of the lamps allow the charging of cell phones (mobile phones).
Quality can vary and it is important to look for lamps that follow the Lighting Global Minimum Standards (https://www.lightingglobal.org/products/) .
Further Information: https://energypedia.info/wiki/Features_of_PicoPV_Systems
Overview
Since 2013, EnDev is active in promoting a market for solar lamps in Liberia. Collaborating with the government agency RREA, EnDev works towards empowering retailers (who have capital to buy substantial quantity of lamps) and sales agents (who have almost no capital and get lamps from retailer), improve marketing and sales strategies and generate as well share knowledge, skills and expertise to enhance solar lamp retailing and repairing.
During the Ebola crisis, EnDev helped distributing solar lamps donated as humanitarian assistance, while market developing activities were interrupted.
Today, based on a market approach, RREA gives out the imported solar lamps to retailers who invest at least 1000 USD in buying solar lamps, EnDev complements this focusing to empower business people with not enough capital to become a retailer to sell solar lamps and generate income as sales agents.
EnDev’s three strategic objectives:
Strategies for market development:
EnDev invites NGOs to suggest target groups and sales strategies for their area(s) of operation to empower persons to become solar lamp sales agents. Those who apply with a convincing strategy receive (See call for proposals under Download and Information) the starting capital of up to 100 solar lamps (maximum of 10 lamps per suggested sales agent) as a donation.
NGOs are expected to monitor and support the sales agents, report on their marketing and sales strategies as well as sales numbers. Also, they will connect with an RREA retailer of their choice (or become RREA retailer themselves) to ensure continuous supply and repairs.
EnDev will compile the lessons learned of all NGOs, retailers and sales agents to summarize and share successful strategies.
EnDev in collaboration with solar lamp retailers and NGOs develops up to three marketing strategies , e.g. Flyers with all contact information, a radio show featuring solar lamps, a cost efficient way of using solar energy to show movies and publicity in rural communities. Such movies with publicity have been very successful in other countries and might be appreciated in Liberia, too.
Solar lamp retailers, sales agents and NGOs shall contribute to the implementation and testing of these marketing strategies.
EnDev will ensure proper documentation and evaluation of the strategies and share lessons learned.
EnDev Liberia offers workshops for maintenance and repair of solar lamps to retailers. During the training, retailers find out how solar lamps work, learn how to repair them, what spare parts to keep in stock and how their customers best operate the lamps to extend the products’ lifespan.
EnDev focuses on gathering, generating, sharing and distributing information and knowledge, connecting product or service providers with customers, enhancing quality and facilitating market development.
