Clean Energy is a way of life
Access to clean energy is a big problem, as grids don’t reach and are not reliable, especially if you are poor in Nalanda and Gaya in BIhar. So, children study with kerosene lamps and women depend on firewood for cooking a cause for imminent danger in everyday life.
During this time, it was Anita Devi who emerged as a saviour & as an enterprise woman from Haribpur village, her life was not smooth as we see her today. Harassment & insult from her in-laws shaped Anita Devi’s determination, after training she started a small business promoting solar lamps, lanterns & home lighting. Instead of kerosene, she promotes cooking gas under Ujala scheme. Anita is now working as Clean Energy Entrepreneur & uses promotional activities, weekly stalls etc to earn 6000 per month from her business.
Due to COVID-19 impact and economic lockdown, over 170 trained clean energy entrepreneurs reaching out to 1.5 lakh people in Nalanda and Gaya. Their clean energy products reached to more than 1500 houses.
They are stopping the spread by with Panchayats to do frequent testing, social protection such as rations/ PDS and jobs under NREGS to most vulnerable communities and protect water sources. They lead their women’s collectives to promote nutrition gardens, farms for better nutrition so important in these difficult times.