Have you ever thought of helping someone? Someone who is underprivileged, someone who is not having basic facilities. Have you ever thought of lighting up someone’s house who has never seen a bulb in their life?
If your answer is yes for any of the above questions, then thank you. You know about the
problems existing in society and identify yourself with the people who are facing these problems on a daily basis. Here is an opportunity to help these people.
Mountain Homestay Expedition (MHE)/Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) seeks to provide
clean energy, education, and wireless connectivity access through solar power, to help improve the living standards of the rural population. The initiative focuses on implementing a holistic development model for the rural un-electrified Himalayan communities by providing energy access through solar micro-grids for these remote villages located in the higher reaches of the Himalaya.
GHE work has been recognized by World Economic Forum and United Nation (Please find the video link at the end of the post).
The region has approx. 100 remote villages most of which do not have access to grid-based
electricity. Some of these villages lay at an average trek distance of 4-5days from the nearest motorable roads. Due to the inhospitable terrain, the development of these villages has thus been very limited. All the people living in these villages come below the poverty line and are able to only sustain their basic livelihood from the crops they grow and animals they rear.
I am Hitesh Kumar Mahawar, M. Tech. student at IIT Bombay.
This March, I am delighted to join the Global Himalayan Expedition 2018’s team of 10 members from across the globe, selected after various rounds of screening process to accomplish the noble goal of providing electricity to the remotest villages of Ladakh by installing the solar microgrid. This time, we are going to electrify a remote village in the Markha valley of Ladakh called Chalak.
To accomplish this mission I need some financial support to participate in the process and
contribute in the expense of installing the solar microgrid.
GHE 2018’s expedition cost is $1100 i.e. Rs. 70,261 per participant (which include 25% material cost and 75% cost of survey, expedition, and installation).
Other costs (not included in participant’s fee) which are:
- Travel to and from Leh: $233-311 i.e. Rs. 15,000 – 20,000
- Trekking gear (shoes, sleeping bag, woollen jackets, gloves etc.): $233-311 i.e. Rs. 15,000 -20,000
- The total expedition cost per participant is around $1722 i.e. Rs. 110,000.
Help me to electrify a village and help the country to become more equal.
Your small contribution can bring a positive change in others’ lives.
To donate and for more details, Please Click Here
Thanks and lots of love
Hitesh
Help spread the word!
More about GHE/MHE
Impacts
1. GHE has till date electrified 55 villages since it began with its pilot model of DC-based
electrification in 2014.
2. Installed a total of 257 micro-grids with a total capacity of 41.8 kW.
3. GHE has created 20 home-stays for tourists in the villages that have been electrified.
4. There has been an increase in income of approximately $44,000 across the 25 villages electrified through engagement in tourism in 2017.
5. GHE has also trained 35 villagers as entry-level solar grid technicians.
6. GHE has indirectly and directly employed 70 villagers to assist in its expeditions, village
surveys, and the solar grid installations. Of this number, 15 have been women who are
leading home-stay related activities.
7. Saved approximately 103 tons of Kerosene on an annual basis and helped mitigate 256
tons of CO2 gases on an annual basis from these solar electrified villages.
Videos:
1) 4 min. video by “How Young People Are Creating an Impact at Davos (by World Economic Forum on GHE)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpdpeaVohVI
2) 2 min. video by World Economic forum on GHE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LqivyA1csc
3) 47 min. video by Natgeo on electrification of Lingshed village and GHE approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb2swia1oxI&t=37s
4) 40 min. video by NDTV on electrification of 2500 years old Phugtal Monastery (English): https://www.ndtv.com/video/travel/lighting-the-himalayas/lighting-the-himalayas-initiative-powers-up-phugtal-monastery-427526
5) 40 min. video by NDTV on electrification of 2500 years old Phugtal Monastery (Hindi): https://www.ndtv.com/video/travel/lighting-the-himalayas/lighting-the-himalayas-phugtal-gompa-427542
Websites:
GHE: http://www.ghe.co.in/
MHE: http://mountainhomestays.com/
About the Author: Hitesh Kumar Mahawar is an LPU alumnus and currently an M.Tech. Student at Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) and Project Research Assistant at Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG), IIT Bombay, Email Id – hiteshmahawar93@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/hitesh-kumar-mahawar-b6bab783
