Solar Energy For the Ethiopia Safe House

Name  of Group: Kolla Women Liberation Mutual Aid

Members of your group:

Women's Names:

1. Alemework Tesfaye
2. Nigist Getachew
3. Tizita Bekele
4. Yodit Alemu
5. Frehiwot Gebremichael
6. Selamawit Tsegaye
7. Hiwot Emishaw
8. Mahlet Fikre
9. Genet Mulugeta
10. Aster Yilma
11. Woinshet Adane
12. Emebet Mekonnen
13. Zewditu Tadesse
14. Tigist Legesse
15. Meseret Abebe

Children's Names:

1. Natnael Alem (boy)
2. Hanna Getaneh (girl)
3. Abel Mulu (boy)
4. Rahel Tesfaye (girl)
5. Dawit Bekele (boy)
6. Kidist Yilma (girl)
7. Amara Fikre (boy)

8. Betelhem Gebre (girl)
9. Kaleb Tsegaye (boy)

Email used by your group: amaratesfaye@gmail.com

Phone used by your group: +2518168437002

Website or Facebook page used by your group?  None

When and why did your group become humanist and what does humanism mean to your group?

It was a different date for almost all of us but the central theme for becoming a humanist for us is the same thing. We are a group of young women who are deviantly fighting the harem women culture in our villages. The harem culture is when women are married off in their numbers to a man and are kept in the house never to see the daylight and not permitted to interact with other people. We can’t work, we can’t learn any skills and we also can’t get further education to make ourselves valuable to our society. All the women in the groups are currently divorced and fled their matrimonial home. We resented the men they had married us to, renounced our faith and now find much greater fulfillment in becoming secular humanists and productive individuals. As
against our former faith, Humanism enriches our lives better by allowing us to know our worth, dignity and even rights as free individuals. Humanism taught us that women were free to determine the kind of life that we want to live and that we can live to our full potential if we equally work hard and are smarter enough like most men. And we are dedicated to do this. We want to continually support ourselves and young ladies to have critical reasoning education, vocational skills and good sexual education so that the quality of life that we live can be hugely transformed.

Project Description

For centuries, the oppressive regime of harem culture has perpetuated unimaginable suffering among women and children in Ethiopia, denying them fundamental human rights and dignity. Our group, steadfast in its commitment to empowering these vulnerable individuals, has established a Humanist Safe House in Kolla, Ethiopia. This sanctuary provides refuge, counseling, education, and economic empowerment programs, equipping survivors with the tools necessary to reclaim their lives. However, the safe house faces a critical challenge that threatens the continuity of these essential services: unreliable and unsustainable energy.

The persistent power outages and erratic energy supply in Kolla have severely hampered the safe house's ability to provide uninterrupted support to its residents. The current reliance on government electricity and petroleum generators is not only prohibitively expensive but also poses significant environmental and health risks. The noise pollution from these generators further compromises the tranquility and sense of security that the safe house strives to provide. Moreover, the financial burden of fueling these generators diverts vital resources away from critical programs and services, undermining the group's capacity to effect transformative change in the lives of its beneficiaries. The solar energy system will significantly improve the lives of women and children escaping harem culture. We appreciate your consideration of this grant proposal.

Budget - $300

- Solar panels: $120
- Batteries: $60
- Inverter/charger: $40
- Mounting hardware: $20
- Installation: $60
Total: $300

 Solar Energy System Details:

- 2 kW solar panel array
- 4 deep cycle batteries for energy storage
- 1 x 2 kW inverter/charger
- Mounting hardware and installation

Benefits to your Community

 1. Provide reliable energy for the safe house, ensuring continuous support services.

2. Enhance resident comfort and safety.
3. Reduce environmental impact.
4. Contribute to the economic empowerment of women and children.