May 11, 2005
Mali Field Notes - Kléla and Ngorodougou
Community ownership is a crucialissue in development work. If a community has no stake in a project, there is often no incentive to initiate local innovation or even maintain the project. It was encouraging to learn that, in an effort to address the problem of lighting during nighttime Kinkajou classes, some villages purchased batteries and lamps of their own accord. In the village of Kléla, the former mayor bought a lighting system for the class.
Car battery used to power lighting system in Kléla
Lamps and wiring in the Kléla classroom
In Ngorodougou, community ownership of the project resulted in a few local innovations:
- The learners pooled money to buy a car lamp and a battery for the classroom
- Part of the classroom wall was painted white to serve a "screen" for the Kinkajou projection
- The solar panel wire was repaired by a local technician
B&W Kinkajou projection on wall "screen"
Car battery used to power the lighting system
Bright car lamp in use during a nighttime literacy class
Ngorodougou Kinkajou solar panel with repaired cord
