President Yoo holds up a solar powered LED lamp that lights up a local primary school in Kairobangi.

At the start of 2013, Global Peace Foundation expanded the Alllights Village Program to Kenya and Uganda. It is timely as the Kenya government moves forward with the “Kerosene Free Kenya” programme following its commitment at Rio 20+ in 2012.

The All Lights program provides solar powered LED lamps to developing regions in the world to promote health, literacy and ecologically sustainable development.  As GPF-Korea President Kyung Eui Yoo pointed out at the Kenya launch, the project is aiming for long term development and ultimately world peace.

President Yoo told the Chosun Daily,

The Alllights Village Project does not seek to merely provide lanterns to those in need. This project seeks to help local leaders change the mindset of the residents and help them overcome poverty. We are working together to develop economic independence and community driven development to secure the happiness of all the residents. It is like the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement) of Korea in the 1970s. In the future, it will expand into a Saenara Undong (New World Movement) that will secure peace that transcends race, religion, and nation.

The program began in Kaiobangi and Kibera and now has expanded to Mutate in the Rift Valley.

Recently The People interviewed the African project coordinator Juyong Kim on the benefits and aims of the All Lights Project in Kenya.

Read the story below.

Lighting up Lives with Solar Lanterns

By Samuria Puleiy
People Daily

Juyong Kim, the project coordinator for three countries representing the Global Peace Foundation. (Credits: The People)

Solar energy is slowly gaining acceptance in Kenya as a renewable source of power. Statistics indicate that 68 percent of the Kenyans depend on firewood and kerosene while a paltry two percent use solar technology despite of the numerous merits it offers. Despite this, 75 percent of Kenyans, especially in rural areas rely on kerosene lanterns for their lighting despite the documented evidence of the health risks those who use these expose themselves to.

To promote the use of solar energy in Kenya, a group of Koreans through a global foundation has come up with a project dubbed ‘All lights programme’ that lights up the lives of children and communities living in the poorest of conditions in Nairobi and parts of Rift Valley. “Light cannot only be used for the purpose of sight, it can also promote peace, cohesion and unity among communities,” says one Juyong Kim, the project coordinator for three countries representing the Global Peace Foundation (GPF).

The foundation started its work in Kenya three years ago. Targeting a specific group of victims widely affected by the Post Election Violence witnessed in Kenya in the 2007/08 period, GPF initiated the programme that saw students, families and communities receive solar powered lanterns that apart from providing light played an important role in bringing communities together.

“We started the project late in 2010 after realising that children were not able to effectively go about their education due to the harsh conditions they lived in. We needed to do something for humanity as these were potential lives going to waste,” says Kim. The South Korean foundation brought in the solar lanterns to Kenya with three main agendas – reducing illiteracy levels, minimizing or completely eradicating health related issues and protecting the environment.

“Most poor families use wick lanterns due to economic constraints, oblivious to the health hazards they are exposing themselves to. But they have no other option. That’s why we saw the need to come in,” explains Kim. They started their work in Kariobangi and Kibera and expanded to Mutate area in Molo Region of El-Burgon in Rift Valley.

The programme has already benefited 150 families. “Children from these families need not to worry about catching up with their studies even in the evening. Their parents can also operate their businesses even as night falls and this is good for the economy,” reckons Kim. The solar powered lanterns are state of the art devices manufactured in South Korea.

They require to be charged for a maximum of five hours with the energy capable of serving its user for a maximum of eight hours into the night. The Alllights programme is fully funded by the people South Korea and one lantern costs about going for about Sh2,610 ($30).

However, the foundation has an agreement with the manufacturers who sell the lanterns to them at a more subsidised rate. With the pilot project having being launched in Kenya in 2011, GPF seeks to run a five year programme where they intend to bring in the solar powered lanterns to the country with plans already under way to install solar powered street lights in poorly lit areas in the country.

Posted by: The People: Development Agenda August 7, 2013

Daniel Juma, Executive Director of GPF-Kenya also recently was interview on KNTV on All Lights Village.

The post All Lights Village in Kenya Featured in The People appeared first on Hyun Jin Preston Moon.

Two weeks ago, UPI reported on three Kenyans in Atlanta who assured, “Kenya next year will avoid the ethnic violence that tore the country apart during the 2007 elections.”

The statement references painful memories of post-election violence in 2007-2008 that Hon. Alfred Khangati said, “Brought our economy to its knees.”

Three Kenyans at the Global Peace Convention 2012, assured that Kenya’s next elections will be peaceful. Left to right, Dr. Manu Chandaria, Hon. Alfred Khangati, and Mr. Daniel Juma Omondi.

Over 1,200 deaths were reported. Tens of thousands more were displaced. Much of the violence was concentrated in the Rift Valley, a province outside of the capitol of Nairobi. Later studied traced the violence to long-standing social injustices, deep seated ethnic animosities,  and tribal divisions.

These men, Hon. Alfred Khangati, a minister from the Office of the President of Kenya, Mr. Daniel Juma Omondi, Chief Executive Officer of Nairobi’s Global Peace Youth Corps Kenya and renowned businessman and philanthropist Dr. Manu Chandaria, are approaching peace not just through politics and economics; but with the principles of peace and social cohesion. They were in Atlanta at the Global Peace Convention 2012 to present the best practices of the Rift Valley Peace Initiative.

Although it was officially launched in April of 2012, the Rift Valley Peace Initiative has been working on the ground since 2007 to address the root causes of the post-election violence. Dr. Chandaria OBE, EBS, chairman and CEO of the Comcraft Group, and member of the Global Peace Council, is a key player in the initiative. Dr. Chandaria has helped rebuild two primary schools in Mutate and Sasamua which were burned down during the riots, and is a patron of the National Youth Summit series. He explained his approach to ensuring peace, “The best way to reform mankind is through education of the children.”

The National Youth Summits are seeking to do just that. The summits are empowering Kenyan youth to take personal responsibility for their country’s future. The workshops are training the youth to be peace-builders. Young leaders are being equipped with vision, values of moral leadership, and skills such as communication, reconciliation and conflict management. This type of youth engagement is unlike 2007, where according to Mr. Omondi, unemployed youth were paid to incite violence. “Young people threw the stones,” said Mr. Omodi.

The National Youth Summits are empowering youth with character and leadership as well as engaging them in the civic process.

Last week the Nation Youth Summit convened for youth from the coastal region of Kenya. The regional summits are leading up to a National Youth Summit to be held in January 2013, prior to the elections. On December 19, Dr. Chandaria facilitated a meeting where the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) signed an MOU with Brand Kenya to sponsor the National Youth Summit.

Other efforts such as the East Africa Peace Service Corps (EAPSC) are addressing the issues of youth unemployment and education through volunteerism. During the Africa Conference on Volunteer Action for Peace & Development where the EAPSC was launched as part of the Volunteer Peace Corps, Dr. Chandaria said, “we need to change the mindset from one of what is in it for me, to one of service.” Dr. Chandaria explained that volunteerism is the “basis of our happiness,” and the means through which “to take action for peace and development.”

On December 17-18, the Kenyan Parliament and Kenya Private Sector Alliance convened the Speaker’s Round Table conference to deliberate Kenya’s preparedness for the general elections expected in March next year.

The event was streamed live on Kenya’s NTV. Current Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki said, “No fight will provoke or do any good for you. It is the best thing we can do for our nation to have a peaceful election.” Prime Minister Raila Odinga, meanwhile, urged sobriety in the political campaigns and Vice President Stephen Musyoka pledged, “This election will be peaceful.” The Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Mr. Issack Hassan appealed to the youth. He said while his commission was ready to deliver a free, fair and credible elections, it is up to the Kenyan youth to help.

Top commenter on NTV’s report of the Speakers Roundtable wrote, “ULTIMATELY it’s the ordinary Kenyan who makes the decision either to refuse to harm a FELLOW Kenyan for the sake of politics or to do so.”

The Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria received the Global Peace Award at the Global Peace Convention 2012.

With the emphasis on vision and values, programs like the Rift Valley Peace Initiative and the East African Peace Service Corps  are educating Kenyans to make good decisions.

Dr. Chandaria and his wife Mrs. Aruna Chandaria were awarded the Global Peace Award for Exemplary and Innovative Philanthropy for the extensive work they have done to enhance the quality of life for Kenyans.

UPI and NTV reports were referenced in this story.

Credit to Mr. Insu Choi, GPFF Africa, Regional Representitive

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