There are a number of people living in Malvas who use car batteries to run a light or a radio receiver in their homes. When the battery is discharged, they put it on the bus and send it down to Huarmey, along with two or three soles, about $1.00, to recharge it.

This is a flow of cash out of an already cash poor economy in the village.

In order to help them to keep the cash in the local economy, and to raise some money for the school, and to make a test of a commercial use of solar power in the village, we helped some of the teachers install a solar charging station for batteries in the school, as part of our workshop. It is administered by the school.  People bring their batteries to be recharged to the school, and pay the school the money they would otherwise pay a company in Huarmey. The little fund which is being built up is used by the school to buy needed supplies.

Solar power will catch on in these communities, we think, as they find commercial applications. In the long term, we hope to help some small businesses get set up with local lending institutions, to make more commercial investment in solar power.

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