City group provides a ray of hope to tribals at MM Hills

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Children and women at tribal hamlets in the remotest parts of Male Mahadeshwara Hills can now have access to solar lighting, thanks to a group of volunteers from Bengaluru.

Five tribal hamlets Medegnane, Mendere, Alambadi and Tulasikere few of the remotest tribal hamlets in the MM Hills in Chamarajanagar District, one of the denser forests in the state with a thick tribal population will now have solar lights to lit up their houses.

#Light the Nation, an initiative by Karmodaya aims to provide lighting to poor households in the tribal and rural areas. As a pilot run, 150 tribal households were lit with solar lights on November 29 and 30 by Karmodaya in partnership with HOPE Society and The Good Quest Foundation.

Maddayya, a beneficiary from Soliga tribe, says, “I have spent all the days of my life using fire lit up from firewood and oil lamps to complete my chores after sun set, now with solar lights installed at my house I get to see light even after sunset,” said Madayya.

Eashwari, a 9th standard student, said that she could study and do her homework even after sunset now.

Each household has received a solar kit consisting of two bulbs, one tube light, a socket to charge a cell phone along with a solar panel. Each of the kits costs Rs 4,450. Women and children can now have access to lights even after sunset to continue their household chores and to study which was impossible until the volunteers from #Light the nation provided them solar kits.

The kit comes with 5 years life and warranty for two years. “I am very happy to have a solar kit. There are around 40 school going children in our hamlet. The kits are a great help for them,’’ said Muniyappa, a resident, adding that the hamlet has the privelge to see the light after so many years.

#Light the Nation- Karnataka pilot run - organizers and volunteers on ground from Hope Society and The Good Quest Foundation walked miles to various households trekking through the forests, hills and valleys.

The volunteers provided a demo on the usage of the solar light and installed each of them in the shacks, huts and mud houses of the tribal beneficiaries.