In 2022, the AllPeopleBeHappy foundation initiated a new Opportunity Project titled “Solar for Tanzanian Clinics”. In the Karagwe and Kyerwa districts of Tanzania, which have a combined population of 750,000 people, there are 2 hospitals, 6 health centers, and 69 health clinics. The health centers and clinics and all operating on low or zero degree of electrification, utilizing intermittent grid power or generators. After an initial survey by Mavuno Project and a needs assessment by the solar company OffGridBox, we decided that Phase 1 will be the solarization of the Kayanga Health Center (53 rooms) and the Rugu Clinic (25 rooms). The solar/clean-water equipment was shipped in from Italy and installed on-site in November. For Kayanga, we used three OffGridBox Mini 5-1200 (total 3 kWp, 3.6 kW inverter, 14.4 kWh battery, 5L/sec ultrafiltration), and for Rugu, we used one Mini 5-500 (0.25 kWp, 0.5 W inverter, 1.2 kWh battery, 5L/sec ultrafiltration). From now on, the up to 400,000 patients per year at Kayanga, and the up to 10,000 patients per year at Rugu will have 24/7 electricity and purified water for the foreseeable future.
The lack of clean and safe water in the districts has been responsible for diseases such as typhoid, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, and worms, and the unreliable electricity in the clinics has been contributing to the deaths of pregnant mothers and babies at childbirth for years.