Non-traditional Distribution Network for Solar Products
In the village of Ifakara, not too far from the tempestuous Kilombero River, I had the chance to visit the Ifakara women weavers. The women, part of a cooperative that provides an income source for women in the region, produce the famous Ifakara kikoi, hand-loom weaving worn as a sarong, body wrap, head-cover, or scarf. The women produced these colorful kikoi’s from hand-dyed yarns, using wooden equipment that I thought I would only see in museums.
It was a joy to watch them weave, and even more of a joy to shop and select from the dozens of colorful designs that the kikoi factory shop offered. In the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam about 6-8 hours away, the Ifakara kikoi can be found in upscale shops for about US$15 - US$20 each. But at the Ifakara kikoi factory, you can get them for nearly half the price. Perhaps one wonders how a kikoi shop can have any relationship to microsolar distribution in rural Tanzania, which is the focus of my project. But the relevance is certainly there. I believe the leveraging of existing distribution channels will facilitate the distribution of microsolar products in the country. For example, the Ifakara kikoi’s can be found in many shops throughout Tanzania, from the southern highlands of Iringa, to the northern safari circuits of Arusha, to the capital city of Dar es Salaam. Somehow, the kikoi’s, produced not too far from the tempestuous Kilombero River, found its way to distant regions of the country. And the women’s cooperative were able to do this while keeping the final price relatively reasonable and while maintaining a sustainable business to keep the women weavers employed. (Although I do not have the exactly information, I do believe the Ifakara kikoi is a self-sustaining enterprise). I would be very curious to see if we can somehow leverage the distribution network of the kikoi’s to also distribute solar panels.
The kikoi factory is just one example of an existing non-traditional network into which we can tap to distribute our solar panels. There are many throughout Tanzania. My distribution strategy which will be completed in the next two months will highlight strategies on how we can best reach these organizations and leverage existing distribution networks to bring solar power to Tanzania.