Life now moves on at a normal pace. | Milaap
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Life now moves on at a normal pace

Written by Pachuau Lalruatpuii Publish date 09-Apr-2015
Veijalam weaving.
Veijalam weaving.

On a pleasant Friday at 7.30 in the morning I headed towards Motbung Village by bus with one of staff from WSDS, our partner in Manipur. It took about an hour to reach out destination. From there we were accompanied by the Motbung head to meet many of our clients living in that village The clients were pretty much scattered all over which made it quite difficult to meet them. We reached Vaijalam's house at 9 a.m. She was busy weaving with one of her daughters when we met her. Veijalam is A 37-year-old mother of four children. Her husband works as a Field Assistant at the Horticulture Department in Manipur. He is the main bread winner of the family who earns Rs 20,000 a month. Veijalam starts off her day by feeding her pigs at 5.30 a.m. She then cooks, cleans the house and starts weaving. She usually weaves two traditional wrap around skirts a month, each costing Rs. 6000. She says, "Life has been much easier for us after the solar home lighting system." The irregular power supply at her village slowed down life for them as they could never carry on their work properly. She and her group members had a taken a one year energy loan of Rs. 85,211 from Milaap to purchase a 45-watt mini solar home lighting system. Each system can light 4 bulbs for 12 hours a day; and with its 90-meter long wire, can light 4 adjacent rooms in each of their houses. With the solar home lighting system, her children can now study till 9 p.m and she can weave comfortably at night. Her sister often comes to weave at their home as well. The other group members - Chinneiting, Nemneihoi, Nemneichong, Veineilhing, Chinneilam, and Kholneikim are also very happy and grateful for the solar home lighting system. They no longer fear not having electricity at night because life now moves on at a normal pace with the solar home lighting system.

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