Aid Development Disaster Recovery Case Studies

Dimitra Community Listening

Africa's Community Listeners' Clubs, and the Freeplay radios they rely upon, are helping to transform people's lives in parts of the continent that do not have access to a regular power supply.

Freeplay is proud to sponsor the Three Hills Action Trust (THAT) which supports the village of Neema Nguuni in the district of Nguu Tatu in Kenya, assisting the villagers and their neighbours to improve the health of all and the education and welfare of the children.

Malawi Union of the Blind

With the help of Freeplay Energy, the Malawi Union of the Blind were able to distribute 12 Lifeline radios to 12 radio guardians who were members of MUB. These radio guardians formed radio clubs within their community, allowing others to share the radio, receiving access to information and education.

Burkina Faso Social Enterprise

Providing aid to developing countries was once a question of delivering food and medicines to relieve short-term distress. In more recent years, increasingly sophisticated approaches have been developed which aim to empower communities by providing them with the tools to meet their own longer-term needs.

East Timor

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has chosen to distribute 1,100 Freeplay Energy Lifeline radios across the country to aid in increasing access to information in remote villages.

Lighting up Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa, with a population of about 350 million people, has the lowest levels of electrification in the world, where 9 out of 10 people do not have electricity. This is the primary reason that the Weza, Freeplay's portable energy source, was designed.

Solomon Islands Disaster Relief

On April 2, 2007, an 8.1 earthquake rocked the Solomon Islands, causing significant damage and destruction. The earthquake was followed by the further devastation of a tsunami. UNICEF have used 300 of Freeplay Energy's Lifeline radios to assist with improving access to education.

Hurricane Relief Efforts in Haiti

The Lifeline radio is extremely important in during disasters. Powered by human energy and by solar, it becomes a vital tool to establish communication amidst the breakdown and ruin of infrastructure. Internally displaced people have access to important information updates at all times. Project Partner: International Federation of the Red Cross.

Rural Energy Enterprises in Rwanda

The Weza foot-powered generator, designed and patented by Freeplay Energy, is at the centre of a new jobs and income-generation project in Rwanda supported by microfinance. The project aims to create sustainable rural businesses that use the foot-powered Weza.

Masai Mara Education

Freeplay's wind-up and solar-powered products have a significant impact on the lives of individuals and communities in a range of different settings. In addition to working with some of the largest aid and development organisations in Africa, Freeplay also supports small, local projects, such as Kishermoruak School in the Masai Mara National Reserve in south-western Kenya.

Radio School in Madagascar

To support Madagascar's national radio schools initiative, UNICEF Madagascar has procured 20,000 self-powered Lifeline radios from Freeplay Energy. A project of the Ministry of Education, the radio programmes will reinforce teacher's existing efforts and curriculum.