PayGo

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; GHANA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Solar lamps. 

Learn more about the Solar Lamp Challenge and how these lamps create enormous benefits for developing world families.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Paygo LLC is a for-profit direct sales company formed with the sole purpose of proving the concept that direct sales to the poor business model can be effective in distributing innovative and life-changing products, while providing a good living wage to sales representatives and a profit to the company. 

Paygo works to identify and train teams of direct sales representatives who go directly to consumers in their homes, villages and workplaces and teach them the benefits of off-grid lanterns. The goal is to sell the products directly to these consumers right at the point when they are most excited to purchase. Sales representatives are also the distribution resource and carry product with them wherever they go. Additionally, the representatives are the lending mechanism for the lease to own model. 

The Paygo model focuses on three types of distribution strategies: 1) educating and selling at pre-scheduled meetings in villages where they can talk with over a hundred villagers at a time directly where they live and work, 2) meeting with groups at municipal assemblies and in their places of work through meetings that are sponsored by their employers, and 3) selling directly to street vendors, businesses and individuals. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Employ 50 sales representatives by the end of year 1

• Have three offices throughout Ghana by the end of year 1

• Sell 17,886 solar lamps by the end of year 1

FOUNDING TEAM

Taylor Turnbull - President and Chief Operations Officer 

Alan Westenskow - Managing Member and Chief Innovation Officer 

Paul Dickson - Member of the Board and Advisor 

Patrick Umeh - Director of Operations 

Power2Girls

SUGAR DADDY AWARENESS CHALLENGE; GHANA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Sugar Daddy Awareness classes, a proven solution to address high teenage HIV and pregnancy rates. 

Learn more about the Sugar Daddy Awareness Challenge and how a simple, one-hour “sugar daddy awareness” training could help countless girls avoid pregnancy while still in school, which can lead to entrenched poverty, and build a better life.

 

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

The proven sugar daddy awareness intervention that empowers girls, the Sara Communication Initiative (SCI) developed by UNICEF, will be the cornerstone of the pilot training program in Ghana. Within the pilot, Power2Girls will distribute the curriculum in Ghana through localizing and centralizing SCI curriculum with a team of change agents who are personally motivated and have a demonstrated commitment to girls' empowerment. Power2Girls will train the change agents to maximize impact. The organization will connect with schools and grassroots organizations to deliver quality curriculum in classrooms, build a network of future change agents within schools and communities, and provide mentorship via phone, website, the network of change agents, and on-site visits. Change agents will share curriculum with local teachers via USB drives and content will be distributed to girls' phones. Paper copies of the Sara comic book will also be distributed. 

Distribution ultimately rests with students themselves who can harness the power of mobile technology and social media to spread ideas and influence cultural norms within their own communities and their country. 

The main goals are to increase awareness of the risks of sugar daddies to 100%, improve girls' confidence to say "no" to cross-generational relationships, and enhance girls' ability to think critically about challenges facing them as well as how current choices can shape the future. Power2Girls will measure and analyze results through pre- and post-assessments and provide reports for schools to show their students' progress to the Ghana Ministry of Education and the public. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• The curriculum will reach 5,000 junior high school girls in Central Ghana during the pilot

• Change agents will visit 100 schools during the pilot

• Reach 50,000 girls across 1,000 schools by the end of year 1

• Build a network of 2,000 public school teachers ready for training by the end of year 1

• Reduce teen pregnancy by 25% during year 1

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Sheena Lahren - Curriculum Development and Human Resources Director

Nick Pernisco - Technology Director 

Sophie Danner - Research and Results Director 

Melissa LaFayette - Partnerships Director