Mali no electricity, how to charge cellphone with motorcycle ?

Mali, like many African countries, has better mobile phone coverage than it does landline networks, and most people own a mobile phone. However, small villages have no electricity, leaving mobile phone owners to have to come up with ingenious makeshift ways to charge their phone batteries. Our Observer has an original solution.

In Mali, everyone has a mobile phone.

The two main network operators cover the whole of the territory. The fact that there are telephones in every village has profoundly changed people’s lives.

Agriculture know price by phone

Also, the spread of mobile phones in Mali has been an enormous time-saver for farmers. Shepherds are careful to check what fields they can bring their animals to, to make sure they’re not eating somebody else’s crop. After the harvest, no need to bring your crop to every market to see where you’ll get the best price for it – a telephone call will do.

The lack of electricity in homes.

Generators in villages are extremely rare.

The problem in Mali is not the lack of coverage; it’s the lack of electricity in homes. Generators in villages are extremely rare. There are some solar panels but they are not enough to meet everybody’s needs. So many Malians have no way of recharging their phone battery.

Every family owns a scooter

phones into “Jakarta”, the most common model of motorcycle in the country Mali

Since virtually every Malian family owns a scooter or motorcycle to get around, it makes sense for them to use their scooter battery to charge our phones.

source: observers.france24.com