Portrait of Caroline Pugeni, program coordinator at SCORE Against Poverty.
Caroline Pugeni, was one of the founders of Score Against Poverty in 2014, breaking traditional stereotypes that women cannot be community leaders. She has built the organization from helping 10 farmers learn conservation agriculture to the multi-faceted organization that it is in Mwenezi District today. She is a role model for other women in the community, hires women to be project coordinators, and empowers women throughout SCORE's programs.
Clean energy engineer Tariro Cynthia Mutsindikwa looks up at a light at the Nehanda clinic in Mwenezi district that's powered by solar panels.
The solar power system MCC partner Score Against Poverty provided at Nehanda clinic enables safer maternal care to women from the remote areas of Mwenezi District. The delivery rooms and the dormitories for women awaiting the beginning of labor are now well lit. Prior to installing the panels, the lack of light made it hard to respond to birth complications. “You cannot suture by candlelight.” says Nurse Portia Runesu, who has been delivering babies for 17 years. Laboring mothers can now walk to the delivery room in safety thanks to the external lighting and cell phone flashlights recharged with solar power.
Ratidzo Zizhou, 11 is carrying four pieces of firewood. The same amount she would have to bring to school before the school had a fuel efficient stove. Now the children only have to bring one.
Students at Chingami Primary School now get a hot meal each day made on fuel-efficient stoves. The stoves keep the food hot longer than food cooked over the traditional fires and use much less firewood. As a result, students only need to bring firewood once a week instead of every day like they used to. When they were required to bring six branches of firewood every day, students used to get into trouble for being late or taking wood, such as fenceposts, because students had to walk very far to find the scarce firewood.
Agree Dube, MCC staff plays with Precious Moyo. A child at a household with solar provided by the SCORE project.
