Women's Club Starlink Project

Description

In a village that currently lacks reliable internet access, residents walk daily to a nearby hill to make phone calls or use online services. This creates significant challenges for safety, communication, education, and emergency response. The proposed project will install a Starlink internet system powered by a solar unit purchased with this grant. The system will be placed in a designated community building and managed by the women’s group, which will oversee maintenance and collect user fees to cover the monthly service costs.

The women’s group will operate the service as a small community business, forming a committee responsible for daily operations, financial oversight, maintenance coordination, and community awareness efforts. Demand for internet access is high, especially among the more than 40 school-aged children and youth who depend on online educational resources. Households are projected to contribute about ten dollars per month, which is less than what many currently spend on travel or mobile data to connect outside the village. With more than twenty households expected to participate, the estimated monthly revenue of two hundred dollars will exceed the projected cost of one hundred to one hundred sixty dollars.

This margin will allow the community to strengthen the service by adding more data to the plan while also supporting future maintenance and activities of the women’s group. By enabling reliable internet access within the village, the project aims to improve disaster preparedness, expand educational opportunities for young people, and strengthen communication and economic development.