In Ghanaian villages without electricity, many people have mobile phones, but it is difficult to charge them. Villagers must travel far and pay 0.50 cedis ($0.35, about the cost of a simple meal) to charge their phones. The battery charging team has built upon and incorporated ideas from villagers to create a prototype to charge phones from a car battery, reducing distance and cost.
Original Challenge: Mobile phones, radios and lights are common electronic devices that are invaluable to rural inhabitants. Almost all of these devices are powered by batteries which are expensive and disposable or require electricity to charge. According to the International Energy Administration, only 25% of rural Ghanaians are connected to a national electricity grid, which limits the ability to charge batteries and thus limits the use of battery-powered devices. For this project, a team will create a product or service to address the challenges of battery usage in rural areas along with a viable business plan.