[Stoves] Fwd: business sickness

Tue Jul 19 01:00:21 CDT 2016

Dear Friends

This deserves support.

>From Philip Lloyd:

"As they developed sources of income, they bought a Real Coal Stove, a
cast-iron appliance of 19th century design which enabled you to cook, boil
water, burn refuse, heat the home, and provide a social focus for family and
friends. The cost was around $2000, and there was local microfinance to make
it "affordable".

"Affordability is a poor measure of utility."

The term we use is 'access' not 'affordability'. Access to be able to buy
something is not quite the same as 'affordability' as assessed by an
outsider. It is the loan from the furniture shop that makes the stove
'affordable' meaning 'accessible to the low-salaried'. Yes it is not
accessible to the destitute. That cannot be a surprise.

In theory a cell phone of the 'smart' variety is not 'affordable' to a huge
portion of people in Africa who own one. How they got it is a different
matter from their ability to manage to own one. Often it is purchased by
family and given to them to cut drastically the cost of communication to
rural areas. 

I am reminded of a solar panel-powered borehole pump demonstration in Kenya
when a villager straggled over to ask what they were doing. The water
experts were ooh-ing and ahh-ing around the pump which was entirely powered
by the sun. They explained to the villager that it was a sun-powered
electric pump and needed no gasoline for fuel to make it work. 

"How much does it cost?" he asked.

"Oh it is very expensive."

"How much?"

"$20,000. As I said it is really expensive - not the sort of thing that
would be affordable in the villages, we are just demonstrating it to show it
can work.

"Huh."

The village straggled back towards the village. A few minutes later he
straggled back and handed the water expert $20,000 in cash.

"Deal?"

"Uh-h..OK."

Don't tell people (or even assume) what they can and cannot afford. Make
them an offer that is too good to refuse. They might take it.

Regards

Crispin

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