Reports Database

“This report sets out the findings from the evaluation of Prostate Cancer UK’s Information and Helpline services. The findings are based on:

• Background research and secondary data analysis of information and previous reports provided by Prostate Cancer UK, including helpline satisfaction surveys and Google Analytics;
• 14 telephone interviews with members of staff across Prostate Cancer UK;
• A focus group with the specialist nurses who staff the helpline;
• 50 telephone interviews with users of Prostate Cancer UK’s helpline and information service;
• 15 telephone interviews with health professionals that have used Prostate Cancer UK’s services;
• Fieldwork in six health and community settings, as well as one depth interview;
• Eight focus groups with people who have not used Prostate Cancer UK’s services, all aged over 50 with six groups of men and two women;
• 10 follow-up telephone interviews with a selection of the service users.

The helpline is a core service and is growing rapidly. Prostate Cancer UK literature is the most common way for users to find out about the helpline, although the internet – and in particular, the charity’s website – has grown in importance. Satisfaction rates are very high. Only 2% of users said nothing changed after their call, illustrating the impact the service has; more than 80% felt that the specialist nurses helped in a way health professionals could not. Growth in the latest year (2012-13 compared to 2011-12) has been most pronounced in London and the East Midlands, with use spiking among those aged 61-75. Use is over-concentrated in London and the South East, compared to other regions of the UK. In terms of ethnicity, use of Prostate Cancer UK’s helpline is broadly reflective of the population. It is notable that target populations such as Black African and Black Caribbean are also over concentrated in London, however Prostate Cancer UK does not significantly over represent these groups. Prostate Cancer UK should go further to reach more Black African and Black Caribbean users, given that these groups are higher risk.”

“For more than 50 years Amnesty International has been a social movement that has created extraordinary social change – helping to transform the call for freedom, justice and dignity into a truly global demand. With threats to human rights lying at the heart of major challenges facing humanity, our ongoing ambition is to increase significantly our impact.

We are determined to challenge ourselves to change the way we work globally, to be bold and imaginative, and to promote innovation and new thinking to help build the long-term future of a truly global human rights movement – one that makes change happen wherever and whenever
it is needed.”

“Macmillan Cancer Support carried out a major project to pilot new ways of providing one-to-one support for people with cancer across the UK. The process is split across two phases, with phase 1 (April 2012–November 2014) piloting the new approach in 16 sites across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

“Macmillan Cancer Support and Glasgow Life are now working in partnership to establish Cancer Information and Support Drop-in Services in Glasgow’s libraries. This is the largest programme of its kind being funded by Macmillan currently and is seen as a pilot for the UK as a whole.”

“Transparency International is a global movement with one vision: a world in which government, business, civil society and the daily lives of people are free of corruption. With more than 100 chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, we are leading the fight against corruption to turn this vision into reality.”

“Thunderbird students traveled to Bojonegoro in East Java, Indonesia, to monitor and evaluate the impact of the Kopernik-sponsored technologies (cook stoves and water purifiers) and distribution model on women and their communities. Kopernik asked TEM Lab to determine whether or not these two technologies have the potential to further the economic empowerment of women, and should that be possible, they wanted to understand how best to scale up access to the technologies in East Java and other Kopernik regions of action.

These two technologies had been determined by a local NGO (or “technology seeker”) to be of interest to potential Base of Pyramid (BoP) adopters (end users) in Bojonegoro. The local NGO partner – Farabi, in this case – then disseminates the technology to the end users at subsidized prices using a microfinance structure. The sales revenues are subsequently ploughed back into the project or sent back to Kopernik for use in other projects elsewhere.”

“Kopernik distributed 52 Q Drums in Kenya’s Western Province in 2012 through our local partner, Yaya Education Trust (YET). Matungu is a rural area where large households survive principally on subsistence farming. The vast majority of households have no access to water and sewage infrastructure or mains electricity. People face considerable difficulties collecting water, including head and neck pains from carrying water on their heads, and the significant time and effort required to make frequent trips to water sources.”

“Kopernik connected Q Drums with 30 families in Oecusse, working with a local partner, Centro Feto Enclave Oecusse (CFEO). Kopernik Fellows Michael Woon (October 2010 – January 2011) and Sally Bolton (January – June 2011) conducted the impact assessment.

Oecusse is an isolated enclave on the north coast of Timor, bordered by the Indonesian territory of West Timor. Approximately 45 percent of Oecusse’s population of 64,000 live below the poverty line. Almost every household in the enclave reports that there is at least one month each year when they do not have enough food to eat.

In January 2011, Centro Feto staff interviewed all of the 30 people who had purchased a Q Drum to create a baseline. They returned to conduct follow up surveys with each person after they had been using the Q Drum for one and a half to two months. People paid US$10 for a Q Drum, in four monthly instalments of US$2.50. The families who bought Q Drums live on around US$2 per day on average.

The Q-Drum is a rollable water drum designed to ease the daily burden of collecting water. The durable, donut-shaped plastic container has a capacity of 50 litres (13 gallons).”

“We connected 180 d.light S250 solar lights with people in Galinggang, an off-grid village on the banks of the Katingan river in Central Kalimantan. We partnered with Yayasan Puter Indonesia to make the solar lights available to buy in instalments.

Six months after people began using the solar lights, Kopernik Fellow Reisky Handika visited Galinggang to explore the impact of the technology on people’s lives. This impact assessment report is a result of Reisky’s work in the field in Galinggang from September to November 2013.”

“Kopernik connected 200 d.light S250 solar lanterns with families in Biqueli village on Atauro Island, Timor Leste, in partnership with Move Forward (MF), a local NGO. Three out of four sub-villages in Biqueli have no access to electricity. These off-grid communities rely on kerosene lamps, flashlights, and candles at night. In the sub-village where electricity is available, access is limited to six hours per day and blackouts are frequent.

Kopernik first brought solar lights to Atauro in 2011, working with a local partner Roman Luan. The second solar light project on the island was in response to strong demand for more of this technology.

MF distributed 200 units of the d.light in July 2012. Demand exceeded supply, so the village leaders compiled a list of interested customers and prioritised families who had no access to electricity or solar lighting. The lights were sold at the same subsidised price as the first solar light project in 2011 and all customers paid in a single transaction.”

“We connected 408 d.light solar lights with some of the poorest communities in Oriental Mindoro, in the rural Philippines, working with our local partner, the Gelacio I. Yason Foundation Family Farm School Inc (GIYF-FFS). In this region, 80 percent of households have no access to electricity. These off-grid communities are keen to switch from kerosene and candles to a brighter, cheaper, and cleaner light source. In towns the electricity supply is expensive and unreliable, further driving demand for solar lights.

GIYF-FFS received the solar lights in March and April 2012, and sold them through their office, sales agents, product stalls, and during regular family visits. Customers were given the option to pay in installments, but all opted to pay in full at the time of purchase. GIYF-FFS staff who bought solar lights could elect to deduct installments from their salary.

Emily McQualter, a Kopernik fellow conducted an impact assessment of this project. She worked with GIYF-FFS to survey solar light users over one week in June 2012. At that time, 165 d.light solar lights had been sold. Of the 82 people surveyed, 25 lived in off-grid households.”

“The Light Up Sulawesi impact assessment was conducted by Kopernik fellow, Syarifah Amelia, between June and August 2015. This project distributed 50 d.light S300 solar lights in Soppeng district, South Sulawesi from October 2013 to October 2014 in partnership with Asosiasi Pedagang Kaki Lima Indonesia (APKLI). The project originally aimed to target people in villages who had no access to electricity. However, during the impact assessment it was discovered that the targeted villages had gained access to electricity during the crowdfunding and technology procurement process. Therefore, in the end, the distribution plan had to be adjusted accordingly.”

“This impact assessment of d.light solar lights was conducted in Oecusse enclave, Timor-Leste, from May to July 2013. It has been found that the distribution of d.lights in off-the-grid villages in what is Timor-Leste’s poorest and most isolated district is an extremely worthwhile initiative. D.lights offer many immediate benefits in terms of light quality, thus enhancing the activities that take place under them, including work in the home, agricultural labor in the fields, foraging on the tidal flats, and running businesses from home. They also usher in a series of positive flow-on effects resulting primarily from considerable savings due to reduction or elimination of kerosene purchases, savings that range from 15 percent to 50 percent of disposable income. Despite some concerns about d.light battery life and reparability, these are relatively minor in the mind of those that own d.lights. Local users clearly recognise the superiority of d.lights over the existing lighting configuration of kerosene lamps, torches and candles, hence they are highly coveted. Supply has not been able to keep pace with demand, therefore an intensified distribution of d.lights for the district is recommended.”

“Kopernik, in partnership with Fundasaun Esperanza Enclave Oecusse (FEEO) made 2,339 more solar lights available in Oecusse in the third phase of the Light Up Oecusse project, 1,316 d.light S250 and 1,023 d.light S10 solar lanterns. Kopernik also teamed up with d.light to design and conduct a training workshop for all FEEO staff members to master maintenance and repair skills for d.light products.

Kopernik Fellow Fita Arief went to Oecusse in early 2012 to monitor the project’s progress and conduct impact surveys.

Oecusse is an isolated enclave on the north coast of Timor, bordered by the Indonesian territory of West Timor. Approximately 45 percent of Oecusse’s population of 64,000 live below the poverty line. Almost every household in the enclave reports that there is at least one month each year when they do not have enough food to eat.

Lighting in Oecusse is a pressing problem. Very few people have access to electricity. At the time Kopernik launched the Light Up Oecusse project, 92 percent of households relied on fuel-powered kerosene or gas lamps for light because there was no other option. Aside from the negative health effects of kerosene smoke, the cost of kerosene in Timor-Leste’s rural areas is almost double the cost in urban areas, further marginalizing the most vulnerable communities.”

“Kopernik sent 992 d.light solar lights to Oecusse, Timor-Leste and worked with its local partner, Fundasaun Esperanza Enclave Oecusse (FEEO) to ensure these solar lights reached remote villages in the enclave.

Kopernik Fellow Michael Woon (October 2010 – January 2011) designed a baseline lighting survey, and worked with the FEEO team to implement it. Sally Bolton (January – June 2011) took over the baseline survey from Michael, and worked with FEEO to complete a follow-up survey.

Oecusse is an isolated enclave on the north coast of Timor bordered by the Indonesian territory of West Timor. Very few people in Oecusse have access to electricity and 92 percent of households rely on fuel-powered lamps (mainly kerosene) for light. FEEO staff conducted baseline surveys with 258 people who purchased solar lights. Follow up surveys were conducted with 55 people who had participated in the baseline survey. Typically surveys were conducted after people had been using solar lights for between two and four and a half months.”

“Since November 2014, Kopernik in partnership with Community Development Centre (CDC), has delivered over 200 d.light solar lights to last mile communities in rural India as a part of the Light Up Madhya Pradesh project. This project is ongoing and will distribute a further 100 solar lights to households, making a total of 306 solar lights at the project’s completion.

In June 2015, Kopernik Fellow, Philip Murphy conducted an impact assessment with the primary objective of identifying and measuring the effects of solar lights on the lives of people located in the last mile. This assessment involved interviewing 50 solar light users (25 percent of the total user population) and working directly with the local partner, CDC, to collect data.”

“Kopernik distributed 205 d.light S250 solar lanterns in Kenya’s Western Province in 2012 through a partnership with Action for Child Development Trust (ACDT). Kakamega and Busia counties encompass towns connected to an electricity grid and rural areas without access to electricity. There is a strong demand for solar lanterns in towns, where the electricity supply is unreliable, and villages, where people want to switch from kerosene to a brighter, cheaper and cleaner light source.

This impact assessment was conducted over three weeks in April and May 2013. Aided by ACDT, the information was collected from (i) 30 face-to-face interviews, (ii) field observations, and (iii) immersion in the local environment.

ACDT used its connections with local schools to market the solar lanterns. The lights were sold to individuals, community groups and one school on a first come, first served basis. Individuals paid a subsidised price in a one-off payment, while community groups paid market price and resold the lanterns offering payment in instalments.”

“Kopernik made 204 d.light S250 solar lights available to communities in remote parts of Atauro Island, Timor-Leste. Kopernik Fellow, Rob Weiss conducted a 3-week assessment of d.light solar light distribution by local partner Roman Luan. Rob, with the assistance of bilingual (English-Tetum) Roman Luan staff, took a ‘cluster sampling’ approach and conducted 33 interviews with people from 3 random villages, Makili, Beloi and Makedadi.”

“The Government of Indonesia is facing significant challenges to provide electricity to its population due to geographic and financial constraints. Off-grid solutions provide the potential for electrification in remote and sparsely populated areas. Solar lanterns are one example of an alternative lighting device for domestic consumption in remote communities.

This report was created as part of Columbia University‟s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) Workshop in Development Practice. The project was undertaken by the request of the client, Kopernik, who is currently implementing a solar lantern project in 3 villages in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The project is being executed in partnership with the local NGO, Friends of the National Parks Foundation (FNPF). The objective of the report is to identify the need and initial impact of solar lanterns in 3 remote river communities.”

“Indonesia’s rural population faces significant challenges in accessing cooking fuels. The use of open fires and inefficient cookstoves degrades the environment as well as causes detrimental health effects for households. Poor households face substantial time and cost burdens from purchasing or collecting wood to use with traditional cooking methods. Additionally, the Indonesian government’s progressive reduction in kerosene subsidies
makes it more challenging to afford kerosene. Access to clean drinking water is also a challenge for rural and poor communities. Rural development challenges combined with Indonesian gender norms result in a lack of sufficient income generating opportunities for women.

Kopernik works to address critical development challenges through the distribution of lowcost, life-changing technologies to rural communities. In September 2011, Kopernik introduced the UB.03-1 Biomass Cookstove and Nazava Water Filter to selected communities on the island of Lombok, Indonesia. Kopernik disseminates the technologies through Pekka, its local partner organization. Through this partnership, women become
“Technology Agents” by selling the biomass cookstoves and water filters on a consignment basis. This program is intended to not only introduce the technologies to poor communities, but also to provide an income generating opportunity for poor women without the burden of taking on debt or risk. As of April 2012, 280 biomass cookstoves and 30 water filters were sold.”