Training
Intensive Training:
This involves a three and a half day residential training on the assembly of SoUL, along with campaigning and distribution. The assembly training includes basics about the need for renewable energy, how solar technology works, how to assemble the solar lamp and how to conduct quality checks. In campaigning training, various methods are taught to spread information about the use and benefits of SoUL, and spread awareness about the project in general. It includes field visits to schools and night campaigning at villages. Trainees are also made aware of the goals of the project, target audience (school children of class 5th - 12th), and the importance of data collection. Distribution training covers details on how to distribute through schools, maintain proper receipt records and collect baseline data of each beneficiary.
Additional training is given to the NGOs to maintain proper record of the operations, including daily assembly and distribution data, record of defective components, receipt of consignments, employee (assembler and distributor) details etc. Further, to help coordinate and synchronise the information from various NGOs and IIT Bombay, the use of Google Docs and Tally are used, and NGOs are trained in using the same. This helps in effective planning and monitoring of operations.
Refresher Training:
Refresher training is a one day training given to assemblers and distributors to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. This is generally held once a month. The training allows us to maintain high quality in assembly as well as distribution and data collection. Newcomers who join the team also find the refresher training useful in learning how to assemble SoUL.
Repair and Maintenance Training:
Repair and Maintenance training will be given to the assemblers and distributors so that they can provide repair services to the beneficiaries at the SoUL Repair Centres (SRCs) located at the village level.