Improved cookstoves team ignites Lao lottery fever in Savannakhet
In the first of a series of six-monthly lucky draws, buyers of new, improved cookstoves won prizes in Savannakhet. The eleven winners were drawn out of 2,500 tickets. A bicycle, two fans, three rice cookers and five improved cookstoves were handed over by SNV Laos' country director Julie Graham and the sector leader for Energy, Bastiaan Teune. The draw itself rested with representatives from the Lao Women's Union during a stakeholders meeting of the Improved Cookstoves (ICS) programme, which picked third and fourth prize, and the Department of Science and Technology which chose the winners for first and second prize. The bicyle as the main prize went to the father of Mr Tolah from Thathinghang village, Kaysone District.
It may not be apparent at first glance, but this small lottery solved an operational obstacle of the Improved Cookstoves team. Thanks to a quite smart idea from the SNV advisors, it lets them gather customer data in an efficient and elegant way. When the first cookstoves of SNV's ICS programme were sold in Savannakhet in 2011, the team wanted to record customer details for feedback and a possible future carbon credit project. But the specially distributed forms had gathered dust in the retail shops. Whoever entered the venue of a cookstove seller came to replace an old, probably broken stove and did not bother to fill out forms, as there were not any incentives.
"Then our team had an ingenious idea", explains Santi Inthavong, SNV advisor in Energy. "As everyone knows, all Lao people like to play the lottery." Indeed, three times a week and not only in Savannakhet, but in the whole country, small aluminium tables with LED lamps line the streets. After working hours, motorists stop and choose their three lucky numbers or respective animal. Nearly everyone plays lottery and loves the thrill of checking the winning numbers. Inspired by the scratch-off mobile phone credit refill cards of the four big Lao carriers, the team introduced a raffle with the ICS programme in Savannakhet. Every new owner of a cookstove who jots down name, phone number and adress gets a shot at a lucky draw. It costs nothing. The draw takes place every six months. For every cookstove produced, one form is handed out, which also counts as a coupon for the raffle.
"Our prizes are small, but nice", explains Mr Santi, "and the effect is impressive." Before, nobody cared about the forms. However, with the prospect of winning a prize, participation skyrocketed: "We sold 1,500 stoves in the last six months and got already 480 forms back." The customer data will be used to create a database for the team to monitor and assess the end-users as well as gather feedback about the satisfaction of the users in Savannakhet province.
Running for four years until 2016, the ICS programme is funded by the Switch-Asia programme, Oxfam Novib and the Blue Moon Fund. Our implementing partner, Normai, produced a short video about the event; see below. The first prize, a LA bicycle worth 650,000 kip, went to the father of Mr. Tolah of Thatinghung Village, Kaysone District. He said: "I'm impressed because I never received a prize like this before. I did not expect to win as I only bought 3 stoves. I will buy them again. They are better than the normal stove."
Other winners did not really believe that the raffle was going to happen. Ms Vueang of Naxainoi village from Outhomphone Distric, who won a Hatali fan that cost 280,000 kip, was flabbergasted. "I can't believe it", she said, "Is this really happening?". She remembered that, when she filled out the coupon, she thought that the retailer only does this to encourage people buying a new stove. A second Hatali fan went to Ms Loy of Saioudom village from the same district. She felt very lucky as more than 100 people bought a stove, she said. "I never thought I would win until I got the telephone call."