Highlights / General details
Learn about and meet with the team at Pollinate Energy, an award-winning international social enterprise.
Head out into a local slum with one of our entrepreneurs and see how they’re bringing light to India’s urban poor.
Enjoy chai and conversation with a local family living in a tent slum.
Watch the slum community light up around you as the sun sets and families come home for dinner.
All net proceeds from this tour will go directly to Pollinate Energy.

Inclusion
Local English-speaking guide; Local transport between meeting and end points; Lunch; Chai with a local family in a slum (the family that hosts you receives a payment for their time).

Exclusion
Hotel pick-up and drop-off; Solar light (you may choose to buy one from your Pollinator to take home as a reminder of your adventure).

Hours of operation
Available Monday - Thursday at 4:00pm.

Duration
Approximately 4 hours.

Location
Meeting point: Blackberrys, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar. Opposite Bhartiya Jalpan Restaurant.
Ending point: MG Road, Shivaji Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001.

Itinerary
Bangalore is one of India’s most cosmopolitan city destinations. An entrepreneurial hub, Bangalore is thriving and growing. We love the can-do attitude, the ever-changing social scenes, and even the blossoming microbrewery industry! However, as a result of this rapid growth, Bangalore is also home to hundreds of thousands of people living in shanty-style tent homes, unable to access their basic needs — like electricity, water, and shelter.
Venture off the beaten track and experience first-hand the life of these Bangalore city slums with Pollinate Energy, a social enterprise that’s bringing light to India’s urban poor. Indoor air pollution from kerosene and wood stoves is the second-highest cause of death by disease in India. Pollinate Energy finds local people who are passionate about helping the families living in tent slums, and trains them to run a micro-business. They go from tent to tent, talking to families, introducing them to solar lighting and phone chargers, and helping them buy a solar light on an affordable payment plan to replace their kerosene lamps.
To start your journey, you’ll visit the Pollinate Energy office in Bangalore, a place bustling with activity as “Pollinators” pop in to pick up new stock, and while our team manages a growing network of hives across all of India. You will hear first-hand Pollinate Energy’s start-up story, learn how far the organization has come, and where it’s going.
Following this, you’ll take off on your adventure. We'll grab lunch at a local restaurant and you'll be taken on an auto-rickshaw journey through Bangalore’s busy city streets, far from the downtown, to a tent slum on the fringes of Bangalore city. Under the close guidance of one of our Pollinators, you will enter a tent community and be welcomed into the home of one of our customers. You will experience life in a community as children play wildly and parents make their way home from work. Until recently, these communities relied on kerosene lamps to light up their homes after sundown. Now, thanks to the work of your Pollinator, they have clean and affordable solar-power lighting in their homes.
At the end of your tour, you’ll get a chance to witness the magic in action. Sit with a local family, enjoy a cup of chai, and watch the lights turning on as the sun begins to set. At that moment, you’ll understand what it means to light up a life. From there, you’ll join your Pollinator for an evening rickshaw ride back into the city, with this incredible experience never to be forgotten.

Additional Information
Please dress conservatively and with respect for the community visit. This means long pants and t-shirt/sleeves for men (i.e., no singlets), long pants or skirt and covered shoulders for women (i.e., no low tops or bare shoulders), and shorts and a t-shirt for kids. We recommend longer sleeves/pants to protect against mosquitoes. Please bring insect repellent as well.
You will be led by a Pollinator and at least one staff member whilst in the office. Please respect that while in the office our remaining staff are working and may not be taking out time to join you (though they will say a friendly hello!). Please also note that you will not be covered by insurance from Pollinate Energy when you visit our sites, and as such we recommend you come with your own travel insurance in place.

Participant restrictions
Children below the age of 6 are not permitted on this tour.

Policies
Cancellation: 2 days prior 100% penalty. No show 100% penalty.
Complete information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, will be included on your Confirmation Voucher.

**All information requested must be supplied or booking is subject to automatic cancellation**