Winning the ChallengeThrough Women Empowerment

ACCESS TO ENERGY IN AFRICAWORKSHOP

Milan, Palazzo Castigioni, corso Venezia 47, May 14th , 2015

MODERN ENERGY ACCESS IN SUB – SAHARAN AFRICA

Presented by Paul NkumbulaProject Coordinator

Kafita Cooperative Society Mpanta Solar Mini Grid Project

ABOUT OUR SOLAR PROJECT

It is UNIDO/GES funded first Solar Mini Grid Project in Zambia generating 60Kw power,

providing energy access to over 480 households which includes a School, Market, Teachers

houses, Churches, harbor depots in the rural community of Mpanta.

It is operating a community based business model which encourages Community

ownership of rural electrification government projects.

The project adopted the integration of electricity access with micro loan schemes and

investment subsidies to guarantee access to energy for all.

The tariffs in operation is a monthly fixed based on the ability to pay principle with rates

as low as 3.75 Euros/month.

In 2014, 2,292 people benefited directly and indirectly from the project.

Why Women Cardinal to Energy Access in Rural Zambia?Lessons from Mpanta

•Women are the majority (54% of the local population).

•Willing to work for energy just as they are wiling to work for

food indicating demand for a need.

•Culturally, responsible for general house chores and more

financially disciplined, especially with little money, than men.

•Usually relied on expensive traditional sources of energy for

lighting which exposed them to health risks.

• Women are always home taking care of the family while

men usually spend months in fishing camps offering little or

no support to the women during their absence.

The Challenge Mpanta is a poor marginalized community with the majority of the people relying on the depleting and unreliable fish stocks from lake Bangweulu as their major source of income.

By July all the 280 targeted women

benefited with an increased in the Seed

fund to support extra more women

Through Women’s Micro Loan SchemeHow is the Challenge Won?

Increasing their ability to pay for access to energy on time

•While access to financing has always been a major challenge, the biggest challenge however is on how we can make energy access in Africa become a bankable venture capable of boosting social and economic growth.

•Ngo’s, in relation to access to energy and development in Africa are best described as the walking talk champions who are better placed to bridge the information gap that exists in reality by demonstrating sustainable solutions of how access to modern energy is a vital tool in fighting poverty in Africa.

•I believe like many other people here that for us to win the fight for access to modern energy for all we have to fight it from both the private sector to the end users point of view to reach a consensus in achieving a common goal. • A consensus that will give us a win win situation with the African governments providing us with an enabling, flexible and realistic environment as they formulate their policies. Policies must be open to dialogue from all stakeholders with a bottom to top approach.

•A good approach from the different cultures involved, just like in on grid projects, has always been to have a different mix of consumers with a greater emphasis on the project’s ability to promote productive uses as well as SME’s Development at local level.

•In our area, we work in partnership with a local company which is currently assisting in developing scalable business models capable to sustain off grid systems in rural parts of Zambia.

• Since local companies are still in their infancy, Multi National Energy Companies should partner with local companies and assist in developing innovative technologies and equipment in order to reduce the costs involved in running off grid systems. Asset financing with venture

capital by Multi National to local energy companies should be encouraged.

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

THANK YOU!!