Green Energy Loans for the Poor
Microfinance institutions in Ghana are leading efforts to bring affordable solar lighting to the poor. The Christian Rural Aid Network (CRAN) is one such institution and is aiming to provide ...Read More
Kenya: Tax Cut on Solar Panels to Light Up More Homes
Players in the solar energy market last week won a reprieve when the government removed tax on imported raw materials for the manufacture of solar panels. The move is also ...Read More
Portable Solar lights in Commercial Farming: Illuminating the Pecking Order
Mr. Karanu successfully runs a commercial chicken farm in Maai Mahiu, Kenya, despite having no connection to the grid. He has a contract with Kenya’s dominant chicken distributor, Kenchic Ltd., ...Read More
Targeting Schools to Reach Whole Communities
Referring to climbing fuel prices, Dr. Moody, a local doctor, businessman and resident of Mafia Island off the southeast coast of Tanzania, said “not many families can use kerosene at ...Read More
Farm Workers Enjoy the Benefits of Solar Lighting
“When I put in the new solar lights, my kid thought it was electricity and told me to turn on the TV! There’s no difference to main power (grid electricity), ...Read More
Faulu Reaching the Base of the Pyramid with Off-Grid Lighting
Left: Students studying under a kerosene lamp Right: Students studying under a portable solar lamp © Wilkens/Lighting Africa By Faulu Advisory “The police had come to arrest me because ...Read More
How Much Does Kerosene Really Cost?
“My children use the kerosene lamp to study at night, but on the days when I can only afford to buy a very small amount of kerosene my children do ...Read More
Barefoot Power receives €1 million European Financial Assistance
Barefoot Power, a Lighting Africa Associate, received €1 million in financial assistance from the European Union via the European Investment Bank in 2010. The grant is supporting a number of ...Read More
Distribution of Quality Tested Products Ramps Up and Out
In August of 2010, only 30 retail outlets in Kenya were selling products that passed Lighting Africa’s quality test and 95% of the vendors were electrical shops. However, entrepreneurs were ...Read More
Inclusive Business Solutions: Expanding Opportunity and Access at the Base of the Pyramid
IFC’s new report, Inclusive Business Solutions: Expanding Opportunity and Access at the Base of the Pyramid, outlines IFC’s business solutions that are designed to facilitate new opportunities for innovation, growth ...Read More