Guest Blog: Strengthening Communities Through Energy Access

Energy poverty affects many communities in Africa.  Support for energy, whether electricity or improved biomass fuels, should be a priority because it can help to improve rural education, public health, youth employment, and especially the lives of women.

 Access to energy can impact the lives of women in many ways.  Solar-powered irrigation means less water hauling, clean cooking prevents smoke inhalation, electric light decreases the chances of assault, and improved biofuels lessen the need for carrying firewood. The productive use of electric power that creates jobs for women promotes their financial inclusion and greater influence within the family. This can lead to more education for their children and fewer childhood marriages for their daughters.

Progress has been made on “green cooking” that is supported through microfinance and there are also advances in the use of home solar systems. Yet, neither can be scaled quickly at the national level.

National electric grids don’t reach millions of rural communities. In Malawi, for example, 85% of the country is rural but only 11% have electric connectivity. Regional power sharing has the potential for being a long-term solution and public-private partnerships can augment national grids. However, they can’t expand quickly enough to meet the needs.

 Building thousands of rural, community-level mini electric grids would distribute energy generation, create jobs, and improve the quality of life.  To attack energy poverty using renewable energy in this way, the talents and determination of hundreds of African entrepreneurs are required. Some will directly produce energy, others must build enterprises that use electricity in ways that are most productive to the community, and a third group is needed to create essential business systems that create a market. Energy entrepreneurs and the organizations that train and launch them are playing an important role that should not be overlooked by philanthropy.

Wayne Decker, Founder and President
Flame Tree Initiative

The mission of Flame Tree Initiative is to foster scalable social enterprises that combat extreme poverty and accelerate widespread economic and social progress in East Africa.