Sharing Indian Social Entrepreneurs' Lessons for African Off Grid Energy

About this grant

Energy is widely acknowledged as a key tool to enhance economic growth and a country’s development. The predominant model of electricity generation and distribution is centralized, dependent on fossil fuels, and the largest contributor to climate change. For Africa, this model only provides 45 percent of the continent with electricity. In rural areas, less than 30 percent of the population have access to electricity. For rural Tanzania, the numbers are even more stark with less than 17 percent of the Tanzanian rural population having access to lighting or energy for livelihoods. Given their 20 years of experience in providing electricity in India, this grant will support the Solar Energy Light Company Foundation in coordinating a management approach to technical and entrepreneurial skill development, mentoring of innovators, and innovative financing models to develop social entrepreneurs in Tanzania.