In sub-Saharan Africa, solar power is benefitting people, communities and the planet

Herman John Mmanda is a clean energy entrepreneur in Tanzania and an example of how technical training and business mentoring can create economic opportunity and change lives in developing countries, all while helping to combat problems that contribute to extreme weather events.

Mmanda is a graduate of the Tanzania Renewable Business Incubator program run by the IMED Foundation, which is based in Dar es Salaam. The incubator is part of a multifaceted effort to bolster local economies by increasing access to affordable solar power systems in rural areas of three African nations.

Supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and other funders, the incubator is part of a project Mott calls the Distributed Renewable Energy Ecosystem Model, or DREEM. Its goals are to create a replicable model that uses solar power to increase access to modern electrical services in rural areas of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya and to strengthen local economies without generating air pollution that contributes to extreme weather.

In doing so, the project is creating economic opportunities and transforming the lives of thousands of young people, particularly women, in all three countries. Mmanda said the business mentoring provided by the DREEM project changed the trajectory of his life.

“Before I completed the incubator program, I was doing odd jobs and making about $100 per month,” Mmanda said. “Now I own a thriving solar power business, and I have several employees.”

His business, Trinity Solar Company Ltd., installs rooftop and other productive-use solar systems in Tanzania. It recently landed a $700,000 government project to install nearly 4,000 solar systems for homes on island communities in Lake Victoria that lack access to energy grids. Mmanda’s story also points to another important lesson: Philanthropic investments in sustainable energy solutions can leverage larger investments from public- and private-sector stakeholders.

As one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, Africa faces a dual challenge of supporting economic growth without exacerbating problems that contribute to extreme weather events. With 600 million people lacking access to modern energy services, the stakes are high.

The DREEM is helping rural, last-mile communities access modern energy services by addressing key challenges, such as a poorly trained workforce, inadequate financing for purchasing solar systems and a lack of integrated energy planning.

Launched in 2015 in Tanzania, the DREEM initially focused on training young people to become technicians capable of installing and maintaining solar power systems. It has since been expanded to help dairy farmers, commercial fishermen and horticulture businesses in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda increase production and generate more revenue.

Lucy Sabas said IMED’s training and business mentoring services helped her solar power company in Tanzania increase its revenue tenfold between 2022 and 2024.

“I acquired the necessary tools to enhance my work efficiency and effectively meet deadlines,” Sabas said. “The training also sparked my entrepreneurship spirit and encouraged me to explore areas I never thought were necessary in growing my business.”

Robert Ddamulira, a program officer on Mott’s Environment team, said the DREEM is helping farmers and others small businesses in remote communities replace diesel-powered generators, which are costly to operate and pollute the air, with solar energy systems that are more efficient and better for human health and the planet.

“We focus on last-mile users to ensure that marginalized communities, which are often excluded from national development agendas and private sector investments, can access and benefit from clean energy solutions,” Ddamulira said. “This inclusivity strengthens local economies, improves health outcomes, and accelerates progress toward a sustainable, equitable and climate-resilient future.”

Over the past decade, organizations participating in the DREEM have trained over 1,500 solar power technicians, launched the careers of hundreds of clean energy entrepreneurs, and equipped rural communities, farms and food processing companies with solar-powered water wells, irrigation systems, refrigerators and freezers. By replacing diesel-powered generators, those solar systems have prevented the release of at least 342,543 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — the equivalent of taking some 32,000 vehicles off the road for one year, according to government estimates.

The latest version of the DREEM aims to strengthen the agricultural economy in East Africa, which employs over 70% of the working population in the region. By using solar-powered irrigation systems, coolers and refrigerated trucks, farmers are increasing the volume, quality and shelf life of dairy products. That translates into more revenue for farmers and food distributors, as well as increased wealth in the communities where they work, Ddamulira said.

In Tanzania, graduates of IMED’s business mentoring program have succeeded in expanding solar power services to a variety of agricultural industries, and their work has helped reduce post-harvest losses among fishing and horticultural businesses. “The program is a living testament to how young people can fight climate change while creating green jobs and improving the livelihood of the rural communities,” said Swabiri Khalidi, CEO of the IMED Foundation.

Ddamulira said Mott grantees have directly provided modern energy services to approximately one million individuals in East Africa.

A model based on cooperation, shared knowledge

Organizationally, the DREEM is an approach to grantmaking that resembles a bicycle wheel, with a coordinating organization at the hub in the center, various stakeholders on the spokes extending outward and cross-cutting actors on the rim of the wheel. Hub organizations in each of the three countries where the DREEM has been implemented support all aspects of the project, and they also share their knowledge and lessons learned.

While the IMED Foundation’s work in Tanzania has focused largely on training young people to be solar power technicians and clean energy entrepreneurs, the Kenya Climate Innovation Center is focused on providing affordable financing for small businesses in that country.

“By integrating cutting-edge technology, technical support, innovative financing models and robust partnerships, we aim to establish a paradigm shift towards renewable energy adoption,” said Joseph Murabula, CEO of the Kenya Climate Innovation Center.

In Tanzania, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature serves as the hub organization for the DREEM project. WWF works with a network of partners supporting implementation of project activities.

WWF has been working with commercial fishermen on Mafia Island to replace diesel-powered lights and firewood that is used as a fuel source for fish processing with solar-powered dryers and other devices. They work mostly at night, using lights to attract phytoplankton, which lures fish to their boats.

“The nature of fishing here is unique,” said Savinus Kessy, WWF’s energy and climate change program coordinator in Tanzania. “The fishermen were using diesel generators for the lights, and that is expensive, sometimes contaminates fish and also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Now they are shifting to solar lights.”

In Uganda, an organization called Heifer International is bringing solar power to 1,500 small farms in remote areas and teaching young farmers how to be entrepreneurs. As part of that work, Heifer is offering technical training to more than 1,000 underserved youth and women who work in dairy cooperatives.

William Matovu, who coordinates Heifer International’s work in Uganda, said solar systems already have increased production on select farms and reduced post-harvest food loss by 30% in areas where solar-powered cold storage is used. He said solar power also is creating positive social change.

“The DREEM initiative represents more than just technological upgrades. It symbolizes empowerment, resilience and progress,” Matovu said at a recent ceremony marking Heifer International’s partnership with the Buganda Kingdom. “Solar energy is not only improving lives but is also a vital component in addressing hunger and poverty.”

Last October, Heifer International signed an agreement to use the DREEM to promote the use of solar power in the Buganda Kingdom. A Bantu kingdom within Uganda, Buganda is the largest traditional kingdom in East and Central Africa.

As the DREEM continues to grow and evolve, Murabula said its impact is a testament to what’s possible when local leadership, innovative thinking and global support align.

“It offers a blueprint for how clean energy can not only power communities, but transform them,” he said.

Neal Hegarty, Mott’s vice president of programs, was with Ddamulira when Heifer International signed the partnership agreement with leaders of the Buganda Kingdom.

“The DREEM project is already proving its value to individuals and businesses in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda,” Hegarty said. “Ultimately, success for Mott in this work means improving the lives of people, but also taking the lessons that are learned and piloted here and helping other communities use them.”