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The dangers of using fossil fuels
Indoor pollution is a major source of concern for African households.
These fuels, whether it's biofuel for cooking or kerosene for lighting, are often burned inefficiently and cannot provide enough light to do most household chores.
They are also a major emitter of air pollutants that can impair lung function and increase the risk of cancer and the incidence of infectious diseases and asthma, especially in young children. .
In addition, oil lamps have a significant impact on the environment. These lamps are estimated to be responsible for 7% of the world's annual black carbon emissions.
Turning the sun into running water
Clean water is a basic need for people's lives. And yet, according to the Joint Monitoring Program of WHO and UNICEF, only 30% of people living in rural areas have access to drinking water, and daily household consumption in some rural areas of Benin exceeds barely 30 liters.
In rural areas, many children, due to the lack of clean water, continue to be affected by water-borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera.
"Solar water" consists of harnessing solar energy through photovoltaic panels to produce electricity to power an electric pump to extract water.
This solution, the most commonly used in rural areas not served by the network, has for several years been an alternative to “thermal” (generated) energy to operate heating and pumping systems.
Solar pumps have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, reliable and, moreover, without fuel supply problem unlike generator sets.
Provide lighting for school children
Equip elementary schools with solar kits so that they can study at night in order to improve their operational efficiency.
Kids can do their homework after dark, saving an extra hour of homework each day.
Saving on the purchase of fossil fuels can then benefit children's education.
Some girls drop out of school because they have to walk every day to fetch water from the river and help their mother with household chores.
A study carried out in Indonesia showed that the presence of a solar lamp in a household increases the marks of the pupils by 30% at school.
Promote the emergence of
local microentrepreneurs
In addition to providing access to basic needs, we believe that energy should make it possible to generate income.
The problem is not only the supply of electricity, but more than that, knowing how to "promote" the socio-economic development of a locality, of a territory thanks to the appearance of electricity.
This could be a form of modernization, by mechanizing the production process and introducing electric machines: this is a remarkable case of the transition from a traditional oil mill to a modern factory. grinding unit to replace mostly manual work, or even the electric motor of the sewing machine.
The emergence of electricity in a locality allows small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa to embark on a project such as the opening of hairdressing salons in the villages, of mobile phone charging stations, to create jobs. and increase income.
Reach the most isolated populations
One of the great challenges in providing energy to the most disadvantaged populations is reaching them where they need it most.
In rural areas, the proportion of postal addresses is very low and the virtual absence of paved roads makes it difficult to transport materials.
Added to this is the fact that rural people often do not have a bank account, so it is almost impossible to come and collect payments directly.
Thus, to cover the last kilometer encountered three times more difficulties.
Not only do our sellers need to find an address or location, they also need to go there and receive payment for the order in person.
Work with local partners:
To cope with this, we have set up a dense distribution network that relies as much as possible on local partners, such as resellers and MTN telephone plans, already present in these isolated areas.
We also work in close collaboration with a number of microfinance institutions, thus being able to offer solar energy kits to their clients.
Raise awareness among populations
To shine in a clean, sustainable and competitive way the fate of thousands of our fellow citizens
Develop the training offer for energy professions in Africa.
Afro-responsibility is the conceptual translation of our position in the discourse on Africa. Neither “Afro-optimism” nor “Afro-pessimism”, “Afro-responsibility” responds to a different logic: better understanding the challenges facing the African continent in order to work towards meeting them.
It is based on a strong conviction: in a complex and rapidly changing environment, the African continent needs space to exchange and act.
It is about regaining a certain dignity in the implementation of its own development policies.