Stories

Stories are what make the world and inspire the imagination. We have collected, and continue to add, stories about energy access and rural development around the world, as well as the latest updates and thoughts from our own projects and activities.

Profile: Idara Bethel Etukudor, Sunlight Energy Ventures – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Idara Bethel Etukudor is Head of Projects for SunLight Energy Ventures, a company he founded with his wife Christie. He has over 13 years professional experience in the construction industry, having previously worked as Client Representative on a Hotel, 18-Hole Golf Course and Jetty Project for the Akwa Ibom State Government; and as Project Supervisor …

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Profile: Christie Etukador, Sunlight Energy Ventures – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Brief Biography Christie is the CEO of SunLight Energy Ventures, a solar energy social enterprise she founded with her husband. Prior to this, she held a lecturing position at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria where she taught Renewable Energy Technologies to Final year students in the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering. She also consults on …

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Profile: Dodji Agbezo, Project Production Solaire – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Brief biography Dodji AGBEZO is the head of Projet Production Solaire Togo Company. He has two masters Degree. The first master in 2007 in Energy option at University of Lomé. Since training as renewable energy and energy efficiency engineer from International Institute of engineering of water and the environment (2IE), in Burkina Faso (www.2ie-edu.org) in …

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Profile: Kouma Agbenowossi, Project Production Solaire – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Kouma Agbenowossi is in charge of marketing for PPS (Projet production Solaire), which specializes in Renewable Energy in Togo.  Kouma started working with PPS in March 2016 and has a background in negotiation, leadership education and team management.  He is studying Business Administration and Leadership (ongoing) at VELI (van Duyse Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute) at Cotonou-Benin, …

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Profile: Prince Monsekea, PayGo Ventures – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Brief biography Prince Monsekea is the Head of Solar at Paygo Ventures, where he is in charge of product selection and design and of solar solutions, and managing our team of installers. Previously, he was the Head of the Renewable Energy department at consulting firm ASCOTECH, and Technical Director at solar energy and electricity contractor …

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Doing rural energy in ‘rugged and inhospitable’ places

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Interview with Tony Woods Founder, Sustainable Energy Services International (SESI) Location: Global, with origins in Central Asia / Pakistan and Afghanistan border “I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so there was nothing to be afraid of.” After spending time working in Singapore, Tony Woods was on an ambitious bicycle tour, from South Africa to China, …

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Profile: Andrew Carter, PayGo Ventures – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Brief biography Andrew Carter is the Managing Director of Paygo Ventures. Previously at the African Development Bank, he led mini-grid technical assistance and initiatives to provide debt finance to pay as you go solar companies. Prior to that, he consulted for clients in Côte d’Ivoire and Democratic Republic of Congo on mini-grid projects. His entrepreneurship …

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Profile: Kabir Ademoh, Ajima Farms – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Brief Bio Kabir is the Head Of Operations for Ajima Farms and General Enterprises in Nigeria and has worked on a variety of roles within the Agricultural sector. He is the founder of Fresh Daily a grocery delivery business aimed at supplying sustainably grown vegetables from a network of micro-farms. He has a background in …

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Profile: Fatima Oyiza Ademoh, Ajima Farms – Finalist, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Brief Biography: Miss. Fatima Oyiza Ademoh is experienced in business development & renewable energy project development. Currently, she is the Project Developer for the Power Africa USADF funded off-grid energy project implemented by Ajima in Nigeria and an Entrepreneurship lecturer at Baze University. She recently served as the Business Development Executive at Novantus Energy. Fatima …

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Profile: Check Traoré, Nafa Naana – Winner, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

What is your off-grid energy business? Can you give a brief overview? How long have you been working on this business? Nafa Naana is a social business making clean and affordable energy products available to the poorest households of Burkina Faso. Nafa Naana implements an innovative business model, which combines a microfranchise approach to an …

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Profile: Sayouba Guira, Nafa Naana – Winner, West Africa

Energy Entrepreneurs /

What is your off-grid energy business? Can you give a brief overview? How long have you been working on this business? Nafa Naana is a social business making clean and affordable energy products available to the poorest households of Burkina Faso. Nafa Naana implements an innovative business model, which combines a microfranchise approach to an adapted microcredit scheme: we …

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Profiles of Smart Villages Competition Finalists and Winners

Energy Entrepreneurs /

East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge 2017 The third annual East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge took place in summer 2017.  With the application and screening process fully handed over the CDI for a sustainable continuation of the programme, the Cambridge Development Initiative (https://cambridgedevelopment.wordpress.com/) (CDI) selected 11 individuals out of over 200 applicants for the programme. The …

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Oorja: Turning farm waste into energy in Uttar Pradesh

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Interview with Amit Saraogi, Co-founder and CEO, Oorja Location: Delhi, India “We will be able to strengthen local economic development, increasing demand for our solution and bringing jobs into the local economy” Amit Saraogi spent part of his childhood in Uttar Pradesh, playing amidst the rice fields where his family harvested rice paddy to be processed in their …

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Sunlabob: Pioneering rural electrification in southeast Asia

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Mid-90s, Lao People’s Democratic Republic. As a German electrical engineer who has recently moved to one of the poorest countries in the world, Andy Schroeter sees the potential that can be had for energy access in remote areas. At the time, Laos has an electrification rate of 30%. “Aside from cities in the Mekong Valley,” …

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Svati Bhogle, social entrepreneur and founder, Sustaintech

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Svati Bhogle, social entrepreneur and founder, Sustaintech Location: Bangalore, India “Grow, but don’t spread yourselves too thin.” How long do you blend tea leaves with milk? Should you brew the tea for a shorter few minutes after that, or turn the gas off? When Svati Bhogle, a chemical engineer by training, went from one of …

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Rafiki Power and E.ON: Mini-grids for improved livelihoods in Tanzania

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Interview with Daniel Becker Managing Director, E.ON Off Grid Solutions and Founder, Rafiki Power Location: Tanzania Daniel Becker is the Managing Director of E.ON Off Grid Solutions and founder of its Tanzanian brand, Rafiki Power, which focuses on mini-grids for productive uses of energy. For a look at how Rafiki Power operates, watch their short …

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Digital Green: How videos are transforming farming in India and across Africa

Stories /
A Community Resource Person (CRP) in Bihar, India, disseminating a video to women's self help groups

Interview with Rikin Gandhi CEO, Digital Green Location: Across Asia & sub-Saharan Africa “Ultimately, lasting impact takes place by changing the story of how farmers see themselves, and helping them realise that they can aspire for a better life for themselves and their families, too.” Rikin Gandhi is the CEO of Digital Green, a not-for-profit …

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Lighting up rural Bangladesh

Energy Entrepreneurs /

Interview with Farzana Rahman Senior Vice-President (Investment), Renewable Energy, IDCOL Location: Bangladesh “The amount of solar home systems we have installed – 4 million – speaks for itself” Around 12% of Bangladeshis, or 18 million people, currently use solar home systems. Solar panels sit on top of rural homes with corrugated tin roofs, connected to …

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