April News /

Five Youth Launch Renewable Energy Micro Enterprises under GEF program

A three-year collaboration between YES and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has culminated in the launching of five renewable energy businesses created by young entrepreneurs under the age of 30. The five entrepreneurs — three women and two men—won a global competition to become Renewable Energy Fellows and receive training and support to start their micro-enterprises.

In addition to being linked to different business development services, the five fellows, along with dozens of youth from their organizations, receiving training and support in various methods of renewable energy, leadership, and business development. The fellows also received a seed grant to start their micro-enterprises in the form of a renewable energy business proposed in their application.  Each fellow presented a different business model based on various forms of renewable energy. 

Chosen because it has one of the best wind speeds in Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Edudzie imported a wind water pump to the coast of the Volta region. Farmers in the area produce tomatoes, onions, peppers and okra by irrigating their land with electric and diesel pumps in places where the water table makes hand watering impossible.  The Energy Foundation will closely monitor the performance of the new wind water pump over the course of the next year in order to give recommendations on its economic benefit to interested farmers and entrepreneurs in the area.  

In the ecologically fragile Dhahanu region of India, Ms. Monica Chawla launched her enterprise introducing solar lanterns, solar box cookers, solar mini home lighting systems as well as developed her own solar dryer to this tribal community in which no more that 5% have a registered electricity connection.  She also established a solar library in the village for re-fueling lanterns and torches at a very nominal rate.  Ms. Chawla continues her mission to create more innovative and low-cost solar products.

In the Rebublic of Georgia, 22-year-old Levan Khobakhidze has started the country’s first business that uses solar photovoltaic devices to convert sunlight into electricity. His enterprise, which employs more than 20 young people, provides power to a mountainous region that lies beyond the reach of the country’s electric grid. In Peru, Ursulua Carrascal promoted the use of quality, low-cost biodigesters and solar cookers to meet the energy needs of rural, urban-rural, and marginal populations.  In Malawi, Ms. Jane Tawina Kopa is working to install a windmill in the Dowa district to draw water for domestic use and irrigations purposes. The project would also act as a demonstration center where local youth could learn about wind energy technology in addition to irrigation development.

It is important to stress that YES ensured a geographic and gender balance with three women and two men representing Eastern Europe/Central Asia, West Africa, South Asia, Southern Africa, and Latin America.

The project gave YES the opportunity to generate tremendous knowledge and experience producing very successful outcomes. The experience of YES in the youth-led renewable energy enterprise development generated interest from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to replicate similar models of projects in India and Zambia, both of which have already concluded. The knowledge gained through the program execution has become available to a global audience.  For those interested in more information the following resources exist.

• A fully functional web-based portal, the Global Knowledge Resource (GKR), where the global community shares thousands of effective practices in the generation of sustainable livelihoods for youth.  It includes lessons learned, barriers overcome, key players, duration and location of the programs/projects, etc. (http://www.yesweb.org/gkr.htm)
• A study on Effective Practices in promoting Renewable Energy (RE) entrepreneurship (also available through the GKR).  The study identifies the programs and policies that have succeeded in creating environmentally sustainable livelihoods for youth in this field.

For more information contact:
Gustavo Payan - gpayan@edc.org