Press Release: USAID Awards Baobab+ $1.5 Million to Expand Access to Energy and Finance in the Democratic Republic of Congo
USAID/DIV (https://bit.ly/3MnYG6V), USAID’s open innovation program, recently awarded a grant to Baobab+ (www.BAOBABPlus.com), the leading distributor of solar home systems in Western Africa and Madagascar.
Empowering millions of lives with solar energy…
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) the need for access to energy is massive, with an estimated 9 percent having access to electricity. Many of the 11 million households that lack electricity depend on expensive and pollutive small-scale diesel generators as well as charcoal and wood. These standard energy sources deplete the DRC’s forests and often require long distance travel to get supplies—a burden that typically falls on women and children. Solar energy is an exceptional opportunity for rural households that do not have access to electricity. The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) technology breaks down the cost barrier as it allows the customer to make daily, weekly or monthly payments according to their cash flow to activate their product on the way to gaining ownership.
Since launching in 2021, Baobab+ is currently in the Kinshasa, Kwilu and Kikwit areas of the DRC and will soon enter Kwango.
Baobab+ is in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Madagascar, Nigeria and DRC and has equipped 250,000 households serving more than 1.5 million beneficiaries in the past six years.
… Access to finance and digital!
Source: African Business (link opens in a new window)
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