Cooperation with Uganda Water delivered by the sun

    Worldwide, around 666 million people have no access to electricity. Rural areas in particular lack sustainable energy solutions. In Uganda, for example, the rate of electrification is less than 10 per cent in many rural areas. This hits farmers hard. Many of them rely on energy from harmful and expensive sources such as diesel-powered pumps to irrigate their fields. Others buy water in large quantities to ensure they have enough for their livestock.

    Thanks to solar-powered irrigation, Kilenzi Yahaya’s farm is thriving.

    That was exactly what Kilenzi Yahaya was doing. There came a point when he realised that buying water for his chicken farm had become too expensive. Building wells and using electric water pumps also led to high electricity bills and frequent power cuts. He now has a solar-powered water pump from the company Tulima Solar on his farm. “Thanks to the solar-powered water system, I have water round the clock, and my farm and household are thriving,” he says.

    Tulima Solar is one of the leading suppliers of solar-powered agricultural equipment in East Africa and is supported by the multi-donor partnership Energising Development (EnDev). EnDev supports 20 partner countries in developing markets for renewable energy. In doing so, it promotes green jobs and economic opportunities. Through results-based financing (RBF), for example, solar energy companies receive financial incentives and are encouraged to reach customer groups that would otherwise not be a lucrative target market. This means that people like Kilenzi Yahaya can buy solar power products, too.

    EnDev works with local companies like Tulima Solar and provides financial incentives for sales to farmers who would otherwise not be a lucrative target market.

    Yahaya’s case shows the difference EnDev can make for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) by facilitating sustainable energy solutions. EnDev has supported over 3,000 MSMEs in Uganda in gaining access to modern energy services. Since 2005, EnDev has done the same for 113,000 businesses worldwide, of which 24 per cent are run by women. These figures show that EnDev’s positive impact is not only economic but also social.

    By 2024, a quarter of the businesses supported by EnDev were using solar-powered water pumps for agricultural purposes – a climate-friendly and affordable solution.