Community solar energy

Rural life in Malawi is characterized by a narrow economic base, over-dependency on rain-fed agriculture and biomass for household energy. This situation is exacerbated by increasing poverty among communities, increasing population pressure on a limited land resource base, land degradation arising from agricultural expansion and the cultivation of marginal lands, and increasing deforestation to meet the increasing demands for energy, food and construction purposes.

This project, which is being managed by Seeds of Opportunity a Malawian NGO, seeks to abate deforestation, soil erosion and a loss of habitat/biodiversity by promoting the use of solar photovoltaic systems that will reduce dependence on firewood and kerosene for energy.

Seeds Of Opportunity will be working in collaboration with Chikwawa Cotton Growers Association to increase the livelihood opportuities of people in Chikwawa by improving the accessibility of solar photovoltaic systems in order to reduce deforestation and land degradation arising from domestic energy demands. Chikwawa Cotton Growers Association is a local farmer organisation aiming at developing cotton production in Chikwawa (Southern Region of Malawi).

The association aims at assisting farmers in the procurement of inputs and marketing of cotton.The project will assist in increasing forest conservation efforts in the area and raise an awareness of issues of protecting the environment in order to reduce poverty arising from an unsustainable use of the available forest resources.

The project will initially benefit 30 households (about 180 people). The implementation strategy will be to organise the beneficiaries and assist them to form a committee that will establish and manage a fund where they will make monthly contributions. In due course money from the fund will be used to procure more solar photovoltaic systems to be distributed to other people in the community so as to increase the scope of the project.

The direct beneficiaries will assist other people in their communities by providing energy services from solar photovoltaic products/systems- e.g. charging mobile phones to facilitate communication and information dissemination. It is anticipated that farm productivity and incomes for the poor will be boosted whilst safeguarding the natural environment as this project will facilitate improved access to ICT, access information on markets and contact with far off suppliers/buyers for the communities produce.