Energy

Studies and field experience show that energy access and human development are directly connected. For this reason, during the last ten years AVSI has considerably increased its focus on the energy sector, becoming one of the official implementing partner of Energising Development (EnDev) program, member of the Clean cooking alliance and of the RES4Africa Academy.

AVSI equips entrepreneurs and small businesses with access to electricity and essential resources to start and grow income-generating activities. This approach empowers local economies and creates demand for electricy, building a sustainable, mutually beneficial energy market. 

AVSI’s productive use of energy initiative fosters entrepreneurship by combining energy access with business training and financial tools. Small businesses are provided with: 

Through partnerships with renewable energy companies and financial institutions, AVSI expands energy access to hard-to-reach areas, enhancing community purchasing power and creating employment opportunities. AVSI uses a market systems development approach to facilitate rural electrification in challenging environments. Key aspects for successful rural electrification projects are: 

Reliable energy is essential for quality public services and for improving health and educational outcomes. AVSI works with schools, health centers and community hubs to guarantee operation and maintenance of solar systems, ensuring thus sustainability of the intervention.  Such models enable institutions to sustainably operate and maintain the acquired energy systems guaranteeing their durability over time.

Innovative Governance Models to support system maintenance developed for 8 health centers and 26 schools  

AVSI promotes energy conservation and waste reduction through education, appliance replacement programs, and recycling initiatives, reducing costs of electricity and environmental impact. Projects related to energy efficiency focuses on the following main interventions: 

Energy education is crucial to empowering individuals and communities to make informed energy-related decisions and for AVSI it is a cross cutting topic. By raising awareness and providing knowledge on energy sources, uses, benefits, and sustainable practices, AVSI helps communities gain the skills to make responsible choices about energy consumption, production, and conservation.  

However, AVSI also recognizes the need to increase the availability of skilled technicians in the communities where it operates to guarantee the ability to install and repair products as requested by the growing renewable energy market. The RES4Africa Academy, a vocational capacity building project led by RES4 Africa and co-founded by AVSI Foundation, Strathmore University and Saint Kizito Vocational School, is creating a skilled workforce ready to deploy decentralized renewable energy solutions across the East African region and beyond, further enhancing energy access in rural communities.