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| If successfully distributed, the new WakaWaka Power could be a game changer in Mozambique. |
In the beginning, Off-Grid Solutions received incredible financial support through a kickstarter campaign: raising $419k - way past their initial goal of $50k. According to @WakaWaka, as of September 8th, 2014, nearly 100,000 WakaWaka Powers have been distributed all over the world. This is a groundbreaking tool for empowering low-income people in emerging markets - especially, Mozambique.
This advancement in energy technology presents a challenge for a non-profit business to navigate the dysfunctional and ineffective health system in Mozambique. There's no doubt that the WakaWaka Power would be good for the environmental, educational, economic and physical health of all people in rural Mozambique. The results from an independent 3rd party test on the kickstarter page shows that the WakaWaka Power far outperforms it's solar lamp competitors. It's clearly better than any other portable solar lamp out there. And, the ability to charge cell phones through solar power is an amazing new possibility. Many rural Mozambicans currently have to pay a neighbor or small shop owner to charge their phones. The challenge lies in making the WakaWaka Power available to people in a self-sustaining way. Innovations like these serve humanity and accessing a development network in Mozambique can help kick-off a successful marketing campaign to generate interest among the target population. For long-term success, I believe that an very recent project called WakaWaka's Virtual Grid Pilot needs to be developed into Mozambique.
Off-Grid Solutions received an investment of EUR 600,000 from FMO (the Dutch development bank) to start the Virtual Grid Pilot in Rwanda for 12 months. The way it works is: Off-Grid Solutions has installed a keypad on some of it's devices for users to dial a pre-purchased code and unlock it for limited use. That way, Rwandan's can invest in a WakaWaka Power and buy credit, little-by-little, just like most currently buy phone credit. It's a pay-as-you-go system that costs the same amount that Rwandan's are spending on kerosene fuel or mobile phone charging. This could work.
WakaWaka CEO Maurits Groen said,
"WakaWaka considers the Virtual Grid as a key solution to modern and sustainable energy access to off-grid households worldwide, by using a model that is exactly in line with the current energy spending patterns of households."
A keyword in Mr. Groen's quote is: "worldwide". He's thinking big. Really big. And, I'm very interested to watch how the project unfolds in Rwanda. If it's successful, I wonder whether Mozambique will be on the list of African countries for a bigger investment.
It's not too early to start planning for implementation in Mozambique's unique context. I suggest that Off-Grid Solutions via Kim van der Leeuw in Cape Town, SA come together with international donor organizations, community leaders, and NGOs. The U.S. Embassy has a Small Grants Program for innovative solutions to reduce poverty in Mozambique. It could be a good way to start generating interests in the market. An influential and possibly willing community leader could be the forward-leaning Mayor from Quelimane, Manuel de Araujo.
I was immediately captivated by the WakaWaka Power when I got my hands on one. I believe that it has the potential to be a real game changer for the holistic health of people living off the electrical grid in Mozambique. The tool exists - now, the challenge is to finance it's availability through a difficult system in a truly effective way.
