Dzenza CDSS, a secondary school with 230 students, is now powered by a 9kW solar installation. Electricity at the school will enable the use of teaching equipment, cooking facilities and lessons in the afternoon and evening, providing students with better opportunities to study and prepare for examinations.

The versatility of access that renewable energy brings to the table benefits a country like Malawi, which has historically struggled with bringing power into its more rural areas. This isn’t to mention the environmental benefits of renewable energy.

The Malawi Electricity Access Project, financed by The World Bank, aims to electrify 200,000 new households in remote rural villages. IDCOL will operationalize the $20 million financing window by providing debt financing as working capital assistance, grant facilities to give end-user subsidies and Market Catalyst Fund to promote local businesses.

The initiative aimes to increase access to electricity though off-grid solutions. The fund will provide loans to eligible off-grid solar companies up to USD 14 mln as a working capital to expand operations and speed up procurement, importation and make installation of SHS that will be sold to rural Malawians at an affordable price.

Mangochi is popular for its beaches along Lake Malawi but in many villages in the district, access to safe and clean water remains a major challenge. This means long walks to open and contaminated water sources, waterborne diseases and limited agricultural and economic development.

To the untrained eye it may simply look like a humble shipping container, but to the residents of the remote Malawian village of Mthembanji, the contents have been life changing. Inside the 20-foot receptacle delivered to the village in June 2020, were the components of a 12-kilowatt solar-powered microgrid.

Malawi’s long search for a viable and affordable source of electricity continues. Local energy experts have argued that the country can benefit if it transitioned to clean and renewable energy sources.