Light UP Malawi Aiming To Switch A Whole Country To Clean Energy

Can an entire nation be completely powered by alternative energy? Light Up Malawi thinks so!

Light Up Malawi is a project striving to take one of the world's poorest donations off the grid and on to reliable, sustainable power sources. Only 2% of the country's residents have access to electricity, but that can change.

How Light Up Malawi Works

The group will work with existing parties on the ground in Malawi, as well as other partner programs that focus on clean energy access and poverty alleviation. By looking directly at policy, the organization will create a program that links up providers of alternative energy solutions to easy-to-run pilot programs.

"Light Up Malawi is a venture to bring 100% alternative energy to the country of Malawi through policy reform and the creation of a sanctioned pilot program for all manufacturers of solar, biomass, and wind energy products. We will use business, government and design to make a concerted difference in one basic need in Malawi. Manufacturers get a break on tariffs, get to participate in a sanctioned high profile program and villagers without power get an energy source at low cost or no cost and get to speak up about the products they find most useful. Energy access is one step out of the poverty cycle and this dual pronged effort can help people and prevent further environmental damage."

According to Light Up Malawi, "The people of Malawi will benefit three-fold: 1) Receive products at low or no cost, subsidized by grant funding and donations we will raise that will improve their lives. 2) Become entrepreneurs and product evangelists if they choose and 3) Participate in the design process instead of being designed AT. All of this makes Malawi a capital for clean energy."

How You Can Help Light Up Malawi

The group thinks it will take about a year to get a profit model, and enough funds from foundations helping get communities on board. However, they need funding now, just to get the idea started. They're part of the Unreasonable Marketplace, where people with big ideas can get the seed money they need for take-off. And you can help.

A donation will go a long way in helping them reach that mission. The money raised helps the project get funding and advisers via the Unreasonable Institute!

Light Up Malawi from Raina Kumra on Vimeo.

Can one group of dedicated people put a whole country on sustainable power? We think so! Find out more, make a donation, and help the world start moving to alternative energy.