Energia solare in Mozambico
Fulfilling the need to access renewable energies for the rural population of Mpaca – Cabo Delgado, in Mozambique.
Starting date
1 June 2022Duration
12 monthsRealized by:
Fondazione AVSIObjectives
Promoting the economic and social development of the people living in the Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, through access to renewable energies.
Fostering access to renewables through individual and collective solar technology both for domestic use and for production purposes, extending the solar power grid to include 72 new users and 1,000 families.
Improving the use of renewables for production purposes by granting access to microfinance and microcredit, so as to support 15 new small enterprises to be set up by local women and youth.
Creating savings-and-loan groups for 150 people, activating credit and income sources to meet the most urgent needs of families.
The project responds to the need for access to renewable energy of the rural population in target areas, both for domestic use and for production purposes to start new enterprises. Interventions were already launched in 2019 with a local integrated approach strategy whereby energy is the tool to achieve economic, environmental and social sustainability. The project will reach 1,075 families (around 5,000 people) and 15 start-ups involving in particular women and youth.
Mozambique is the African state with the lowest amount of investments in renewable energies, mainly due to its dependency on foreign investments and to laws that are unclear and at times hostile to the idea of the private sector becoming involved in the energy field. The country has great potential in terms of renewables, such as solar energy, which is plentiful all over the country. Therefore it is the main source to build less expensive and more accessible off-grid systems.
In recent years, the province of Cabo Delgado has experienced a complex and uncontrolled social and economic development mainly due to the discovery of natural gas reserves and mineral resources deposits. Despite this rapid development, there are only limited services and structures able to guarantee inclusive and sustainable growth for local people. Furthermore, droughts, cyclones, floods and internal conflicts have recently contributed to making the situation in the province drastically worse. The COVID-19 pandemic is further exacerbating the already alarming situation.
The project aims at contributing to a better future for the most fragile categories of the population, paying close attention to the knowledge transfer through training activities on how to use energy and in particular how to use it to achieve social and economic empowerment, and focusing on the gender dimension.
Local associations active within the project:
Caritas Diocesana, Khandlelo, Muleide, Fundação Ibo, IFP, Università Cattolica, Università Lurio.
To learn more https://www.avsi.org/news-e-press/news/in-Mozambique-lenergia-mette-in-moto-lo-sviluppo
