Off-Grid Energy
Agriculture
Off-Grid Energy
Power Sector
Healthcare
These tools for the off-grid energy sector can be used to explore gender opportunities, screen potential investments through a gender lens, and advise portfolio companies on how to better integrate gender into their operations and supply chains. Then follow the evidence to learn where gender matters most with the off-grid energy Gender Materiality Map.
Understand opportunities to better integrate gender in an off-grid energy company’s operations and supply chain
Complete a questionnaire about the target company to generate a personalized gender scorecard
Explore how leading off-grid energy companies integrate gender into their operations, and the resulting business and social benefits
Bidhaa Sasa
Bidhaa Sasa uses a direct-to-consumer model to sell products such as solar products, agricultural tools, efficient cookstoves and LPG cylinders. Bidhaa sasa means “Products now!” in Swahili, and the company offers innovative financing and distribution channels to ensure their customers can, in fact, get their products now. To do so, Bidhaa Sasa’s team of in-house “Group Coordinators” recruits, trains and supports “Group Leaders,” who work their networks to create groups of clients who join together in group financing.
Appropriate Energy Saving Technologies (AEST) Ltd.
Appropriate Energy Saving Technologies (AEST) Ltd. markets, sells and distributes clean cookstoves and fuel. Women-founded and managed, AEST manufactures charcoal briquettes made from recycled agricultural waste and sells efficient cookstoves to households and institutions in urban and peri-urban areas of Northeastern Uganda. Previously, AEST was a for-profit arm of Teso Women Development Initiatives, a local non-profit, before becoming its own company.
The Paradigm Project
The Paradigm Project, launched in 2009, seeks to bring life-changing products, services and opportunities to households at the base of the economic pyramid. The company operates a last-mile distribution and credit program under its consumer facing brand, EzyLife. EzyLife currently sells improved cookstoves, solar lights and water tanks, and has plans to expand into several other product areas in the near future. While EzyLife leverages multiple distribution networks globally, its primary distribution model is through the “EzyAgent” program. EzyAgents are highly trained employees who serve as field ambassadors for the company. They spend their time building relationships with established women’s groups in the community, leading product demonstrations, offering product financing and providing after sales service.
BURN Manufacturing Co.
BURN Manufacturing Co. designs, manufactures, and distributes efficient cookstoves to address the environmental, health and household economic challenges caused by inefficient cooking. BURN, established in 2011, seeks to manufacture 3.7 million improved biomass cookstoves that will save $1.4 billion, reduce CO2 emissions by 21.3 million tons, and save 123 million trees while creating more than 300 design and manufacturing jobs in Kenya. To date the company has sold over 475,000 cookstoves resulting in saving over an estimated 2 million tons of wood, and savings families an estimated $130 million per year.