ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) in partnership with USAID, as part of its commitment to the Scaling Off-Grid Energy (SOGE) Grand Challenge for Development, is proud to announce two winners of the Household Solar Workforce Development Challenge: Global Distributors Collective (GDC) and Whitten & Roy Partnership (WRP). Over the next 15 months, these two organizations will implement awards totaling USD $350,000 that support scalable, innovative, third-party training solutions to the off-grid solar home system sector’s workforce in sub-Saharan Africa. Through these trainings, participants will be able to efficiently and sustainably respond to market needs.
Global Distributors Collective (GDC) is dedicated to supporting and representing last
mile distribution companies, to help them reach unserved customers with life-changing off-grid solar products. Bopinc, one of the three implementing partners of the GDC, will receive an award of USD $200,000 to engage off-grid household solar companies in East and West Africa. The GDC with the support of the African Management Institute (AMI), will design and deliver a combination of on- and offline training that is tailored to the needs and priorities of last mile distribution organizations while also fostering a community of practice to facilitate peer- to-peer learning between companies, on the topics of last mile sales, marketing techniques, and more. The fully developed training will then be offered to the off-grid solar sector at an affordable, low-cost.
Whitten & Roy Partnership (WRP), based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, will receive an award of $150,000 to engage pay-as-you-go off-grid household solar companies in Francophone countries across sub-Saharan Africa. WRP will develop training solutions to improve participants’ capacity in sales strategy, hiring, management, coaching and training to enhance workforce performance, customer satisfaction, and lower workforce turnover. The transformational training program will be made available to the sector through a cost-efficient, cohort-based approach.
The Scaling Off-Grid Energy (SOGE) Grand Challenge seeks to accelerate growth in the off-grid energy market in order to provide households and businesses in sub-saharan Africa with access to modern, clean, and affordable electricity. For more information, visit Scalingoffgrid.org.