Eight19’s IndiGo began in Kenya and has moved into South Sudan with its pay-as-you-go personal solar electricity system for off-grid communities. The UK firm partnered with WorldVenture to deploy the systems in the Nimule region, hoping to install up to 1,000 units in H1 2012.
Nyungura James Ode, a rural farmer in Nimule explains the impact on his life since having IndiGo installed: “I used to have to go to a market 3 km away to buy batteries for my family’s battery-powered lanterns and had to charge our mobile phones at charging stations in town twice a week. Now with IndiGo I save about half of the money I would spend on batteries and kerosene and can spend more time at home now that I don’t have to walk to the village and wait for phones to charge. Also, I do not have to worry about the light running out of power when tending to my baby at night.”
Simon Bransfield Garth, CEO of Eight19, said: “Working with local delivery partners, such as WorldVenture in South Sudan, ensures that IndiGo reaches those communities quickly and easily and so bringing immediate benefits. We are working hard to deploy our units fast enough to keep up with the demand to further stimulate economic development in the world’s youngest country.”
Alternative Energy