By Christine Mwangi
Starting a business in the most remote areas would look like a daunting task, but not so for Kimani Gichuche, who has not shielded away from the challenge of setting up an enterprise that would be a contributor to the country’s energy sector, while impacting the local community.
The coming on of Adili Solar Hubs, has benefited the fishers and traders with improved market access and higher profitability through efficient transportation and storage of fish, reduced post-harvest losses and waste, leading to increased income and improved livelihoods, in addition to enhanced product quality and market competitiveness through the use of solar-powered refrigeration.
“With Energy being a critical driver of Kenya’s economy, my team and I set up Adili Solar Hubs in Longech, Turkana County with the aim of creating a zero emissions fish value chain from lake to plate. This project has required a long-term vision, commitment, endurance, and hard work. Though the enterprise has been capital intensive, my love for creating and growing projects from the ground up while impacting lives, has seen me and my team of experts withstand the challenges,’’ says Kimani, the CEO of Adili Solar Hubs.
Adili Solar is an enterprise led by youth and focuses on building and running clean energy solutions with an aim of advancing rural economies. Adili Solar’s mission is to bridge energy gaps that hinder economic growth in marginalized communities. “We identify energy gaps that disadvantage the economic growth in marginalized communities and provide clean energy solutions to bridge those barriers. We undertake the different stages of projects from initial concept and feasibility studies, to permits, financing and construction taking into consideration the communities energy needs,” avails Kimani.
While researching on setting up shop in Turkana, Kimani interacted with people living in Longech, Turkana, and quickly noted that Lake Turkana has a high sustainable yield of fish that goes unutilized. The fishers in the area live in poverty due to lack of markets for their commodity. This then informed Kimani and his team to step in to provide solutions for their harvest and storage. They were keen on creating a transparent, traceable fish value chain that is powered predominantly by renewable energy.
The entry of Adili Solar into Turkana has seen fishermen income per kilogram increase by six times. Having a fish processing facility has had a positive impact on not just the enterprise, the fishers, but also the livelihood of the community.
Adili Solar Hubs have been able to provide affordable cold storage for fish. These facilities are powered by solar energy which enables the fishers and the fish mongers to preserve their fish and reduce on losses from fish going bad after harvest.
“We had a lot of challenges. Whenever we got fish from the lake, we would get KES 20 per kilo. What is worse is that we would be forced to move the fish to Kalokol or Lodwar Town as there is no ready market in Longech. With the coming of Adili Solar, we now sell a kilo of fish at KES 100 and above,’’ says one of the traders.
Adili Solar required access to clean water, yet the Lake Turkana is saline, thus needing processing. Adili identified an aquifer. They installed a well and powered it with solar, thereby availing the water to their plant. At the plant was a reverse-osmosis water treatment unit. This cleans the fish and makes ice for fish preservation.
The community also benefited by gaining access to the well water and the treated water at an affordable cost. The water that previously retailed at KES70 per 20 litres, now sells at KES10 for the same. A primary school in the area is a beneficiary of the water from Adili Solar, says one of the fishers. “Pupils would previously be accompanied by their teachers to the lake to fetch water for school use before settling down in class. Now water is available at the school.
Kimani acknowledges that without local and international partners, the success of the project would not have been feasible. He avers that it is through the right partnerships that you create sustainable development and tangible changes within communities.
The project has also rolled out tricycle mounted solar fridges as well as solar fridges in Lodwar and Kakuma-Kalobeyei refugee camps where youth interested in fish retail can procure the units on a pay-as-you go model. They store up to 70kgs of fish retailing in their towns and in various markets. This has created opportunities for sustainable income generation and economic independence for this fish mongers. They have also benefited fromskill development and capacity building in renewable energy technologies and assembly of tricycles.
Adili Solar Hubs is dedicated to transforming the fishing industry and supporting local communities through its solar powered hubs. Their innovative approach combines renewable energy solutions with essential infrastructure to create a sustainable and thriving ecosystem for fishers, traders, and the surrounding community.
Christine Mwangi is a lead administrator at EPRA and an alumnus of ERCE’s Energy Communications Training programme.