600 million people in Africa don’t have any access to electricity. However, 80% of the population own a mobile phone. This apparent paradox drew the attention of Thomas Samuel, a French engineer with excellent knowledge of the African continent, who, through his company Sunna Design, has brought solar-powered public lighting to the streets of many parts of Africa. It was then that he decided to create a new project, namely to move from the street into the houses and provide electricity to these homes where, until then, the people cooked over a fire and studied by candlelight or with a paraffin lamp. Do you want to know more about his idea? In this video its creator tells us what it entails, how it operates and what his expansion plans are.
Moon, as the new venture of Thomas is called, offers a self-installable kit consisting of a small solar panel (no larger than a tablet) that’s connected to a battery capable of charging USB devices and up to five lamps. And, of course, a smartphone, which, through pre-installed apps with low data consumption, allows access to all kinds of digital services, including education.
The project facilitates the digital, energy and financial inclusion of millions of Africans and it has won, together with TOMi, the Colombian company, the 2nd ProFuturo-Wayra Call for Entrepreneurs.
