Lighting up Dhusamareb

As Somalia stabilises, demand for energy is growing. This started in Mogadishu, but with the large number of returnees and increased business activity, the demand for energy is spreading across Somalia. Most Somalis do not have access to electricity. Instead their energy comes from burning wood or charcoal, or from petroleum. This energy shortage, compounded by the absence of a national grid, and combined with the destructive environmental effects of existing energy sources, means that innovation is needed to meet Somalia’s energy needs. 

Last year, the Prime Minister’s office approached the Stability Fund and asked for some help. They had been in touch with the local administration in Dhusamareb, which had requested support to instal street lights. The Prime Minister's Office had seen the impact street lights had in Mogadishu and were keen to help Dhusamareb reap the same benefits.  The Stability Fund grasped this proposal with both hands: one hand because we have seen the effect of solar street lights in Mogadishu, Galkayo and elsewhere, and the other hand as we saw something important in different layers of government coming together to deliver results for citizens. Working closely with the local administration and the Prime Minister’s Office, the Stability Fund visited Dhusamareb to assess feasibility and make sure that the community in Dhusamareb was supportive.  They were, and despite the difficulties of drilling into rocky ground in Dhusamareb, the project looked feasible.  Next we started our search for a Somali company to do the work.

The Stability Fund partnered with SolarGen Technologies, a Somali owned business based in Mogadishu, providing sustainable and cost-effective energy. With offices in Mogadishu, Kismayo and Nairobi, SolarGen operates across the south and central regions of Somalia. It has implemented projects ranging from off-grid installations for enterprises and homes, solar-powered street lights, and pumps for irrigation and drinking water. In order to implement these projects SolarGen has employed young, educated and well-trained Somalis. Though the potential of renewable energy technology in improving livelihoods is great, the high initial capital costs and meeting the growth in demand for energy has been beyond the reach of Somali start-ups. ‘Our partnership with the Stability Fund enabled us to leap over the capital investment hurdle that was inhibiting our ability to drive forward the installation of solar-powered systems. It helped us to catch up with the rapidly increasing demand of energy within Somalia’ says Aidarus Abubakar, Managing Director of SolarGen.

SolarGen has taken on the task of installing solar street lighting in Dhusamareb. The work is happening right now. A total of 118 lights will be located on the main road, market, hospital and police station. The locations were chosen by the district administration to improve the stability by increasing the community safety, and to demonstrate its ability to respond to citizen’s needs.

“We are delighted to be giving Dhusamareb town its first ever street lights  and in an environmentally friendly manner”, says Aidarus Abubakar, who is excited about the project and knows the huge impact it can have on the region’s stability, as well as on the growth of his business. SolarGen is now opening a new office in Hargeisa to serve customers Somaliland and to take another step on the road to achieving its ambition to become a leading renewable energy company in East Africa.