Local Electricity Inventor Competition
Within the framework of the Rural Energy Kiosk Project, our partner LEAD Southern and Eastern Africa cooperated with us in
organizing the “Local Electricity Inventor Competition”.
This competition was designed to increase the awareness for renewable energy use and empower of poor households to become part
of the solution finding process. They can fight energy poverty themselves through applying simple mechanical and physics principles
to generate electricity with locally available materials, follwing the example of William Kankwamba, nowadays a famous student of an
American university and bestseller author, who, based on mere observation and curious mind, built a windmill from old bicycle parts to
electrify his parents’ house in avillage in Northern Malawi at the age of 12.
Awareness raising meetings were held at schools and communities in the catchment area of the two pilot Energy Kiosks.
Stmultaneously, there are many creative minds at the national research landscape and within the general public who don’t have a forum
to get their ideas known and apply them were they are most needed in Malawi. These people were invited to come to light with innovative
ideas which can lead to solutions reducing the import-dependency and costs of Energy Kiosks as a basis for up-scaling the concept to
more rural areas in Malawi. The competition was open to the following groups:
1. Primary Schools Science Clubs &school children (Standard 6-8) from the RuRenKi project catchment areas in Bvumbwe and Dzenje.
2. Individuals or groups form communities living in the catchment area of the Energy Kiosks.
3. Malawian staff and students from universities/colleges and any individual with an appropriate background knowledge on electricity.
Entries were invited by 20th February (cat 1&2) and 31st March, 2013 (cat.3).
School children, teahcers and community members from Dzenje and Bvumbwe who successfully participated in the competition categories
1 and 2 were invited to the First Open Day at Bvumbwe Energy Kiosk and acknowledged by Guest of Honour, Head of Thyolo District
Administration, as well as the Traditional Authority Bvumbwe and RurEnKi project team.
They proudly carried home their certificates to remind them that creative thinking and initiative are useful. The teachers and pupils also
received manuals on small-scale energy generation as well as book prices and solar grass hoppers.
organizing the “Local Electricity Inventor Competition”.
This competition was designed to increase the awareness for renewable energy use and empower of poor households to become part
of the solution finding process. They can fight energy poverty themselves through applying simple mechanical and physics principles
to generate electricity with locally available materials, follwing the example of William Kankwamba, nowadays a famous student of an
American university and bestseller author, who, based on mere observation and curious mind, built a windmill from old bicycle parts to
electrify his parents’ house in avillage in Northern Malawi at the age of 12.
Awareness raising meetings were held at schools and communities in the catchment area of the two pilot Energy Kiosks.
Stmultaneously, there are many creative minds at the national research landscape and within the general public who don’t have a forum
to get their ideas known and apply them were they are most needed in Malawi. These people were invited to come to light with innovative
ideas which can lead to solutions reducing the import-dependency and costs of Energy Kiosks as a basis for up-scaling the concept to
more rural areas in Malawi. The competition was open to the following groups:
1. Primary Schools Science Clubs &school children (Standard 6-8) from the RuRenKi project catchment areas in Bvumbwe and Dzenje.
2. Individuals or groups form communities living in the catchment area of the Energy Kiosks.
3. Malawian staff and students from universities/colleges and any individual with an appropriate background knowledge on electricity.
Entries were invited by 20th February (cat 1&2) and 31st March, 2013 (cat.3).
School children, teahcers and community members from Dzenje and Bvumbwe who successfully participated in the competition categories
1 and 2 were invited to the First Open Day at Bvumbwe Energy Kiosk and acknowledged by Guest of Honour, Head of Thyolo District
Administration, as well as the Traditional Authority Bvumbwe and RurEnKi project team.
They proudly carried home their certificates to remind them that creative thinking and initiative are useful. The teachers and pupils also
received manuals on small-scale energy generation as well as book prices and solar grass hoppers.
