Khalid Swabiri, CEO of the IMED Foundation, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the graduates received the solar toolkits to start businesses that cater to the needs of their customers in their areas as solar energy gains popularity in the market.
Swabiri said during a handover ceremony chaired by National Economic Empowerment Council Executive Secretary Beng'I Issa that IMED is supporting youth-run startups facing numerous challenges in the diffusion of renewable energy in the country.
Gabriel Changwa from Iringa (G. Electrical Works and Services), William Kaduma from Iringa (Sunrise Energy Solutions), Herman Mmanda and Joseph Mmanda from Dar Es Salaam (Trinity Solar Energy) and Karim Yusuph were the ones competing for solar energy startups successfully emerged from Dodoma (Solar for Everyone), Jaffari Jaffari from Dodoma (Netlist Energy Electronics), Japhaet Johnbosco from Dodoma (JJ Electronics), Patrick Makoye from Dodoma (Dom Energy Solutions and Designing) and Simon Mwakasasa from Dodoma (Mwakasasa Electric Solution)
Junior Ndesanjo, program manager for the IMED Foundation, said the nonprofit, which was registered as the Institute for Management and Entrepreneurship Development in 2010, is focused on building the capacity of organizations, communities and individuals to reach their full economic potential.
According to Ndesanjo, the IMED Foundation is working with partners to ensure that community challenges are solved through innovations that are adopted or developed by youth within them. Hence, solar power, which is widely acceptable in the market, is one such solution. "We are also working with microfinance institutions to give these youth startups access to capital to invest in their solar businesses," he noted.
After the award ceremony, NEEC's Issa commended the IMED Foundation for helping empower young people and women through professional training and funding for solar energy toolkits to serve the market.
"This type of initiative is in line with government efforts to help build capacity for women and youth to play an important role in our country's economic development," said Issa, thanking US-based Charles. S. Mott Foundation to finance the project.