Africa stands at a critical juncture, grappling with an energy crisis of staggering proportions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 600 million Africans, or 43% of the population, lack access to electricity. The urgency of this situation must be addressed, and swift and innovative solutions must be demanded. Recognising this urgency, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Centers (RLCs) from West, East, and Southern Africa joined together to spearhead the YALI RLCs & POWER AFRICA Design Challenge facilitated by MK-Africa.
For eight weeks, MK-Africa coached a group of young female leaders in the energy sector on applying Design Thinking to create actionable off-grid solutions that will address the energy crisis in Africa. The young women from Niger, DRC, Kenya, Togo, Cameroon, Senegal, Djibouti and Zambia went through a series of interactive online sessions, immersing themselves into the problem statement and developing empathy for the end users of their solutions to develop ideas for prototypes when they then validated with their users. The challenge culminated in the participants presenting to a panel of judges consisting of the program sponsors, i.e. DOW Chemicals, PowerAfrica and USAID. The event was held at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Johannesburg and streamed online.
MK-Africa coaches in design thinking to help our partners consider transformative, out-of-the-box thinking on material ESG issues.
Muthoni Kanyana speaking during the Design Challenge Award Ceremony
Agnès Virginie Tjahe from Cameroon emerged as the winner with her groundbreaking solution for accurate electricity billing through remote digital monitoring. Her solution promises to revolutionise energy management, ensuring efficiency and accuracy for households across the continent. Kangwa Kasonde Antoinette from Zambia and Jilian Kerubo Ouko from Kenya claimed the first and second runner-up positions, respectively, with their innovative approaches to sustainable alternatives in cooking and energy production using innovative biogas systems. These projects represent more than just creative ideas; they promise a more energy-efficient Africa.
MK-Africa is proud to have collaborated with YALI to facilitate this Design Challenge. Through our #MyLittleBigThing initiative, we remain committed to inspiring intentional changes to generate long-term solutions to Sustainable Development. Our Design Thinking Coaching program supports transformative, out-of-the-box thinking on material ESG issues. We are dedicated to working with like-minded partners to drive innovation and create impactful solutions for a more sustainable future for Africa.
