social empowerment
- Adult education
- Business
- Climate change
- Food
- Corporate social responsibility
- Employment
- Energy
- Intercultural relations
- Economic development
- Fair trade
- Energy conservation
- Food security
- Disaster relief & crisis management
- Ethics
- Globalization
- Green business
- Education
- Income generation
- Poverty alleviation
- Rural development
- Mentorship
- Sustainable development
- Renewable energy
- Vulnerable populations
- Microfinance
- Technology
- Rural
- Waste
- Volunteerism
- Environment & Sustainability
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Rolf
Papsdorf
Alternative Energy Development Corp.Ltd.
, GT
, NC
More than 5 years
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Operating for 1‐5 years
My name is Rolf Papsdorf, I am a born entrepreneur since the age of 6years old. My passion is to be able to create a better life for people that have limited opportunities in life. I got involved into alternative energy some 12 years ago and designed a low cost reliable zinc air fuel cell for basic energy. The fuel cells need to address the needs and affordabilty of the end users. For this reason I spent 1 year researching rural areas in South Africa in order to find out what is needed and what can the people afford. In 2006 we implemented the first larger pilot project in Namibia. We won the Globe Energy Award in Brussels for this project, as best rural electrification project with social empowerment impact. I love challenges and rural life, as it is less stressed and much saver to live in these areas.In 2008 I was accepted as Ashoka fellow for a year. As I had however too little time to interact with the local branch on a regular basis, I was not able to become a full Ashoka Fellow even though Dr. SHIT ( Trevor) wrote a glowing report of my activities at the time. In 2009 I won the tech award in San Jose for the project in Limpopo. The awards and recognicion received inspires me to carry on and make a positive impact. I attended the GSBI program at the Santa Clara University in 2010 and became more corporate orientated and developed with my mentors a new marketing model that allows a faster growth and expansion. I am implementing this project right now. I do to day the possible as to morrow is only a concept of ones imagination.
We have provided 250 house holds in 2 villages with our fuel cells, creating 1MW ( 1 million Watt) of energy a month. We have reduced petty crime as people have now outside lights in their yards and can see what is going on.We have created 16 sustainable jobs and reduced the unemployment by 5%. We have acceptance by the community and the support of the school going learners who love our technology and what it does. How do you measure success? If a community member comes to you after having received his fuel cells and lights, can watch now TV and charge his cell phone batteries and says: "You make me feel now like a valuable person" that to me is success.
1,001- 10,000
More than 10,000
We are now implementing our new marketing model developed during my inhouse residence program at the Santa Clara University. The model is designed for the lower income groups ( less than U.S.$ 200 per month).
We have formed a partnership with CAPITEC BANK that provides low cost micro finance to our target market that is informal settlements around Johannesburg and other larger cities. We set up retail outlets and create entrepreneurs to operate the service shops and retail outlets. Our marketing plan is conservative and targets 11600 fuel cell sets into the Ekhuruleni area near Johannesburg in the next 3 years. This would be to the benefit of some 50 000 persons as each house hold has 4+ persons per dwelling. It will create over 500 sustainable jobs for service technicians alone.
In the past years we had to rely on corporate sponsorship. This is not sustainable for the company as it takes time to get projects financed. ( 1 project a year)By implementing our new marketing plan and not relying on sponsorship or government, we have now our own destiny in hand. We are implementing presently a private financing in the U.S. with a venture capital company and have formed a partnership with the 4th largest bank in South Africa, CAPITEC, that makes available low cost loans to our customer base.We have 9 franchise agents that are paying for franchise rights in the area of Ekhuruleni. Our financial projections are conservative but will demonstrate a positive cash flow in year 2 after implementation of the new marketing plan. The expected profit of U.S.$ over 1 million is in year 3. This allows us to grow rapidly into other ares in South Africa and adjoining countries.
We have formed a partnership with the 4th largest bank in South Africa CAPITEC BANK, that seeks to extend its client base into our target market.
We have a partnership with Connect Africa that uses our fuel cells in projects in Southern Africa.
We have a partnership with SAEDF ( Southern African Economic Development Fund, that is financed by USAID.)
We have partnerships with various NGO's that promote education and working with women in rural areas, Like Ilithuba that gets skirts and other items made by rural women, using electric sewing machines powered by our fuel cells, with unique african embroidery under fair trade.
We have a partnership with the Santa Clara University and my mentors to help us grow and provide support.
We have formed a partnership with Africa Union, a African business organisation that promotes our energy solutions into Africa
We form partnerships with different organisations. In that way we do not duplicate projects and safe money by sharing costs.We plan long term service back up to create sustainability. We are a unlisted public company in South Africa that includes some 220 individual share holders from all over the world. We do not need bank overdrafts or loans. We worked with capital raised from share holders in the past, but have now achieved after 9 years, the first time a positive cash flow.
We invlove all our business partners as share holders in our company in order to create loyalty and and share risks. We are now in a position to expand without financial constraints due to the partnership with Capitec Bank that finances our low income customers.We need to stay in control of our future as not many organizations are thinking social empoerment first but look more at the return of investment. We work to the tripple bottom line principle, ROI, social impact, environmental impact. This can only be done with no interference by government and local politics. The private sector must be the driver of the projects.
We will expand into other South African areas that have no grid energy ( some 12 million households)By targeting only 1% of this market it would effect 120 000 house holds ( some 400 000 persons)
We will grow in a controlled manner and into specific geographic areas in order to reach a target market that can be effectivly serviced by the service shops and retail outlets we set up. The critical mass is 250 customers per service shop in order to have a sustainable and positive cash flow business. Reaching a target market of 1% would mean 480 service shops. This would create over 1000 sustainable employments and entrepreneurs spread across South Africa , without taking into consideration the secondary businesses we create in the end user market.
We will open up the first world market with our fuel cells for disaster relief, and UPS power. As we have controlled power cuts for the next 5 years in South Africa we have a interesting further market into the urban market.
We will expand the business to other African countries and have already exciting projects happening in August 2011 in Zambia.
Our aim is to expand into India and other South East Asian countries as we have many enquiries already to form joint ventures in these areas.
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.
PRIMARY
Lack of skills/training
Lack of efficiency
Lack of access to information and networks
We provide skills training as fuel cell technicians
We train with partners women in different skills like electric sewing machines and embroidery machines
We teach how to work smart and not hard
We train school children to operate computers and what they can do now with the energy provided.
We provide energy on a 24/7 basis to operate computers, media, TV'S and internet
If yes, please check up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.
PRIMARY
Grown geographic reach: Multi-country
Grown geographic reach: Global
1)We target the Ekhuruleni area that has 136000 informal dwellings that have no access to energy. We will set up 9 retail outlets and service shops that will create sustainable employment for 27 persons direct as entrepreneurs.
2) We expand to other large urban areas like Cape Town were there are 100 000 informal dwellings with no services
3) we expand into Zambia and Malawi
The target is to establish a customer base of 11600 households in the next 3 years in South Africa. This will effect the life of some 50 000 people and create over 500 sustainable employments
Technology providers, NGOs/Nonprofits, For profit companies, Academia/universities.
The most helpful and exciting help I got was during my inhouse residence program (GSBI) at the Santa Clara University.
For profit companies like Anglo American, Kumba Resources, EXXARO, have funded projects in the past but are not suitable to be relied on in order to create a large user base outside their mine operations.
The winning of the tech award opened new opportunities not available in South Africa. Venture capital companies approached us, as they see the global impact we can make and the share holder value we create at the same time.
the CSIR ( Council for Science and Industrial Research) tested the fuel cells and made recommendations to government to use our technology. It gives us the credibility to be accepted in the market.