The WE!Hub: water – energy – education
Siemens Stiftung focuses its activities on various regions in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America with the aim of supplying these communities with electricity and water and providing opportunities for income and education, all while supporting local entrepreneurship. The projects are conducted in cooperation with local partners and communities and are socially and financially self-sustainable. A showcase project for this approach is the Water Energy Hub (WE!Hub) in Kenya.
The solar-powered WE!Hubs provide access to electricity and potable water in Kenya
WE!Hubs offer an environmentally friendly and sustainable energy and water supply based on a fair and decentralized access for people of rural and peri-urban Kenya. The Hubs are solar-operated and work independent of grid-connection, ensuring a reliable supply. For a small fee, people can rent portable lanterns, lamps and batteries, recharge their mobile phones or buy clean drinking water at affordable prices. Beyond this, the WE!Hubs offer entrepreneurial opportunities, educational programs as well as chances for further income. Established as a social business, all profits of the WE!Hubs are exclusively reinvested in the expansion of the business in order to ensure its financial sustainability as well as additional charitable activities.
A strong partnership
The Kenyan social business Light for Life Ltd. is responsible for the successful implementation on site and will run the WE!Hubs after project termination. It has been founded by the Kenyan company Thames Electricals Ltd. specifically for this purpose. Global Nature Fund is coordinating the project. OSRAM is the project’s technology partner and advises in technical as well as conceptual issues. The Siemens Stiftung implements social projects beyond the core activities in order to strengthen the region and its communities. The project is funded by the European Union. The Siemens Stiftung is a further project supporter.
Cooperation partners
Global Nature Fund, OSRAM AG, Light for Life Ltd., and Thames Electricals Ltd.
