Senegal: ImpactSite opened successfully

Wilo-Foundation invited 50 Senegalese students to a field trip.

Matthew Magwede (Wilo Group), Torsten Schreiber (Africa GreenTec), Sönke Siemon (Deutscher Botschafter im Senegal), Frau Siemon, Saidou Gaye (Wilo Group), David Höltgen (Wilo-Foundation) auf der ImpactSite
From left to right: Matthew Magwede (Wilo Group), Torsten Schreiber (Africa GreenTec), Sönke Siemon (German Ambassador to Senegal), Ms. Siemon, Saidou Gaye (Wilo Group), David Höltgen (Wilo-Foundation). Photo: Wilo-Foundation

More than 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity. About 30 per cent of the population have no clean drinking water on a daily basis. Yet, secure access to both plays a key role for the development of rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa: water treatment, cold chains, electricity, Internet access – secure and uninterrupted. On 14 May 2022, the social enterprise Africa GreenTec AG set a milestone by opening the first holistic ImpactSite on the African continent.

In the community of N’diob in Senegal, components for power production, cooling, water treatment and communication are now being interconnected using a smart approach. The aim is to open up new opportunities for villagers to increase their productivity. The ImpactSite is tailored to the social and economic situation of the local population, with a view to providing targeted support on the ground. Two community schools will also benefit immediately from access to electricity and clean water. The project receives funding from the Wilo-Foundation, in particular for the electrification of elementary schools and several households, workshops for vocational training and measures to increase women’s incomes. The project is also supported, through innovative technological solutions, by the Wilo Group and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Ein "Cooltainer" mit einem Dach aus Solarpanelen auf der ImpactSite im Senegal
The “solartainer” (a solar power plant) with an integrated water treatment system which is used as a mobile cooling facility for fruit and vegetables, designed to minimise food waste. Photo: Wilo-Foundation
Senegalesische Enactus-Studierende auf der ImpactSite vor einem "Cooltainer"
The project is financially supported by the Wilo-Foundation, which in particular promoted the electrification of primary schools as well as workshops on vocational training and increasing the employment of girls and women. Photo: Wilo-Foundation

Matthew Magwede (Group Sales Director Middle & Southern Africa, Wilo Group) and Saidou Gaye (Country Manager Senegal, Wilo Group), who were joined by David Höltgen (Wilo-Foundation), attended the official opening event to gain a first-hand impression of the project’s impact. They were accompanied by 50 Senegalese Enactus students: up-and-coming social entrepreneurs who had gladly accepted the invitation of the Wilo-Foundation and were excited to be at the event. On the previous day, students of the Superior Polytechnic School in Dakar had visited the office of Africa GreenTec AG together with the Wilo-Foundation where they had met with the founding couple, Torsten and Aida Schreiber, and Wolfgang Rams (Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer). During their exchange, they gained many valuable insights into the work and initiatives of the social enterprise and asked many questions about the company’s history, its sustainable impact and current challenges.

Torsten Schreiber (Africa GreenTec) erläutert senegalesischen Enactus-Studierenden die Funktionsweise des "Cooltainers"
Together with 50 Senegalese Enactus students David Höltgen (Wilo-Foundation) visited the official opening of the Impact Site in Mai 2022. Photo: Wilo-Foundation, Credit: Kevin Bressler

During the inauguration of the ImpactSite on 14 May 2022, which was also attended by the German ambassador to Senegal, Sönke Simon, and representatives of the Senegalese Ministry of Energy, among others, the students had the opportunity to see the different technical components of the ImpactSite from up close, including the “solartainer” (a solar power plant) with an integrated water treatment system. The students also took a great interest in the “cooltainer”, which is now being used for the first time on the African continent: a mobile cooling facility for fruit and vegetables, designed to minimise food waste.

Background:

The Wilo-Foundation is a co-sponsor of the global “Action with Africa” challenge that was launched this year. The contest gives student teams an opportunity to work on entrepreneurial project ideas that are developed in collaboration with civil society on the African continent. The main sponsor of the challenge is the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The Wilo Group also supports the project as a sponsor of the thematic field “water”.

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