Harnessing the power of the sun: Solomon’s solar water pump project
Solomon, an alumnus of Amala's Social Entrepreneurship course, is bringing change to farmers in his community with an innovative solar water pump project.
His journey with Amala began when he heard about the Social Entrepreneurship course from a friend. Intrigued, he joined the course with a clear expectation in mind: "to gain a deeper understanding of how to create and manage a sustainable business that addresses social issues."
The course was that and more for Solomon; he especially enjoyed collaborating and exploring how to make change in the community with others. "The group discussions were the best part of the course. They were unlike anything I had experienced before and really helped me learn from others' perspectives," Solomon shares. A particularly surprising moment for him was discovering how his vision for positive change aligned with global initiatives. "What surprised me more was discovering that my desire to reduce hunger fit perfectly within the Sustainable Development Goals. And I never heard of SDGs before the course."
Solomon, along with his coursemates Elizabeth and Gugue, identified the challenges in collecting water faced by local farmers along the riverbed in Kakuma. Together they developed the idea of creating pumps which use solar technology; their solar water pump aims to "help farmers transition away from expensive and environmentally harmful diesel generators and inefficient foot pumps." The goal is simple yet impactful: to boost agricultural productivity and reduce hunger while promoting clean energy.
When Solomon secured seed funding for the project, he felt a renewed sense of purpose: "I felt courageous... it gave me the confidence and motivation to move forward, knowing that others believed in our vision to support local farmers in Kakuma."
Solomon, who is now implementing the project alone, hopes to expand the project beyond Kakuma and bring solar-powered agricultural solutions to semi-arid regions across Kenya.
