Utilities 2.0
In August, a Power for All team led by our CEO Kristina Skierka convened in Kampala, Uganda to present a Utilities 2.0 progress report and work plan for the remainder of 2019 to the board of utility Umeme. We also held a business modelling workshop with Quadrant Advisors to review business concepts that can be further developed and tested during the demonstration phase of the Utilities 2.0 initiative, which formally launched in May at African Utility Week. As part of ongoing sensitization, advocacy and awareness raising of Utilities 2.0 and to ensure compliance with Ugandan law, the Stakeholder Engagement Working Group convened meetings with the Electricity Regulatory Authority, Rural Electrification Agency, the Ministry of Energy and other local stakeholders. Both the Ministry of Energy and the Electricity Regulator Authority have both stated their support of Utilities 2.0 demonstration project.
Upcoming Events
Power for All will be represented in a number of events during September and October, as we explore new collaboration and strengthen existing partnerships. Notable events include the Africa’s Agripreneur Summit 2019 on September 24-26 in Nairobi, Kenya. The summit presents a platform for us to engage players in the agriculture sector on uses of decentralized renewable energy solutions as a way of ensuring food security and enhancing sustainable agriculture. Power for All will also participate in the Greentech Media Off-Grid Energy Access Forum scheduled for October 2 in London. The forum’s focus will be on assessing global investment, market opportunities and technology developments for off-grid energy access. In addition, we plan to be at the 8th International Renewable Energy Conference (KIREC) in Seoul on October 23-25.
New Team Members
Power for All is excited to welcome three new members to our small, but mighty team. Divya Kottadiel joins the campaign to lead our work in India, where she is responsible for developing, executing, and managing communications and content strategy, and works with sector partners and other stakeholders to deliver campaign objectives. Divya has over 14 years of experience as a development communications professional and has worked with a range of non-profits including World Resources Institute, Gateway House, and Oasis. Divya has degrees in Sociology and English Literature, and serves on the boards of multiple sustainable development organisations, including a fair-trade social enterprise in Bangalore, India. Melissa Nussbaum joins us as director of development, with over 16 years of non-profit experience working on financial inclusion, information technology for development (IT4D) and food security. She has fundraised from individuals, private and corporate foundations, governments and bi/multilateral institutions. She is currently based in Washington, DC and has lived in Hanoi, Vietnam and Quito, Ecuador. She has a masters in public policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College. In her role, Melissa will be responsible for expanding our fundraising program including to individuals through major gifts and grassroots programs. And Benson Kibiti is our new director of communications, based in Nairobi. He has a decade of experience in both development communications and has worked with a range of non-profits including Conservation International, UN Environment and Caritas Internationalis, where he was engaged in communication and advocacy work on climate change, environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and digital public affairs. In his role, Benson will focus on internal and external communication across Power for All’s various media platforms, while maintaining and developing a broader coalition of partner organizations to enhance messaging and coordination. Benson holds a masters in governance, a bachelor of arts in communications and media studies, a diploma in French language studies and has also undertaken an advanced international training program on climate change adaptation and mitigation from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.