By lighting up rural communities, a new group of social entrepreneurs are illuminating a whole new group of opportunities for rural residents. They’re making health clinics run more efficiently, giving small-scale entrepreneurs the power to scale up, and powering classrooms. This week, we bring you five social enterprises bringing electricity to off-the-grid areas.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Social Enterprise of the Day – Volunteer WindAid
Peru; Non-Profit
This small windmill project is volunteer-powered. Volunteers join the program and spend five weeks installing a windmill in rural Peru. Forty-five percent of volunteer fees go directly towards paying for the windmills. The model is low-cost and easy to build, so every volunteer can make a valuable contribution. So far, WindAid has supported start up coastal businesses, and powered a rural school for the regular school day and nighttime classes. The organization works with Peruvian communities, to locate the projects and places most in need of wind-generated energy. But the benefits don’t stop with the volunteers leave – each WindAid windmill is guaranteed to bring sustainable energy for at least 20 years.
