Mini-grid electricity empowering women and fueling economic activities in Msuka village in Malawi

June 20, 2024

Mtende Women Malawi1 — Mtende Women’s Cooperatives members, UNDP and field facilitator from the Ministry of Energy, posing for a group photo after a successful monitoring of the Powering Gender Equality project. The women took this opportunity to showcase products such as bread which they are able to bake with the use of electricity.

Access to clean energy has the potential to transform the lives of women and advance gender equality around the world. It is a fundamental prerequisite for health, education, and economic well-being. Malawi, like other countries across the region, has made concerted efforts to enhance energy access across the country. Nevertheless, the lack of access to sustainable energy in the country remains a problem, denting efforts for economic transformation and gender equality.

In most parts of Malawi, economic activities have been on a slower trajectory with country-wide electrification at only 12 percent and three percent of rural Malawians connected to the national grid. As a result, many households live below the poverty line, with women particularly affected by the lack of energy access.

Thirteen years ago, Msuka village in Rumphi district, which is within the Chipopoma mini-grid site, was among the many villages with no electricity connection. Despite interconnector overhead cables a few meters away heading for the neighboring district of Karonga, the village had no electricity and was reliant on biofuels for energy needs with no hope for any connectivity to the power grid. Community members, especially women, struggled to partake in economic activities, especially those powered by electricity due to unreliable sources.

“The situation was bad back then. Whenever it was raining people could stay the whole day without eating because they could not manage to walk the hilly and rocky terrain for five kilometers to the nearest maize mill in Livingstonia.” Recollects Ida Msowoya, Msuka village resident.

“We also struggled when it came to charging our mobile phones as we had to travel the same distance of five kilometers to Livingstonia. Even students were finding it hard to study after the sunset, a situation which affected the pass rate,” adds the mother of two.

House Msuka Village — A house in Msuka village connected to electricity generated at Chipopoma mini grid which was funded by UNDP through the Access to Clean and Renewable Energy (ACRE) project.

Powering Gender Equality in Malawi

UNDP has closely collaborated with the Government of Malawi to ensure rural areas have access to sustainable energy, and that women are the first to benefit from these initiatives.

To ensure access to energy, UNDP collaborated with the Ministries of Gender and Energy and the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) to implement the ACRE project and target rural areas that do not have access to energy. The project involved the construction of a modern powerhouse for the Chipopoma mini-grid, installation of overhead power cables, and construction of a road to the powerhouse for easy accessibility. This support was crucial in connecting over 100 households to the mini-grid significantly benefitting many women-headed households.

Under the Powering Gender Equality project, UNDP has been playing a pivotal role in ensuring that women in Malawi benefit from access to energy by equipping them with entrepreneurship skills. The project has been providing rural women in the area with the skills, knowledge, and insights to take advantage of renewable energy to not only power their homes but also to run small businesses to enhance their livelihoods.

Thanks to support from Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea through UNDP’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Funding Window, UNDP is working closely to boost women’s economic empowerment, enhance gender-responsive energy governance, and support energy policy frameworks that accelerate gender equality.

Good things have come

Electricity availability and entrepreneurship training have substantially increased women’s economic opportunities. Ida has become a key player in her maize mill business and can regularly be seen operating the mill, working in partnership with her husband. With her newfound entrepreneurship skills, they are also gearing towards setting up poultry farming to be sustained by electricity.

Ida Rumphi Malawi — Ida operating the maize mill which she run with her husband John, who was instrumental in bringing electricity to the Msuka, Mkandapasi and the surrounding villages.

Mtende Women’s Cooperative, which Ida is a member, has been revamped and is actively taking part in economic activities requiring the use of electricity. In the past, women would surrender the income-generating role to their husbands, whilst they focused on household chores. The status quo is no longer the same, the women have demonstrated different ways in which electricity can be used to turn around the economic situations of their households.

Through the cooperative, the women have started using electricity in diverse ways to earn money and improve their lives. They have managed to make savings and procured a small oven for baking bread and snacks which fetch significant sales in their community. In addition, the group has also procured a juice blender which they use to make lemon juice to supplement their line of products.

“At first, we thought using electricity for our bakery production would be expensive, however following the training we realized that using electricity would increase our production and profits as compared to operating a firewood oven which we were using at the beginning. We have been able to increase our revenue and increased our customers base”, stated Patricia Chirambo, Chairperson for Mtende Women’s Cooperative

The chairperson added that the group has generated more business ideas which they are now testing such as juice making which they realize has a good market in their locality and beyond

The women have switched from a firewood oven to a bakery powered by clean energy and ventured into juice-making business having studied their market needs. Other cooperatives are using electricity from the mini-grid to pump water for irrigation and have been able to grow crops such as potatoes, beans, and maize among other crops in winter and dry seasons.

Women in the area are not only empowered and optimistic about the future but are also inspiring the rest of the community. The men in the village, including their spouses, have come to recognize the significant benefits of economically empowering women, leading to more household income and better educational opportunities for children.

“Indeed we have seen things turn around for the better after selling our products. We are able to earn income, which is used in our homes, and also to grow the business,” said Elesiya Kalua, Mtende Women’s Cooperative Vice Chairperson

The story of the Mtende women-led group highlights the urgent need for more support to help women in Malawi access and benefit from clean energy. Recent studies by the Malawi National Statistics Office reveal that only 25% of the population has access to electricity, presenting significant challenges, particularly for women. However, with ongoing support, Powering Gender Equality has demonstrated that access to clean energy can do more than light up homes; it can power the economic ambitions of women, transforming Msuka village and beyond.