Issues
Ensuring access to sustainable energy for all is essential. Energy is not an end in itself; it is a cross-cutting tool that improves the living conditions of populations.
As the third-largest economy on the African continent, behind South Africa and Nigeria, Kenya remains a country marked by significant inequalities and a high level of poverty. Lake Victoria is an essential part of the country. It is the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, covering over 68,000 km². Located in the heart of a densely populated area, it is bordered by Kenya to the west, Uganda to the north, and Tanzania to the south.
Actions
For nearly 40 years, Electriciens sans frontières (ESF) has been working to combat inequalities in access to electricity and water worldwide, among the most vulnerable. An internationally recognized solidarity NGO of public interest studies, it carries out development aid projects and cooperation in the field of energy among disadvantaged populations. In the countries of intervention, the association prefers to “do it with” and intervenes only with local associative partners established in the territories. Projects are built by systematically combining development levers and the integration of environmental issues, with a focus on renewable energies. Thanks to its expertise, ESF contributes to meeting multiple needs beyond economic development issues: access to water, health care and education.
Mirova Foundation’s support for Electriciens sans frontières focuses on two key areas:
Strengthening the association’s capacity to act:
In line with its action plan 2024-2027, Electriciens sans frontières mobilizes 1,200 volunteers, a team of 18 employees and several skills sponsorships for the conduct of its actions. This support is reflected in several axes:
- increase in skills of teams and the mobilisation of external expertise when skills are not held internally
- update of the content of their quality reference: update of the Guide to Good Practices
- update of training materials internally and externally in order to implement standardized versions and more visual formats
- support for a sustainability fund to enable monitoring and sustainability missions for projects completed in various countries.
Support for a field project in Kenya:
Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Located in the heart of a densely populated area, local people depend very largely on artisanal fishing for their food and income. The lack of value chain structuring and the lack of infrastructure, particularly cold chain, very strongly limits the potential added value. Women have to sell the fish they bought in the morning during the day, and find themselves forced to give up what they didn’t sell cheaply when the end of the day arrives.
Faced with this problem, the project set up with the local association Aid the Needy aims to improve the storage of fish from small-scale fishing in Kendu Bay, on the edge of Lake Victoria in Kenya. It offers a sustainable refrigerated storage solution powered mainly by solar energy at an affordable price to nearly 1,400 fish sellers. At the same time, the project will implement adapted collective management to ensure the proper functioning over time (economic interest, local capacity to ensure the operation and sustainability of the facilities).
Key figures
Our support
- Multi-year partnership (2025-2028)
- Financial support and non-financial assistance
- Connecting with Mirova teams in Nairobi, Kenya.