Total to reach out to Malawians without eletricity
Total Malawi Limited, a major player in the country’s fuel distribution sector, on Tuesday rolled out an initiative designed to provide access to energy by low income groups in the country.
Dubbed ‘Awango’ , which is a brand name under the company’s Total Access To Solar (Tats), the initiative aims to facilitate access to energy and improve the lives of people who use costly or even dangerous sources of energy in their homes.
Awango by Total Malawi are lamps that use solar energy for recharging.
Total Malawi Limited managing director Michel Malatino said his company’s mission is to market accessible energy solutions to low-income populations based on innovative, profitable and sustainable business models.
Currently, only nine out of every hundred Malawians have access to electricity, a figure which puts Malawi as a country with one of the least access to electricity rates among its population.
“This problem of access to energy also [affects] that of access to education, communications, information or any form of everyday convenience. Beyond simply making available its expertise, total has decided to offer innovative solutions in its choice of products,” said Malatino in an interview on the sidelines of the launch.
He said the new solar lamps are a perfect fit with Total’s corporate strategy of “acting responsibly to
facilitate access to energy for as many people as possible, against a backdrop of increasing global demand.”
Malatino said Total Malawi acknowledges the fact that about 50 percent of the Malawi population live below the poverty line.
“These solar lamps have the ability to charge phones and are very bright. It is very clean energy, therefore, is very safe to use,” he said.
Malatino said the products will also stand in times of power outages by Malawi’s traditional power supplier which has often resulted in power rationing that has been adversely affecting businesses.
He said the products would also bring economical energy solutions to populations without access to energy and encourage energy conservation in Malawi.
He encouraged Malawians to partner the company and become resellers “thus providing business for ordinary Malawians.”
“The Awango by Total brand wants to contribute to the renewable energy sector in Malawi. Solar energy is categorised as part of renewable energy. We want to make sure that all Malawians, be it in the rural or urban areas do have access to affordable, safe and mobile lighting solutions,” he said.
Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Atupele Muluzi hailed the firm for rolling out solar energy products and said the move is in line with government agenda of making sure that more Malawians have access to electricity.
